According to the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers, only about one percent of college students from the United States study abroad. With such opportunities to increase cultural competency, gain leadership skills and improve world views, Missouri State University has made efforts to get more students to take these trips and for more international students to study at MSU. According to Dr. Shawn Wahl, head of the department of communication, several College of Arts and Letters faculty will be traveling to South America in an interdepartmental effort to increase the college’s global perspectives and cultural competency.

During the whirlwind trip (Oct. 25-31), the group is making several presentations and networking with individuals at four universities.

“It’s for international student recruitment, global perspective, fostering the public affairs pillar, which is cultural competency. It’s really important for faculty,” said Wahl. “It also is a recruitment opportunity for us to extend the invitation for international universities, specifically in this case in South America, Columbia, to feel that open door at Missouri State for them to study here as well.”

Faculty visiting Colombia

• Wahl, co-director School of Communication Studies
• Mary Jane Pardue, department head of media, journalism and film/co-director School of Communication Studies
• Jason Jolley, department head of modern and classical languages
• Jason Hausback, assistant professor of music
• Eric Morris, assistant professor of communication/director of MSU Debate
• Universidad de La Sabana (Bogota, Colombia)
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogota, Colombia)
• Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano (Bogota, Colombia)
• Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano – Seccional del Caribe (Cartagena, Colombia)

Institutions

•  Universidad de La Sabana (Bogota, Colombia)
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogota, Colombia)
• Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano (Bogota, Colombia)
• Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano – Seccional del Caribe (Cartagena, Colombia)

In May 2014, Wahl led a short-term study away trip Bogota, Colombia, where he taught nonverbal communication in a global context. He also built relationships with scholars from those local institutions, and brought Dr. Enrique Uribe from Universidad de La Sabana as a visiting scholar and guest lecturer to MSU earlier this fall.

For more information, contact Wahl at (417) 836-4423.

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