study abroad program for Western Michigan University employees

A study abroad program for Western Michigan University employees, Spanish Language and Mexican Culture, will be offered for the third consecutive year July 1-16, 2011, in Queretaro, Mexico.This two-week intensive language and cultural study abroad program is open to all WMU faculty and benefits-eligible employees and will be held at the Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, an international partner of WMU for 15 years.

Information sessions

Employees interested in participating are invited to attend one of two explanatory meetings planned for 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, and 5:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, in Room 2033 of Brown Hall. Attendees will be able to meet with program alumni; Dr. Jane Blyth Warren, director of study abroad and global program development; and Dr. Irma Lopez, professor of Spanish.Those who qualify may take advantage of 12 grants of $1,750 each that are available to offset the expenses of this special Queretaro program. The deadline to apply is Monday, Nov. 15.
To be eligible, applicants will need to have completed Spanish 1010 or the equivalent language skills test by the end of the 2011 summer I session. Evening and lunch-hour sections of Spanish 1010 are offered at WMU during the spring and summer I terms.The Queretaro program for employees is hosted by the Haenicke Institute for Global Education, in collaboration with the Department of Spanish.We can only prepare our students to be global citizens of the 21st century by assisting individual faculty and staff in their work towards the same objective, says Dr. Donald McCloud, dean of the Haenicke Institute.