Dear MAZIN
I recently met with Dr. Eithel from
one of our colleges interested in starting a program of Islamic studies. We discussed
the proposed program and interest remains high.
I wanted to answer a couple of your earlier questions:
STUDENTS: The students would possibly be a mixture of
graduates and Undergraduates pursuing various degrees in the Humanities. It is possible that some of the students
would be married with children. In
determining living arrangements this needs to be considered. Let us know of any difficulties you feel
might arise.
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: The most desirable situation would be to have
students live in the homes of Saudis so that they can experience the culture
and language firsthand.
COURSES: A 3-hour course in Arabic and a 3-hour course
in Islam. Dr. Eitel is in the process of
developing a Summer Institute of Islamic Studies and having a program in Saudi,
taught by Muslim scholars is very appealing.
COSTS: If your institution or the Islamic University
in Medina would be able to secure most of the in-country costs (living
arrangements, teaching facilities, transportation) this would ensure the
program is viable and affordable for the students. Compensation for the teachers would need to
be discussed in conjunction with whether the Islamic University is involved.
If the teachers are on the faculty
of the Islamic University then we can work something out between the two
institutions along the lines of what the college normally spends on summer
programs. Part of the advantages of the
Consortium for Global Education is that we try and minimize costs for all
students involved through mutually beneficial exchanges. For example, students from Grand Canyon
University pay tuition to their home institution while attending classes in
foreign institutions and foreign students do the same.
Since this is
initially a one-way student exchange, our students are coming to study with
you, the situation is different. Yet, I
hope that you will hold out the future possibility of some of your students
coming to study in
one of our institutions in a similar
exchange. This can be discussed at
another time.
ACCREDITATION: If it's possible to have the Islamic
University in Medina give credit for the proposed courses (a 3-hour course in Arabic
and a 3-hour course in Islam) this would enable the students to transfer the
credits back to their college. If not
then in order for credit to be given the college's accreditation agency might
have to visit the educational site and this would greatly delay the program
getting off the ground. Do you have any
suggestions in this respect?
VISIT: Assuming we are able to work out some of
these initial details, Dr. Eitel would like to plan a visit to Saudi with the Dean
of the College and other Administrators to discuss the program and strengthen
our relationship.
I hope to hear from you soon
regarding these matters.
Sincerely,
J. Scott Bridger, MA
Specialist for International
Training and Education
www.siteworldwide.org
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