Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - What do the indigenous Aboriginals of Australia have to do with American engineering students? Likewise, what would American engineering students gain by learning about the Aboriginal culture while studying in Australia? Previously the answer might have been very little. Only now are these two underrepresented groups specially paired together in a new study abroad program offered by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

The study abroad program, called Engineering in Australia, is located at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. There, U.S. engineering students study topical areas in their discipline of engineering while taking courses on Aboriginal culture and cross-cultural understanding. The program is available to engineering students from any U.S. institution of higher education for either fall or spring semester. Program dates for the most part coincide with the U.S. university calendar, with the fall program starting in July and ending in November, and the spring program starting in February and lasting until June.

The University of Newcastle is a premier institution of higher education in the Australian university system that excels in research and boasts an excellent School of Engineering. The university enrolls 23,000 students of which 3,000 are international students, and 200 of these international students come from the U.S. Newcastle is a port city with 350,000 inhabitants that lies just north of Sydney on the eastern coastline of New South Wales. Newcastle is large enough to support the attractions of a major city with theaters, cinemas, sporting events, cafés, and art galleries - but without the drawback of crowds and traffic congestion. Many international students choose Australia as their study abroad destination because of the informal and relaxed lifestyle, affordable cost of living, and good weather.

For years, Lisa Riedle, associate dean of UWP's College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science (EMS), has recognized the importance of international study opportunities for her students. It wasn't, however, until three years ago when she found a way for study abroad to fit into her engineering students' demanding schedules.

"This program gives engineering students an opportunity to study abroad while staying on track for graduation. Students can follow the same or a similar plan that was laid out by their home institution's engineering program. This allows students the opportunity to not only study engineering in another country, but also coordinate engineering principles and learn about another country's approach to the engineering profession. Many of the engineering students will eventually work for international companies and this experience will give them the head start they need to succeed," maintains Riedle.

Riedle's assertions are not exclusive. In fact, according to the recent CIEE publication, "Our View," a new Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criterion mandates that engineering students "understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context."

Despite the importance of the engineering component, program creators wanted to maintain a rich and diverse cultural experience for the students. Even though Australian culture is very unique in its own right, it is still one with Anglican roots. Americans don't necessarily stick out, and English is spoken, even if it is of the "Aussie" variant. Therefore, in an attempt to enhance the cultural experience, the program incorporated two requisite courses: Cross-Cultural Understanding and Introduction to Aboriginal Studies. On-site program coordinator, Catherine Browne, teaches this one credit Cross-Cultural Understanding course.

"This course looks at perceptions of culture and developing cross-cultural competencies which aim to enrich the students' experience," states Browne.

In addition, Browne offers student support from start to finish. She will meet students at the airport, bring them to their accommodations, and conduct an on-site orientation during the students' first week. Throughout the program she provides support for personal and academic issues that may arise. Finally, Browne also organizes and leads educational excursions which have been designed to supplement students' studies in both engineering and Aboriginal studies.

The program was created through years of collaboration between UWP's Institute for Study Abroad Programs (ISAP), the College of EMS, and the University of Newcastle. The program was, however, not without some challenges and obstacles. One of these was determining course equivalencies. Course descriptions and syllabi from both universities had to be compared and contrasted by the engineering faculty to ensure accurate and equitable credit transfer.

Engineering in Australia will be starting its initial semester in the spring of 2007. As fledgling programs go, it will start small, currently with five students enrolled. UW-Platteville has, however, previously sent its students to the University of Newcastle as direct enrollees and exchange students. One of these is Joe Elsinger, a current junior civil engineering student. Elsinger spent the spring semester of 2006 studying in Newcastle. He admits that considering his major he had some hesitancy about how his coursework "down under" would transfer, both in difficulty and in relevance. But as it turned out, there was absolutely no reason to worry.

"Though the teaching style was a little different, what I learned gave me a perfect base for the classes I am currently taking this semester," states Elsinger.

His favorite class was Introduction to Aboriginal Studies, which was taught by an indigenous Aboriginal faculty member. Other fond memories Elsinger recalls are his East Asian and Pacific housemates who gave him a greater understanding of culture and global issues, fun times on the beach, and visiting Sydney and the outback.

Current ISAP director Donna Anderson asserts, "We are excited about this unique program that allows students to examine engineering through a new cultural lens while providing an in-depth look at Australian culture. In the end, it is hoped that these engineering students will come home having not just learned formulas and equations, but also having the preparation to live and work in a global context and plenty of great memories from one of the best experiences in their young lives."

Contact: Donna Anderson, director, UWP Institute for Study Abroad Programs, (608) 342-1727,anderdon@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: Russ Braby, outreach specialist, UWP Institute for Study Abroad Programs, (608) 342-1010