International Housing Association Members Tour Meredith
Meredith College was one stop on a recent study tour taken by the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I).
ACUHO-I offers a study tour of institutions of higher education before the organization’s annual conference. This year’s tour featured North Carolina schools, including Meredith and nine other higher education institutions.
Over a 10-day period the group visited Meredith, NC State, Lenoir Rhyne, Appalachian State University, Warren Wilson College, UNC-Asheville, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, UNC-Wilmington and Duke.
Eleven housing officers took part in the tour. Seven participants were from Australia, one from Qatar, two from the United Kingdom, and one was from New Zealand.
While at Meredith, participants enjoyed lunch together which included southern cuisine such as red velvet cake. Meredith guests at the lunch were Vice President for College Programs Jean Jackson, residence directors Sarah May and Lauren Cooper, and Donna LaHaye, administrative assistant for residence life.
After lunch, Director of Residence Life Heidi LeCount gave a presentation about Meredith, which described not only aspects of the College’s housing and residence life program, but also highlighted Meredith’s unique traditions, such as Fire and Water Dinner, Tea for Two, Ring Dinner and Cornhuskin’.
According to LeCount, tour participants enjoyed Meredith’s small, quaint campus and were very interested in the College’s traditions.
“Several participants asked questions about traditions and they got a good sense that the traditions are a very special part of Meredith College,” LeCount said.
At the conclusion of the presentation, participants took a campus tour and got to see several residence halls, the Science and Mathematics Building, Johnson Hall and Cate Student Center. The tour also included a stop at the site for the new apartments where the visitors got a first-hand look at the plans and work that was taking place.
Sansepolcro Programs to Include Service-Learning
By Melyssa Allen
With the fall 2009 launch of Meredith’s semester abroad programs in Sansepolcro, Italy approaching, much effort has already been put into establishing the program. One new aspect of the Sansepolcro experience will be a service-learning component.
Shannon Kelly, Meredith’s coordinator of service-learning, recently spent six days in Sansepolcro to help set up service-learning opportunities.
Kelly was in Sansepolcro at the end of the Italy portion of Meredith’s Italy/Switzerland program. Her visit to Sansepolcro was an opportunity to talk to students about the program and see how Meredith’s students interact with the locals.
With the help of an interpreter, Kelly met with school leaders in the area to discuss service learning opportunities. Meredith students will work with students in English classes in Sansepolcro schools.
Kelly said the programs will be able to be adapted to fit subject areas being taught in Meredith’s study abroad program. For example, Meredith students studying theatre would be able to put on plays as part of the service-learning project.
Kelly’s favorite part of the visit was interacting with her interpreter.
“It was neat to get past the touristy stuff and just have a conversation with someone whose culture is different than mine,” Kelly said. “It was a chance to see what her life looks like.”
She hopes that the service-learning aspect of the study abroad program will give Meredith students an opportunity to have a similar experience interacting with members of the Sansepolcro community in a deeper way.
Kelly calls this the essence of global citizenship.
“Meredith students will be connecting with people in a different culture and actually giving back to a community that has given them so much in return.”
Service-learning will also strengthen the learning experience for Meredith’s students.
“Service-learning is intended to make the community outside of class a part of the classroom context,” Kelly said. “That translates incredibly well to study abroad programs.
While the summer can often find a college campus less busy than during the academic year, that is not the case for Meredith College’s Facilities Services Department. Meredith has several campus construction and renovation projects in progress.