Albright College Global Scholars Program – Albright College

Albright College Global Scholars Program

The Global Scholars Program provides a select group of students an an exceptional and unique opportunity to live and learn about the importance of cultural diversity and global perspectives across a variety of academic disciplines with a cohort of likeminded students throughout their entire Freshman year. Included in the program is a study away experience during the January Interim session where students explore a particular topic with Albright faculty from their Fall and Spring courses. This experience is open to students in any academic major and is provided at no additional expense beyond the normal cost of tuition, room and board.  In 2023-2024, students will study in Ecuador as part of the program.  Since Ecuador is the location for this year’s study abroad experience, students accepted to the Global Scholars Program will take Spanish as their general education language of study, and take two Spanish courses during their first year in the program.

The Global Scholars Program seeks to provide the study abroad experience to students who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad programs. Therefore, students of color, first-generation students, and students with high financial need are especially encouraged to apply for this program. Selected Global Scholars will also have the opportunity to be employed in positions on campus as Global Ambassadors during their sophomore year.

Applications are due by March 15, 2023.  We encourage anyone considering applying to come to the accepted student day on March 4.  Students selected into the program will be informed by April 1, 2023.  

Apply Now

See below for more details on the Global Scholars Program.  Contact globalscholars@albright.edu with any questions.  Check out the Albright College Global Scholars Program Instagram and Facebook pages.

The Albright College Global Scholars Program (GSP) is designed to provide an immersive first-year experience to a select cohort of first year Albrightians.  The global scholars program seeks to:

    • Prepare select students to engage in the world as global citizens
    • Develop intercultural competency
    • Cultivate intercultural communication skills
    • Understand current global issues from a historical, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspective
    • Become active agents for social change
    • Foster leaderships skills needed in a globalized world
    • Develop a global perspective that can be applied to their choice of major
    • Provide students who have been historically underrepresented in college with an opportunity to engage in multiple high impact educational practices with the goal of expanding student success.

Accepted students will join a small cohort and engage in a living learning community throughout their first year.  The cohort will take a series of courses together in the Fall and Spring semesters, and engage in an immersive, study away, experience[1] during the Interim semester, at no additional charge beyond tuition, room and board (passport cost and spending money is not included).  Students will also engage in experiential learning projects throughout the year, both in the community surrounding Albright and in the Study Away destination.   Cohort students will be housed together in their first year of residential living.  An extensive orientation program will be offered in advance of Albright’s first-year orientation.  The cohort model will be extended to the faculty in the program as well.  Students will learn from a small cohort of faculty during their first year, thereby providing them with the opportunity to be mentored by engaging faculty from various disciplines.

In their second year, GSP participants will have the opportunity to gain employment on campus as part of the Global Scholars Ambassador initiative.

The Global Scholars Program seeks to decolonize the study abroad experience by providing opportunity for all students, with emphasis on students who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad programs.  Students of color, first-generation students, and students with high financial need are especially encouraged to apply for this program.

[1] The immersive, study away experience may be either domestic or international in nature and under certain circumstances (e.g. COVID restrictions) may be online in nature.  All immersive experiences will be approved by the Albright College Study Abroad Advisory Committee.

Fall Semester:

    • FYS-Becoming a Global Scholar
    • ENG 101
    • Foreign Language (Spanish for 2023-2024)
    • 4th course (outside of cohort)

 

Interim:

    • Study Away Course (location varies by year-Ecuador for 2023-2024)

 

Spring:

    • Global Scholars Course (Social Problems for 2022-2023)
    • ENG 102
    • Foreign Language (Spanish for 2023-2024)
    • 4th course (outside of cohort)

Possible Study Away Locations:

    • Ecuador
    • Costa Rica
    • Ghana
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Spain
  • The 2023-2024 academic year will feature a study abroad experience in South America.  Cuenca, Ecuador will serve as the base for students in the cohort.  Students will live with a host family for 2-3 weeks, while taking a comparative cultures course with faculty from their Fall and Spring courses.

Global Scholars Program Administrators:

Kim Justeson

Kim Justeson

Director of Experiential Learning

Brian Jennings photo

Brian Jennings, PhD

Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies

 

2022-2023 Faculty/Staff Cohort:

Lennie Amores, PhD

Assistant Professor of Spanish

Brian Jennings photo

Brian Jennings, PhD

Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies

C Dylan Bassett, PhD

Assistant Professor of English

Jason Deitz, MBA

Student Support Specialist

 

Adam, John, PhD

Associate Professor of French and Spanish

Affiliated Faculty:

Kami Fletcher, PhD

Associate Professor of History

Bob Seesengood photo

Robert Paul Seesengood, M.Div, PhD

Assoc. Dean of First-Year and General Education,

Professor of Religious Studies

Beth Kiester, PhD

Associate Professor of Sociology

Lesley Goodman photo

Lesley Goodman, PhD

Associate Professor of English

Arcana Albright, PhD

Associate Professor of French