Mei 0:06
Hi, good afternoon, everyone. My name is Mei Jhong. I'm from PFA in the School of Journalism and Media Studies. And for the past 10 years or so I've been working on the international studies minor. So my approach into this might be slightly different. I noticed that the the previous three presentations, were focused on one program and study abroad in nature and in cross cultural in nature. We have a whole minor on international studies. So I checked with Yaewen and she agrees that we can keep it this way. So I'm going to run through all the courses that we have. So just know that this is not focused on one class, although I will try to touch upon each class, but it's really the whole minor, the whole minor focuses on bringing about a international perspective for our students in the minor. So I want to start with a very quick introduction of the minor. The it consists of six courses in the minor, four of which are the core courses, and two of those are the study abroad. So all students who are in the minor are required to study abroad. And this is like the foundation that we have the minor started back in 2008 2009. In the planning, we started offering courses in the spring up 2010. Just to give you a little bit of context for this. The minor is open to all majors, and and all levels, load all grades, for all undergraduate grades in SDSU. So students take these four core courses. And then I said two are from abroad, plus two electives, to make up the six courses, and we'll talk about each one. So the the out come up, the whole minor is a cross cultural with centered, everything is centered around this one big cross cultural research project for which students go abroad and collect data and come back and do half of the study in the US and draw comparisons. So that will be completed into a portfolio, the final report of it is in the form of a full article, a full report, along with a PowerPoint presentation. So that's the whole portfolio out of the whole minor.
This, the overall goal is to help students gain an international perspective, that would be complimentary when they graduate. So this would be a good thing to have along with their major no matter what major they have. That's the idea. Yeah, when is aware of this, because she worked with us one semester, I remember. Yeah. So here are the courses, I put a star on the site of the courses that I teach, these are my classes. But this is all the courses in the minor. So I'll be talking about these fields that I have more knowledge of. And so these are the top few are all courses in the minor. The one on the bottom is Asian studies course, that we used to offer through the current Global Campus, CES before that Asian for 90 of culture and society in rural China. So this is my study abroad version of a program that I take students to through a service learning program to China. I'll be speaking about that a little bit at the end too. So beginning with E SFA, 350, which is introduction to international studies. Basically the courses is an introduction and it helps students to gain a perspective about different cultures, we learn about cultural value differences, we introduce a set of language for students to be equipped with, when they go abroad, they will know how to observe these phenomena out there, how to analyze it, in their mind, you know, they will have labels when they see something happen. So that's the idea we provide that in the first part of the class. The second part is devoted to teaching them about designing a research project. The project is cross cultural in nature, so that they they are basically understanding that they do part of the study abroad and part of the study in the US and draw comparisons in the end. So this class is where we're planning for it. We're designing the research project we're planning for it. And built in in this part is a pilot study, which is like a mediator study. Major, but with all the elements, so they go from the beginning, choosing a topic doing the literature review, and posing the research question and then thinking about the research method, what method they want to use to get their data, and then going out and find people to interview in a regular semester, they would go out on campus and find international students to, to interview for their project, and then coming back and and interview at the same time American students in comparison, and then put together a final report. So in a nutshell, that's the pilot study that we have in bsfa, 350. I add in here this semester, in particular, we do not have the the international student population that we normally have. So we are resorting to coil program. Thanks to Adrian, I'm so glad that we were able to do this this semester. So we are connected with do I would say in Chile, San Diego, Chile, so we are going to be using that group of students, we currently I was just told they have recruited about 50 students, for us, for our students to be working with. So I'm very happy about that. All right, again, so the end product for this particular course, is the research design the research proposal. So by the end of the semester, they have a proposal with literature with a topic and and the interview questions, everything in place, just ready to go abroad. Once they get there. They know exactly what kind of people to look for, what are the criteria, what questions to ask, and so on. So that being the course I'm trying to think about, I mean for To be honest, throughout all of the courses, I think we touch upon the different gels.
Like Sarah mission, that we actually designed the courses with learning outcomes in mind prior to these current yellows, so I find it very easy to match them with what we have. So I'm only picking out a couple from each class. So you can see how we are meeting those requirements. For this class, in particular, looking at examining the relationship between language and culture, through each student's individual study, when they go out there they are learning about that culture through the particular study that they're doing. And then the third jello that we have is to, again, focusing on this is the first one, the second one is through their interactions. The third one is through their study. So the third one is about learning at least one aspect of the global culture and that that deep understanding is through their topics study. Okay, so this is PSF, a 350. I want to show you real quick some of the topics that students work on because the minor is open to all students, all minor, all majors. For example, a student from communication can be looking at nonverbal communication patterns. If they go to Japan, as compared to the US, a student in civil engineer, we had a student and civil engineer that that looks at house design, you know, new houses, when people build new houses, what kind of features people like in Mexico versus here. So this particular student went to Mexico and did a study there and then came back here, think about how that will be helpful. And he becomes a civil engineer designer when he graduates. And a person, another person in communication looked at a physician patient communication patterns in Italy versus in the US. I won't go into details I get too excited about these project, I'll tend to go on forever. So the next one is teaching style differences in college classrooms in Brazil versus in the US, right? recycling patterns for a student in sustainability, looking at how people recycle things in the household in Indonesia versus in the US. So everything is compared to that in the US. Female sport newscasters. This is from a JMS student in Spain versus the US on linguistics student looking at second language acquisition, what are the motive? What are the teaching learning styles in in Chile versus in the US This is currently going on when we meet with with our Chilean students. Okay, and college students management of personal finance In France versus in the US, this is a fight fight finance student in business here. And then, of course, I'm encouraging all students to look at how we're coping with the pandemic situation, similarly, or differently around the world, no matter where they end up going, or which culture they're in contact with. So these are some, just a few sample questions. And you can get a sense of how by looking into each of these topics, they can gain a pretty good understanding of at least one aspect of that culture as compared to the US. So this is a PSA 350. The next course I want to mention is, gosh, we only have until 230.
Yaewen 10:47
Right now, we only have 10 minutes, I was wondering if you want to jump to the service learning class?
Mei 10:53
Yes, I can. I do want to mention this one, because this is linked to the coil project. This is a course that didn't exist before because our students need to go abroad. Since the suspension of all study abroad programs, this is actually the reason I started the coil program, I we have all these students who were lined up to go abroad, but didn't get to go. And yet they need to progress in the minor in order to graduate. So the coil program allows them to be collecting data virtually, with students on the international side, and then compare with that in the US. So my coil project has two partners. One is in Chile, Santiago, Chile, Chile. The other one is with the University of Exeter in the UK. So the university in the UK is a political science professor who is working with us. So my students, we will be working with them on those topics. So this whole course was created new to allow students to have that in the house international experience. Okay. I'll skip this one. This one has a lot that I can say too. But I'll skip to the one that I do with the faculty LEAD program. This is Asians for 90 different from most travel programs. This one, I take them to rural China. So students actually go to China meet up with college students, and form small groups. And each group will be assigned to travel to a remote poverty area in China. And they teach English to kids for two weeks. And Adrian is smiling you you're familiar with this program, right? So for this one, students are immersed in the culture, both with college students in China on a daily basis, they live with them, they teach with them work with them. And at the same time they pair up to teach class in elementary or middle school, teach them English for two weeks. So it's different because it said in rural China, so our students gain a special perspective from a area that most people don't have access to. And through that, they get to interact with individuals, and reflect on their own cultural identities, as they're comparing and contrasting with the local ones. And then looking at the structure in China, especially looking at the difference between rural China and urban China, we don't usually get the perspective of rural China. Okay, I just want to sum it up by saying that we have the global one through three through all of the different courses. And collectively, the number four, that we get our students ready for their careers. When they go out and be interviewed. I almost talked about this. And there is a prospective international perspective that they have been. I also strongly mentioned this to students that they are also prepared to go to graduate school. I haven't conducted a solo cross cultural study in an international site and compare that to the US as my end I'm sorry,
Yaewen 14:27
thank you so much. That's so great. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, definitely. I think that going to rural China right then you kind of open your perspective about there's not one homogeneous China, right. There's kind of a difference even, you know, there's complexity within I love that. I know having worked with you, I know you're very you know encouraging and willing to work with students, anyone who is outside of PSSA or outside of their major they want to add on international minor as you know that you're you're very you know, you're willing to be flexible in terms of working with them and coursework embarrassing. So
Mei 15:03
I want to show real real quick while you're thinking about questions this I feel so bad here. That's the coil project I want to share specifically with Adrienne, with the three universities that we have set up with
Adrienne 15:21
That's fantastic May,
Mei 15:23
were meeting with a (univesity) in Chile,
Adrienne 15:27
so you're Are you you're coiling with three different universities.
Mei 15:31
I'm coiling with the other two. So it's a three,
Adrienne 15:35
I see. Wow,
Sarah 15:37
I'm a I'm gonna reach out to you.
Thank you for sharing this flyer. That's
beautiful,
Mei 15:42
isn't it? Yeah, they did this at (Chile University). I didn't make it. That's us. And that's the UK University.
Yaewen 15:50
Okay, amazing. I also know everyone in this seminar, have cool program to share. Unfortunately, we don't have the space. But I love your feedback about how things are, you know, just, this is a first attempt, right? This is an inaugural group. But I love just having the space to hear about all the cool stuff that my colleagues are doing that I don't get to hear about. And I know, many folks in the room have cool program to question. Yes. On her Have a question?
Bernhard 16:23
No, I had a question. But upon reflection, we may already be doing it. But my question was, for example, I did not know that there was an international studies minor in pfsa. We've worked we've worked with Amy before. We're supporting her and what she's doing with entrepreneurship there. Is there is there any any reason for us maybe to put somewhere where the students can easily find it a green? You know, all the different programs that are available? You know, to these students that whether when they're trying to fulfill minors, you know, like, what are the other study abroad courses that could help. And if we are going to start building GLOs, you know, consistently across these courses, then then everyone would know what's in their program that, oh, it's going to get covered off correctly. So it could be a language program, it could be a business program, it could be a graphic design a film program, but as long as we're starting to link them, potentially with yellows, then everybody's kind of got this a little bit more comfortable feeling. But for students today, I mean, other than looking at study abroad programs by destination, is there any way for students that are in minors or majors that have study abroad equivalence to find out, you know, what other courses might fulfill them across the campus? Or when study abroad?
Adrienne 17:40
Right, there's not a way yet. But I have been in conversations with folks in the global learning office and to figure out a way to kind of do a put a tag on courses that might meet the the global learning outcomes. And definitely, we want to highlight on the international affairs, webpage different avenues for students to engage in these programs.
Yaewen 18:08
Yeah, so I think one of the conversation that's happening right now we're thinking about what is an welcome anyone who have any ideas? What is the best way to tack kind of glow glow courses, and we want to do as thoughtfully right, because how you're attacking sends a message. We want to be collaborative, I think Noah Hansen, also have an idea of international experience, feel kind of like the bilingual steel, kind of, yeah, but I think underneath of it is really a way of making sure we have a system of sharing all the great programs, including minors, and majors that, you know, that make the information accessible for our students so they can make the best decision about their education. That is,
Mei 18:54
I want to say that this happens many times, every time I had a chance to present the minor. There are always people who say I didn't know exists, existed. And there were students who say, really, we have this. So I honestly we've been trying very hard to alert the community and let people know that somehow the word is not getting out. We've been in existence for a little over 10 years.
Bernhard 19:21
I mean, I think it would be kind of cool. If someday Adrienne in on a study abroad website, instead of showing countries we shoved the courses that were available for study abroad and the requirements of those courses, and where they might fit in where they might not fit in someone's obligations, or you know, things that have to do but right now we say, oh, here's a program, you know, but we don't reverse it in and say, oh, here's the 111 courses that are available through study abroad.
Adrienne 19:51
I just have to mention bern I've been trying for years and years to to allow students to be able to search only for faculty led programs by course. In the study abroad database, there's the functionality, but it just hasn't been supported yet. I think with under Christina's leadership, there's much more support to pull all this information together and to allow students to search from, from an academic perspective, as opposed to a destination perspective. Um, so yeah, I 100% in agreement with you.
Yaewen 20:27
And I think Yeah, any, you know, kind of any great ideas, I think, you know, the more they are people behind this idea, the more it would help, you know, kind of International Affairs to push some of the things that faculty want to see happening, right. And I think for me, creating the space is hopefully getting those ideas and voices in the same room. So
Adrienne 20:48
also, I just kind of want to mention too now that faculty led programs, whatever that ends up looking like, is under international affairs, as opposed to in Global Campus, there's going to be I mean, we're seeing a lot more collaboration. And so we hope to see that continue and not reinforce this idea, like, Okay, this is revenue generating, and this is all about, you know, quantity versus quality. We're all together now working on the outcomes together and that kind of thing. So it's certainly a very positive move.
Yaewen 21:22
And well, one minute over, I want to thank you everyone for joining us.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai