Florence program to be added
By Sarah Chacko
Staff Reporter

Another cultural opportunity awaits TCU students who choose to venture overseas. Last week university officials announced to faculty members that Florence, Italy, will be added to the list of study abroad programs offered next fall, Director of International Education Luis Canales says.

An increase in student interest for a study abroad program in Italy is what prompted planning, Canales said.

Writing Center consultant Harry Antrim, who also works with the International Education department, said he’s been exploring the possibilities of a Florence study abroad program for more than two years. Florence has acquired considerable student interest, he said.

“Right now, there are three or four thousand students in Florence — a city no bigger than Fort Worth,” Antrim said.

Because of this space issue, Accent International, an association for academic programs abroad, is providing the behind-the-scenes work for TCU, Antrim said. Accent is an international education organization that works with more than 50 American colleges and universities to provide high quality study abroad programs, according to the company’s Web site. Accent is securing housing and classrooms, as well as putting together academic programs, Antrim said.

Canales said close to 480 students studied abroad last year, he said. TCU ranked eighth in percentage of students abroad among doctoral institutions in the United States, he said.

“With numbers like last year, we can predict to be in the top five this year,” he said.
Faculty and students who participate in the programs combine international experiences with the lives they lead here, he said. Canales said experiences abroad also enrich course curriculum.

“It’s not the same to learn from a book, than to be walking in the streets of London or Italy, living and learning,” he said.

Julie Mangelsdorf, a senior nutrition major, visited Florence while studying abroad in London. She said she can see the advantages of studying there.

“It would be a fun experience to learn about the city while being there,” Mangelsdorf said. “It seems like a good learning environment.”

Larry Adams, associate provost for Academic Affairs, said the Florence program will take the Italian language to a new level and has many other site-based features.

Studying art and architecture while surrounded by the history and culture of Italy adds a new dimension to international education, Adams said.

“It’s a very engaging culture,” he said.

Accent will also be hiring faculty pre-selected by TCU for the fall, Antrim said. The hired members will become adjunct professors to TCU, he said. In the future, TCU hopes to send its own faculty members, Antrim said.

While the increase in tuition will still apply to study abroad programs, the housing costs for Florence will be lower than housing costs for London, Canales said.

Antrim also said future plans for a study abroad program in Madrid are being discussed.

Sarah Chacko
s.e.chacko@tcu.edu