TXST’s new education hubs create affordable opportunities abroad for students
Lane Fortenberry | July 31, 2024
Texas State University piloted its first Summer Hub in June through a partnership with the University of Padova, Italy. The three-week program provided 32 TXST students the opportunity to enroll in one of three courses taught by TXST faculty while also engaging with local students and culture.
“This trip was a truly unforgettable experience that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” said Emma Chase, a junior psychology major who participated in the Italian Study Hub. “Not only did it encourage me to continue my dreams of traveling around Europe in my future, but it also opened my eyes to see just how fascinating and unique different cultures are around the world.”
Emma Mayers, project manager for Strategic Initiatives at TXST, said the goal of the new Summer Hub program is to offer students a meaningful international experience at an affordable price point, while also expanding TXST’s presence and partnerships abroad.
“The Summer Hubs are like short-term exchange programs because the students are staying in one location rather than going from place to place,” Mayers said. “This is a more culturally immersive experience because they are really getting a feel of what it’s like to be a university student in that specific location by staying and learning on campus.”
The goal for the Summer Hubs is to keep the total cost between $3,000 and $4,000 per student, including travel and tuition costs, Mayers said. The program is able to offer a relatively low price by paring back the field trips that are typically found in study abroad programs, utilizing campus lodging, and keeping the trips to three weeks. However, students are still provided opportunities to sightsee and are encouraged to explore the local area while not in class.
TXST is expanding Summer Hub offerings in 2025 for students, including:
- Inverness, Scotland – Health professions
- Edinburgh, Scotland – Interdisciplinary
- Padova, Italy – Interdisciplinary
- Sorrento, Italy – Italian and psychology
- Madrid, Spain – Criminal justice
- San Carlos, Costa Rica – Engineering
- Melbourne, Australia – Health and Human Performance
The University of Padova, Italy was chosen for the pilot program because of its emphasis on research and high level of student academic success. TXST already had a relationship established with the university thanks to Joellen Coryell, Ph.D., professor of Adult, Professional, and Community Education and associate dean in the College of Education. She previously collaborated in research, teaching, and student mobility activities with the university faculty members and is the University of Padova, Italy Summer Hub director.
The three courses offered in Italy were social psychology, British literature before 1785, and engineering statistics.
Rosario Rosas-Vega, Ph.D., senior lecturer in TXST’s Ingram School of Engineering, taught engineering statistics. She invited a University of Padova, Italy engineering student to join the class and discuss the profession in Italy to provide more context for TXST students. The class also participated in an optional outing to the Ducati Museum and Factory in Bologna, Italy, to see engineering in practice.
In addition to completing their coursework, TXST students took part in several optional outings, including walking through influential piazzas in Padua, Venice, and Verona, touring the Basilica of St. Anthony, and performing scenes of a Shakespearian play.
“I was blown away that three weeks was this powerful, meaningful, and impactful for our students,” Coryell said.
In reflection surveys taken after the trip concluded, students expressed enhanced confidence, resiliency, adaptability, open-mindedness, self-awareness, and appreciation for the importance of cultural interaction.
In July, TXST President Kelly Damphousse visited the University of Padova, Italy, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia in Madrid, Spain, and University of the Highlands and Islands in Inverness, Scotland, for signing ceremonies and to discuss current and future collaborative projects to benefit TXST students.
Registration for the 2025 Summer Hubs will open in October. Students can attend the Education Abroad Fair on Oct. 23 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center Grand Ballroom to learn more about all education abroad programs at TXST.
Visit the Summer Hub website for more information about the hubs. Visit the Education Abroad website for more information about all available abroad programs.
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For more information, contact University Communications:Jayme Blaschke, 512-245-2555 Sandy Pantlik, 512-245-2922 |