CAS study abroad programs take international learning to the next level

CAS study abroad programs take international learning to the next level

Friday, September 6, 2024

Media Contact: Elizabeth Gosney | CAS Marketing and Communications Manager | 405-744-7497 | [email protected]

Griff McClellan sat at a cafe on the banks of the Danube seven weeks before graduating college. For him, the trip of a lifetime - a spring break study abroad to Vienna - came at just the right moment before he had to start life outside of college. Sitting and eating brunch along the glittering streets of Austria was one of his favorite memories.

"Immersion programs are truly one of the best ways to learn about the world," said McClellan, a sports media student who joined a diverse group of majors on the trip led by School of Media and Strategic Communications faculty. "It's one thing to sit in a classroom and hear about its history, its culture and so on. But knowing when you actually go there and get to experience it firsthand, that's life-changing."

What makes the SMSC study abroad trips unique is the course credit the students get in helping produce the school's study abroad magazine, Through an Orange Lens. The SMSC created the magazine two years ago, when its spring break trip to Geneva was canceled because of COVID-19. Students were able to produce a complete version last year after their trip to Scotland.

Vienna's Through an Orange Lens came out in May and highlighted what the students learned. Every student is tasked with writing an article on a topic of their choosing, while some students are also in charge of other magazine elements such as advertising and editing.

"I think all students want to flex that creativity," said Dr. Skye Cooley, OSU associate professor of strategic communications. "Human beings are innate storytellers. And this class really lets them flex that. It's no pressure. You go in, you have fun, pick something that you're interested in, and the story will naturally come."

For the students who are not majoring in an SMSC discipline, being able to write creatively outside their own major was a plus of the trip. Sukesh Kamesh, a biochemistry and molecular biology sophomore, said he got to hone his writing skills, which go hand-inhand with some of the writing he does for his degree classes.

"It's a good blend," Kamesh said. "I just think that the class furthered my skills of storytelling from an unbiased lens because I think that's important for the profession I'm going into. So, I definitely got to take those skills and continue to develop those to make sure that I'm an unbiased scientist one day."

Students traveled to Vienna in 2024 on a study abroad trip.

Many other departments within the College of Arts and Sciences also offer for-credit study abroad trips that any OSU student can attend. For example, the Greenwood School of Music took a two-week trip to Italy and Greece last year, offering students a humanities credit.

Dr. Erin Murphy, associate professor of flute, was one of the faculty members leading that trip. Murphy accompanied 15 students across the region, from Rome and Pompeii to Athens and Santorini.

Students wrote a research paper before the trip over a topic related to the areas they would visit and a reflective paper at the end, along with journal entries from the days of the trip. Murphy said one of her favorite parts was reading about the students' experiences and how they grew throughout the program.

As an experienced traveler, this was not Murphy's first time out of the country, but it was her first time leading a study abroad trip. She experienced food tours alongside students, saw the frescoes at Pompeii and took a trip to witness the famous architecture of Santorini.

"It reminds you that we're just a small part of the world," she said. "It also opens it up to thinking that there's no reason why you can't go out and explore other things in study abroad and travel extensively and take advantage of some of these opportunities and programs that are out there.

"Of course, sometimes financial things are restrictive, but there's good scholarships out there for students that need them. So, it just really expands your view of the world and your life experiences."

Departments present trip proposals to the CAS Outreach office that then helps the departments make the trip a reality. Shane O'Mealey manages outreach programs and operations for CAS and coordinates the study abroad trips. He said CAS study abroad programs are a great way to get involved because they help students adjust to traveling in another country.

"They're going to be there with their peers, faculty members and staff," he said. "They can get their first taste of traveling abroad where they might, at that point, feel more comfortable going back to those areas or traveling on their own. So, doing it while you're in school is a great opportunity."

For students not knowing where to start or how to get involved, O'Mealey said he would love to help. There are a variety of programs that can fit most students' needs. Over in the Department of Psychology, a recent trip to Lisbon, Portugal, gave students the opportunity to learn about comparative psychology in Europe.

Colton Payne, a psychology senior, said when you're in another country, it's hard to imagine you're on the other side of the world.

"If you have that money and are willing to take that break to go, definitely take that opportunity," Payne said. "Because it is world-changing."

CAS study abroad programs offer scholarships to help students who might be unable to pay for their trip. O'Mealey said all information for funding is available on the CAS website by searching for study abroad. He said these programs are critical for exposing students to different cultures before starting their careers.

"It opens cultural horizons," O'Mealey said. "Academically, it can help students rethink what they're doing and how they're doing it."

Story by: Mallory Pool | CONNECT magazine

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