Educator: Learning requires changing places

With options "from Chicago to Tanzania, from Florence to India," the Associated Colleges of the Midwest is "a leader in off-campus study" programs for college students, said Christopher Welna, president of the educational consortium that includes Knox and 12 other liberal arts colleges. Welna gave the opening convocation address, September 11 in Harbach Theatre on the Knox College campus in Galesburg, Illinois.

The ACM currently administers 14 off-campus study programs and is planning new ones in Brazil and Mexico, said Welna, who is an expert in the field of international education.

At the same time, the ACM's off-campus study programs face challenges, Welna said, including competing programs created by other U.S. schools and a double whammy of rising costs and a falling U.S. dollar.

Technology, at one time rare both in the U.S. and other countries, now is common worldwide, and presents its own challenges, Welna said. "How can technology integrate with and advance learning?" Welna asked. Off-campus programs should not try to "replicate the comforts of home," and technology should help students "opt into local culture, and connect rather than escape."

Welna said that off-campus study is a "pedagogy of place... it teaches things that you can only learn by changing places."

Close to half of all Knox students participate in study abroad programs. Including the ACM programs, Knox offers more than 30 off-campus study options in 20 countries.

Staff, Faculty and Student Prizes Awarded

The Janet C. Hunter Prize for hourly staff was awarded to Karen Hawkinson, coordinator of the Center for Global Studies. The Janet C. Hunter Prize for salaried staff was awarded to Dan Marty, director of Maintenance. The prizes recognize outstanding accomplishments and service to the College.

The Philip Green Wright - Lombard College Prize for Distinguished Teaching by a non-tenured faculty member was awarded to Fernando Gomez, assistant professor of modern languages. The Philip Green Wright - Lombard College Prize for Distinguished  teaching by a tenured faculty member was awarded to Bruce Davis, professor of modern languages. Gomez has taught Spanish at Knox since 2005. Davis has taught French at Knox since 1982. The sole criterion for the prizes is distinguished teaching.

The Faculty Scholarship Prize was awarded to Stephen Herzog, a senior from Liberty Township, Ohio. The prize was created by gifts from Knox faculty in 1922, to honor exceptional academic ability and significant participation in extracurricular activities. A Dean's List student, Herzog is also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science National Honor Society.

The Elbridge Pierce Prize was awarded to Hayle Gosnell, a senior from Dekalb, Illinois. The prize, awarded to the student who has made the greatest increase in academic performance during the sophomore and junior years, was established by Elbridge Pierce, a distinguished attorney and member of the Knox College Board of Trustees.