Global Education

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” -- St. Augustine Hello! I'm Dr. Gerardo Cummings, director of Global Education at Bluefield College. I want to welcome you to the page of the Global Education Program. Here, you will find the latest information and events related to Global Education on our campus. It is my job to help all our students and faculty make their dreams come true about traveling and/or studying abroad. Please visit my office in Rish Hall 008, or email me at , or call me at 276-326-4271.
Chinese Exchange Program		Thailand Exchange Program
Global Education Emphasis Week		Hispanic Awareness Month
Global Education Archives		For More Information

Chinese Exchange Program

Chinese Students Visit Bluefield: Fall '11

BC Students to China: Spring '11

Chinese Delegation Visits BC: Fall '10

Jiangsu Students Visit Bluefield: Fall '09

 

Learn more about Chinese classes at BC.

 

Thailand Exchange Program

Bluefield College Begins Study Exchange Program with Thailand

 

Global Education Emphasis Week

Spring 2011

The week of April 11-15, Bluefield College will be hosting Global Education Emphasis Week.  The purpose of this week is to share insightful issues relating to Global Education, a term that encompasses many things to different people.  In its simplest form, the term—as defined by the Maastricht  Global  Education  Declaration (2002)—refers to:  “Education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the globalised world and awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and Human Rights for all.”  Global Education Emphasis Week will try to address various realities of the globalised world, and the population of the two Bluefield’s, as well all Bluefield College students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the following events at no cost.  The week will see events relating to film from a variety of countries, a guest speaker from Brazil, a very special convocation, food, etc.

A number of Bluefield College professors have prepared lectures and classes that deliver important information about Global views on theater, business, language, and psychology.  One of the first is Charles M. Reese, Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Bluefield College, who will be presenting two lectures on international theatre traditions as part of Bluefield College's Global Education Awareness Week.  The lectures will be delivered as part of the Theatre History Class at BC which meets Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. In Harman Chapel room 103.  The first lecture will be delivered on Monday, April 11 and is entitled "Theatre Traditions of Africa." The second lecture, to be delivered on Wednesday, April 13, is entitled "Theatre Traditions of Asia" and will focus primarily on the Noh, Kabuki, and Bunraku puppet theatre of Japan and the Beijing Opera of China.  Both lectures will last approximately one hour and are open to the public.

Business professor Harry Snodgrass also welcomes the public to attend his classes this week because in them he will be dealing with a host of interesting and pressing Global issues: On Thursday April 14 at 8:00 am he will give a lecture on issues in International Finance in BUS3513: Business Finance (to be held in SCI-122) and Friday April 15 at 9:00 am the lecture will be on Immigration and Immigration Reform (Economic Perspectives) in BUS2523: Principles of Microeconomics (SCI-101).  All lectures are free and open to the public.

Dr. Marsha Mead, Assistant Professor of Psychology, will host a panel discussion on diversity and commonalities in marriages, families and the lives of children in the United States and other countries on Tuesday, April 12 at 2:30 p.m. in Shott Hall at Bluefield College. Faculty members and members of the community who have lived in other countries will discuss issues such as childrearing practices, relationships between adolescents and young adults and their parents, roles of men and women in marriages, and the strength of marriage as an institution.

On Tuesday April 12th, baseball assistant coach Danny Flores and Bluefield College students and baseball players Ben Rosado (who was born in Arlington Virginia, but whose parents were born and raised in the Puerto Rican cities of Toaalta and San Juan), Roger Vasquez (from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico), Victor Torris (from the South Bronx, NY, but whose parents are from Puerto Rico) and Alex Alcantara (born in New York, but with parents from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico) will visit Professor Gerardo Cummings’ Spanish classes at 8AM and 9:30AM in Landsdel Hall 107.  They will share with Spanish students—and any other members of the community—historical, societal, and cultural facts about the Caribbean countries were each of them are from.  The class will also contain an engaging period were the public can see, and hear the differences in words, accents, speech patterns, intonations, that Spanish speakers from the Caribbean have when compared to non-Caribbean Spanish speakers.

On Tuesday evening, in Science Bldg. 121 at 6PM, Dr. Cummings will show the heartwrenching María llena eres de gracia.  A film that deals with the drug trafficking problem and how it affects a woman that has just found out she’s pregnant.  The film will be followed by a unique opportunity for students and members of the community present:  they will be able to engage and ask questions with Dr. Gerardo Cummings Rendón and Bluefield College student Alexander Dove, both experts in Latin American issues and problems relating to the drug trafficking culture. 

On Wednesday April 13, there will be two exciting events:  first, all students in Spanish classes will be hosting a student lead convocation centered around the Global Education topics related to social justice, interconnectedness between different cultures and historical and cultural attitudes toward Christianity throughout the Globe.  Students will be presenting informative powerpoints, skits, discussions involving global views on Christianity, and/or one-act plays about a foreign culture, etc. in English.  They will also play or sing musical pieces of international composers that speak of our “interconnectedness.”  Students will also have the opportunity to present ‘solo’, compose an original song, edit a video, and/or deliver a specially written poem for Global Education Emphasis Week.  This convocation will be an opportunity for students to shine because they will have the freedom to create something special that will be remembered for a long time.  Convocation starts at 10AM in Bluefield College’s chapel, and all are welcome to attend.

The second event of April 13 will be a special presentation by Dr. Luciano Picanço, Assistant Professor of French at Bluefield State College.  His talk is titled "Syncretic belief: The many faces of Brazilian religious experience” and will address the way that the different cultures of Brazil (African, Spanish, Asian, Native American, etc.) have expressed their religious beliefs through a different array of faiths and devotional experiences.  The talk promises to be informative and inspiring.  Dr. Picanço is a native of Brazil and has worked at different institutions in the US as a Romance Languages specialist.  He received his Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University.  For much of his academic career, Dr. Picanço has focused on Francophone Literature and Culture, especially Caribbean Francophone Literature.  Nevertheless, he has published on other areas such as Spanish, West-African and Brazilian literatures and cultures. However, whatever the literature used in his research, his academic work always addresses and focuses on questions relating to race, ethnicity, identity, culture, nationalism, and post- colonialism.  His talk is slated on Wednesday April 13 from 2 to 3PM in Landsdell Hall 107.

On Wednesday evening the film being shown will be Jean Pierre-Jeunet’s wonderful (and Academy Award nominated) film Amelie.  It’s the story of a painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris café; she makes a surprising discovery and sees her life drastically changed for the better!  From then on, Amelie dedicates herself to helping others find happiness…in the most delightfully unexpected ways!  But will she have the courage to do for herself what she has done for others?  The film will start at 6PM, in Science Bldg. 121.

On Thursday, April 14, SPAN 1023 (at 8AM) and SPAN 2023 (at 9:30AM) basic and intermediate Spanish students will be acting out Spanish language skits.  In the past, students have been creative and have come up with very interesting comedic skits where they use the Spanish they have acquired throughout the semester.  Students from SPAN 2503 will be presenting at 11AM their final projects:  a magazine that covers pressing cultural, societal or health aspects of the Hispanic communities inside and outside the US.  All events are free and open to the public and all will be held in ADM (Landsdel Hall) 107.

On Friday, April 15 at 6:30PM, Joshua Cline (Director of Alumni Relations at Bluefield College) will host an informational session on Bluefield College’s Surrogate Families Program.  Our international programs and opportunities are growing each year at Bluefield College with exchange programs established with the Jiangsu Institute of Education in Nanjing, China and with Mahidol University International College in Bangkok, Thailand in addition to our mission trips across the globe.  Moreover, we are adding international students to our roster each year with students from Paris, Moscow, China, and many other locations.  Bluefield College is reaching out to our community to assist us in making our international students feel at home here in the two Bluefields.  So we developed The Surrogate Families Program, offering opportunities to Bluefield locals to be a host family for our students during their time at Bluefield College.  Some of the surrogate family’s responsibilities are to:  A) welcome the student to Bluefield at the beginning of the year and to let them know that they are there for them no matter what they may need; B) invest in the international student’s life, taking time to get to know them, feed them a good meal on occasion, and make them feel as if they have a second family here in Bluefields; C) also provide a home for the student during the breaks while the College is closed during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and in case of an emergency campus closing should the student not be traveling; and lastly, D) take time to mentor the student, and help in providing networking and internship opportunities.  Anyone willing to engage with a student from another country who is in the USA alone is encouraged to attend the informational session on 4/15/2011 in Lansdell Hall in the Boardroom on the third floor.  Please RSVP to Joshua Cline, Director of Alumni Relations at 276.326.4208 or if you are interested in this ministry opportunity.

Global Education Emphasis Week will be complemented by an International menu prepared by theatre professor Rebecca McCoy-Reese and Valley Services. Monday, April 11:  Italy; Tuesday, April 12: Thailand; Wednesday, April 13:  Mexico; and Thursday, April 14:  China. The dining hall at Shott Hall invites students, faculty, staff and the Bluefield community to enjoy the world’s greatest dishes.

Bluefield College’s Director of Global Education, Dr. Gerardo T. Cummings Rendón is free to schedule interviews with any of the participants involved during Global Education Emphasis Week.  For further information about this and future Global Education projects and events at Bluefield College, please contact Dr. Cummings Rendón at or (276) 326-4271.

 

Hispanic Awareness Month

Bluefield College is proud to be hosting various events in honor of Hispanic Awareness Month for 2011.  With the concerted efforts of Dr. Gerardo T. Cummings Rendón—Associate Professor of Spanish at Bluefield College and also the Director of Global Education—and the support of the Global Education Committee, President Dr. David Olive and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Robert Shippey, Bluefield College is offering Hispanic programming not only to its faculty and students, but also to the Bluefield (VA and WV) community at large.

Hispanic Awareness Month started September 15th and lasts until October 15th.  It honors the incredible heritage and growing contributions of Hispanics to the US culture each year. This celebration started in 1968 when Congress deemed the week—including  September 15 and 16—as “National  Hispanic Heritage Week” to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the diverse cultures within the Hispanic community. The dates were chosen to commemorate two key historic events: Independence Day of all Spanish speaking Central American countries—honoring the formal signing of the Act of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15, 1821; the second key historical event relates to Mexico’s Independence Day, which denotes the beginning of the struggle against Spanish control (September 16, 1810). It was not until 1988 that “National Hispanic Heritage Week” was expanded to a month-long period, which includes El Dia de la Raza on October 12, which celebrates the influences of the people who came after Christopher Columbus and the multicultural, multiethnic society that evolved as a result.

The first way in which Hispanic Awareness Month started being celebrated in Bluefield College was through the multiple displays titled: “Hispanics in 2011: Cultural Artifacts at the Crossroads ” that will have three incarnations in different locations:  on the first floor of Landsdel Hall, on the campus of Bluefield College; at the Craft Memorial Library (in 600 Commerce Street, Bluefield, WV 24701, phone 304-325-3943) and lastly, at the Bluefield Branch of the Tazewell County Public Library  (TCPL) (in 108 Huffard Drive, Bluefield, VA 24651, phone (276) 326-1577).  This year’s multiple displays follow-up last year’s display in Bluefield College that was titled: “Barbie is lost in Lucha Libre Land!” which celebrated entertaining aspects of the Hispanic culture.  In its current incarnation, alongside Spanish language books and flags of Mexico, the displays will feature wrestling toys and original wrestling masks from Mexico.  All these objects represent an important part of Hispanic identity and they are ripe for critical and psychoanalytical analysis.  Visiting each of the three displays allows the public to peek into the Hispanic soul, and also the realization that Hispanics have become a commodity by toy manufacturers who cater to the ever increasing Hispanic buying market.  Most of what is found in each of the displays is easily accessible to all consumers through Ebay and Amazon.

An important event that will be part of the 2011’s Hispanic Awareness Month at Bluefield College will be presentations that Pastor Henry Clary will be giving to the Spanish classes on campus.  Pastor Clary, is Bluefield College’s current missionary, but one that lived in Uruguay for three years with his wife and family.  He has a wealth of experience with that South American culture, one he wants to share with students of Spanish.  In his presentation Mr. Clary will mix culture, history and a discussion of the unique way that Uruguayans speak the Spanish language.  Pastor Clary will be speaking on Tuesday October 11 at 9:30AM and later that same day, at 11AM in room 107 of Landsdel Hall (also known as the “Administration Building”).  His presentations are free and open to the public. 

Finally, Bluefield College is proud to be hosting a “Hispanic Awareness Month Film Series” with discussions lead by Dr. Cummings Rendón.  The first film in the series will be the Mexican film Casi divas, shown on October 3 at 8PM; the second will be shown at 8PM on Monday October 10th and it is titled Some Who Lived, a 50 minute documentary about the Jews that escaped the Holocaust by going to Argentina; the third and last film will be Timecrimes, an ingenous time-travelling film that will leave you breathless at the way in which they crafted a story in which one man travels back in time, only to find out that there are future versions of him that have also traveled back in time and that, maybe, are trying to eliminate one him. Timecrimes will be shown on October 25th at 7PM.  This film will be shown at a point after Hispanic Awareness Month is officially over, but it’s a great opportunity for Bluefield College students and members of the community to become familiar with Spanish sci-fi/horror before Halloween.  All films are in Spanish with English subtitles.  All films will be in room 121 of the Science Center building at the Bluefield College campus.

All Bluefield and Tazewell county residents are welcome to visit the Bluefield College campus and experience the Hispanic films or the other events listed.  All events, films and viewing of the cultural exhibits are free and open to the public and parking is free in the Bluefield College campus and at the libraries mentioned.  To schedule an interview, for a tour of the Hispanic exhibits, or for further information about this and future Global Education projects and events at Bluefield College, please contact Dr. Cummings Rendón at or call (276) 326-4271.

 

Download a flier about Hispanic Awareness Month.

 

For More Information About Global Education at BC

Contact Dr. Gerardo Cummings by e-mail at or by phone at 276-326-4271. Or, complete and submit the form below.

 

Global Education Archives

Mark Twain/Innocents Abroad

Bluefield College is associated with CAPA (Centers for Academic Programs Abroad) as of the beginning of the 2009-10 academic year. “The CAPA mission has remained unchanged since 1972: to provide engaging learning abroad opportunities for American students where real inter-cultural learning occurs on a daily basis in a holistic educational environment” (CAPA brochure). Previous to 2009, Bluefield College was associated with International Enrichment (I.E.) of Naperville, Illinois. Mr. Jack Ricard, director of I.E., recommended to the Private College Consortium for International Studies (PCCIS) of which Bluefield College is a charter member, that we align ourselves with CAPA when I.E. ceased operations as of June 30, 2009.

CAPA has been cooperative in every way in explaining its philosophy of international education, in making its facilities and programs open to inspection, and to answering all questions well in relation to the important aspect of international studies for college-level students.

Further quoting from the CAPA manual: “Our programs centers are unique because they have been designed specifically to host short term, summer, and semester programs. Our classrooms, computers, offices, and staff are only available for CAPA programs and students. This ensures each program has the necessary resources and services to achieve a successful, safe, and productive experience abroad.”

The possibility of internship study is available in addition to classroom instruction. Internships are available at the following locations: London, UK; Florence, Italy; Sydney, Australia; Madrid, Spain; and Beijing, China.

Students of Bluefield College are eligible for study abroad opportunities through CAPA. There are, however, academic requirements that must be met prior to enrollment in a CAPA program. These requirements are set by PCCIS and are agreed to by all participating colleges/universities. All inquiries should be directed to Dr. Wayne Massey, International Programs Director @ (276) 326-4275 or

Detailed information on the CAPA programs can be found at the following url: www.capa.org

Bluefield College students and their parents are urged to study the CAPA site. It is well done and should answer most questions.

Finally, Bluefield College encourages every student to look into an international experience during his/her four year college experience. The CAPA experience is a superb opportunity for our students to study abroad and to learn of other cultures. Check it out. It may be just the thing for you.

 

Ireland and Scotland Trip Planned for October 2009

Bluefield College is well known for its study trips abroad. Students have traveled to London, Rome, and Athens in the past two years alone.

But, this fall the opportunity to tour and learn a foreign culture with Bluefield College will be offered to more than just BC students. Alumni and friends are invited to join the school for a nine-day trip to Ireland and Scotland.

The trip, open to anyone -- students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community friends -- through BC's International Programs, will take place October 5-13, 2009, and will include tours of Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

"We want as many of alumni and friends as possible to join us," said Dr. Wayne Massey, director of BC's International Programs. "The trips are fascinating from beginning to end. One thing I'm especially looking forward to doing this year is climbing Arthur's Seat in the heart of Edinburgh."

In Ireland, the trip will include coach bus guided tours of the historic capital, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the River Liffey, Phoenix Park, Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol (Prison), Temple Bar, and Grafton Street.

The Ireland visit will also feature walking tours and excursions to places like St. Stephen's Green, Glendalough, Powerscourt Demesne, the Dublin Mountains, Belfast and the Hill of Tara, Donegall Square, and Belfast Castle. Free time for unstructured pleasure will also be available during the Ireland trip.

In Scotland, the trip will include guided sightseeing of Edinburgh, New Town, Charlotte Square, Calton Hill, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh Castle, the Stone of Scone, and St. Margaret's Chapel.

The Scotland tour will also feature walking tours and excursions to Glasgow, New Lanark, the Falls of Clyde, Stirling Castle, the William Wallace Monument, and the Royal Mile. Free time will be available in Ireland to enjoy unstructured visits to the Writers' Museum or Edinburgh's chic and eclectic shops.

"This is an incredible opportunity for you to travel to places you may have dreamed about," said Dr. Massey, "and at the very best price possible for what you get."

The group will depart from Roanoke (VA) Regional Airport on Monday, October 5 and return to Roanoke on Tuesday, October 13. For more information, including cost, visit BC's International Programs web site at bluefield.edu/upcomingtrips or e-mail Dr. Massey at .

 

Athens and Rome Trip Planned for November 2008

Faculty, staff, alumni, and students, as well as members of the community, are invited to join Bluefield College in an exploration of the Vatican and a walk in the land of the Greek gods in November when the college sponsors a trip to Athens, Greece and Rome, Italy.

The trip is designed for students in Bluefield College’s “History and Literature of Ancient Athens and Rome,” to be taught by Wendy Beavers, assistant professor

of history, and Dr. Wayne Massey, professor of English, in the fall of 2008. However, according to Dr. Massey, all students, faculty, staff, parents and even the public at-large are invited to participate in the educational journey.

“This experience will prove to be a cultural and educational delight for all who are interested,” said Dr. Massey, director of the college’s International Programs. “The trip is related to the (Athens and Rome) class in that it will serve as a capstone for that class, but we hope that the entire campus community and the community at-large will participate, as well.”

The trip is scheduled for November 18-26, 2008 and will feature an exploration of Rome's most monumental landmarks, an overnight ferry trip to Greece, a visit to Olympia, home of the first Olympic games, and a guided tour of the historical architecture of Athens.

Dr. Massey said that while most students have probably studied such historically relevant places in school, he believes that the experience of an overseas trip is still of utmost importance.

“Part of the college experience needs to be an international enrichment,” Dr. Massey said. “Part of it has to do with the fact that students study about places other than the U.S. An educated student has to do that. The Greek and Roman gods and religions and such can be studied in the classroom, but they can't be fully comprehended in class. The best understanding of history is found in historical places, within natural context.”

Since 2000, Bluefield College has offered students the chance to participate in international trips abroad. While past trips sponsored by the college have been to various locations in England, Dr. Massey is glad to begin diversifying the offerings with trips like the one in fall 2008 to Athens and Rome.

"I see the need for us to branch out considerably," he said. "I want to coordinate trips in the future with what Bluefield College professors are teaching and include professors of all disciplines in these international opportunities."

BC senior Marcus Vaughn, who participated in the college's 2007 trip to London and Paris, says that students should take advantage of the international opportunities in order to see life from a new perspective.

"I really enjoyed the agricultural change and the different historical factors of the foreign countries that we visited," Vaughn said. "I think that students should go on these trips just to experience something new and different than we have here."

The Greece/Italy trip is being planned in conjunction with Education First Tours, a group that works with educational institutions to organize trips outside the United States. An EFT tour director will accompany travelers throughout their stay.

The cost for students, faculty and staff to participate in the trip will be $2,293, while non-BC applicants will pay $2,628. Costs include everything, except lunch meals and discretionary expenses.

 

Laura Kerr and Keilah Ramey Named Spring 2008 London Scholars

Bluefield College continues to offer its students an academic experience that reaches far beyond the walls of a college classroom to regions around the world. Just ask BC junior Laura Kerr of North Tazewell, Virginia, and BC senior Keilah Ramey, of Luray, Virginia, who will be traveling to London, England, in the spring of 2008 as the college's most recent recipients of $8,000 study-abroad scholarships. "The foreign travel for study and enrichment is a significant part of the college's overall academic program," said Dr. Wayne Massey, director of BC's International Programs. "The study abroad opportunities include tours of London, plus trips to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and other European sites. Students visit theaters, museums, art galleries, and many places of historical, literary, and general interest. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

For more than a decade, Bluefield College has awarded scholarships to students for educational enrichment opportunities by way of study abroad.

This spring, Kerr and Ramey will become the latest students to participate in the London Scholars Program. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, transportation, and room. It is granted through Bluefield College as a member institution of the Private College Consortium for International Studies (PCCIS). The program that Kerr and Ramey will participate in is directed by International Enrichment (I.E.), an organization based in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in study and enrichment opportunities for American college and university students abroad.

Kerr and Ramey will do their studies on the campus of Imperial College, a branch of the University of London, located in central London. Course offerings cover a wide academic range. Each participating student is required to enroll in British Life and Culture, a course designed to familiarize American students with the rich heritage of the English people. Specifically, Kerr will take the following courses additional to British Life and Culture: The American Revolution in a Transatlantic Context, Shakespeare: Gender and Power, and Globalizsation in Historical Perspective. Ramey's courses additional to British Life and Culture include: Non-Western Religious Thought, Slavery and the Abolition Movement, and London: The City in History.

Additional to regular studies, Kerr and Ramey will be afforded numerous travel opportunities both in and beyond the daily London experience. They will take field trips for study to such places as Stonehenge, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Canterbury. They will also do research at the British and London Museums as well as other places of educational and cultural interest within greater London itself.

Kerr, a junior history major and English minor, is the daughter of Greg and Cheryl Kerr of North Tazewell, Virginia, and the granddaughter of Elsie Mae Tarter of Guthrie, Oklahoma, and Mary Kerr of Buffalo, New York.

Ramey, a senior interdisplinary studies major and history and Christian studies minor, is the daughter of Kenneth and Julie Ramey of Luray, Virginia.

Foreign travel for study and enrichment is a significant part of Bluefield College’s overall program. Travel opportunities are available each year for both students and community. Those interested should contact Dr. Wayne Massey, Director of International Programs at Bluefield College (326-4275).

 

 

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