Info Session: HALE South Africa Trip

The purpose of the HALE Field Experience in South Africa is to enable HALE students to link knowledge and skills they are gaining as scholars and practitioners in higher education to actual issues and challenges in the international context. It is designed to be a professional experience for the students, involving collaborative projects with colleagues in South Africa.

Much of the experience is focused on students having an opportunity to engage in supervised professional interactions and work. A primary goal is mutual learning. HALE students and faculty learn about higher education in another country, how to engage in organizational and cultural analysis, and how to relate specific theoretical and content knowledge to actual issues and problems. They practice skills as professionals, interacting with a wide array of colleagues. At the same time, the South African colleagues gain new knowledge and participate in professional development workshops facilitated by MSU student/ faculty teams.

We spend about eight days at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Port Elizabeth and conclude the trip with several days in Cape Town. While at NMU, one team of MSU students and faculty will focus on teaching and learning issues in collaboration with South African colleagues, and a second will focus on student affairs issues. Each MSU team will be responsible for giving major presentations, facilitating workshops, and interacting in meetings with institutional leaders, faculty members, and student affairs staff. Students also engage in pre-reading about South Africa, including its history and higher education system, reflective writing, and a paper on a topic of choice.

INFORMATIONAL MEETING AGENDA

• Trip dates
  • Approximately May 12 – May 26, 2019 (specific dates to be confirmed soon)
  • The group will also meet several times during the spring semester for preparation
• Application details & course credit
• Travel
• Lodging
• and other meeting times and notices

If you are unable to attend, please email Dr. Matt Wawrzynski (mwawrzyn@msu.edu) to let him know of your interest.