SCU art student heads to New York

A Southern Cross University art student will spend the first six months of next year at the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York as part of SCU’s exchange program.

Kirsten Rickert, who is completing a Bachelor of Visual Art, will complete four units while at the Pratt Institute, gaining credit for her SCU degree.

SCU’s International Office manager Ms Jo Asquith said SCU had more than 40 exchange partnerships with institutions all around the world and she was hoping to encourage more students to take up the opportunity.

“At the moment the demand to come into Australia is greater than our students going overseas,” Ms Asquith said.

“But the students who do the exchange say it’s a real life-changing experience. They are able to network with people in their chosen field overseas. It also provides them with an international perspective on their study,” Ms Asquith said.

She said some of the partnerships were across all faculties of the institutions, while others were specific to areas of study.

“The School of Tourism and Hospitality Management has great partnerships with hotel schools in Holland and England, while the School of Environmental Science has some really unique exchange programs in the United States and Germany.

“Some are very specific. We have a partnership with Bath University in England for sports science, Utah State University for ceramics and we have exchange for naturopathy in Washington State.”

The exchanges are usually for six months and are undertaken in the second or third year of study. The students continue to be enrolled at SCU and pay no international fees, but they do have to pay airfares, accommodation and living expenses.

“Generally we tell students they will need $6000 plus the airfare for the semester, but they take out what their living expenses would be here.

“It’s all about opening doors which would never be opened here in Lismore, Coffs Harbour or at the Tweed Gold Coast campus.

“The students who go to Japan quite often get teaching positions back there when they finish their degrees.”

Ms Asquith said there were a number of scholarships available to help with expenses. Information sessions will be held each Tuesday lunchtime in the Father Glynn Building, next to the International Office from February.

For information contact the International Office on 66203876 or email jasquith@scu.edu.au

Photo opportunity: Kirsten Rickert and other exchange students will be available for photos and interviews at 1pm, Monday, December 13, at the International Office, Lismore campus.