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Introduction
As Master's students in the School of Education Leadership in Student Affairs program, at the University of St. Thomas, we were offered a networking opportunity to participate in and obtain an understanding of the cultural and higher educational systems in France, Germany and Luxembourg. Dr. Judy Rogers, Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, spent more than two years organizing the "Student Affairs Practice in Europe" experience. We are extremely grateful and appreciate the opportunity, time and effort that Judy and her staff contributed in order for us to participate. We would also like to thank our program advisor, Dr. Kate Boyle, for this networking experience. The itinerary concentrated on visits to European universities in Luxembourg, with visits to Miami University-Luxembourg and the Universit du Luxembourg. Several days were spent in Germany at the Universitat Triere (University of Trier) located in Trier, Germany's oldest city. In France, two days were spent in Metz and Nancy, visiting the Universit de Metz (University of Metz) and the Universit Nancy (University of Nancy); including the prominent Institut Commercial de Nancy - ICN Business School. During each site visit, we met with university administrators, student affairs professionals, faculty, and students engaging in roundtable discussions comparing and contrasting our practice of student affairs. The goals of the course were: 1. To study a comparative European history of higher education. 2. To explore and understand the education systems and student services practices in Germany, France, and Luxembourg through readings and on-site visits. 3. To understand the importance of comparative higher education and examine the increasing globalization of student affairs and the impact an international perspective has on our practice in the United States. http://laurieshurson.efoliomn.com/ |
