In the past, Sul Ross students, led by Dr. and Mrs. Filemón Zamora, enjoyed a study abroad opportunity in Toledo, Spain.-Courtesy photo

by Laura Nelson

Sul Ross State Univ. has been selected to receive a small grant from the U.S. Department of State for their 2019 Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad.

Sul Ross is one of only 21 colleges and universities across the nation that will be funded to develop, expand, and/or diversify American student mobility overseas in support of foreign policy goals.

Professor of Communication Esther Rumsey plans to develop international study programs embedded in the core curriculum of the University. Faculty who teach these foundational classes will be asked to review coursework to determine which ones might be enhanced through international travel. Grant funds will also be used to develop international study sites and those currently under consideration include India, Ireland, and Chihuahua, Mexico. Rumsey also hopes to expand the three week cultural exchange program that is already in place with Talent International College in Guangxi, China. Faculty members who have cultivated international relationships can request those locales also be considered.

Rumsey said, “Short-term study abroad programs (2-3 weeks) provides an affordable way for students to expand their view of the world and develop the confidence to go beyond their comfort zone.”

Approximately eight Sul Ross students per year benefit from short-term, faculty led study abroad programs. Lorenzo Barcena, a 2010 graduate from Alpine quoted St. Augustine to express his feelings about his international travel experience. “The realization that the world is a book and that those who do not travel read only one page.”

With this grant from the U.S. Department of State, many more Lobos will get the opportunity to read more pages.

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