Destination GCSU

From the entrance essay to being on campus, students at Georgia College often hear about diversity from the start. GCSU prides itself on improving the diversity of its student body and the multicultural experience received while attending the institution, but the diversity does not stop with the students.

Georgia College is made up of 59 faculty members and 12 staff members from 37 different countries around the world, according to Dwight Call with the International Education Center. Professors from Sierra Leone to Brazil have chosen to call Milledgeville home and teach at Georgia’s public liberal arts university. Professors are drawn to Milledgeville for various reasons starting with GCSU itself.

Eustace Palmer, professor in the Department of English and Rhetoric, and a Sierra Leone native, was drawn to GCSU by a job opening in 1993, but he also enjoyed the atmosphere of Milledgeville.

“The small town feel of Milledgeville is quite attractive,” Palmer said.

Moving to Milledgeville can present some challenges. The atmosphere of a small town can be jarring for some of the professors who are not used to small-town life.

Acclimating to a new country can be a difficult endeavor for some professors. Things like looking for a house and a car become difficult upon arrival.

One of the people who helps professors acclimate to the campus and community is Assistant Vice President for International Education Dwight Call.

“We issue the visa document they need as exchange faculty. It is very similar to the one students use,” Call said.

Instructor of Spanish and German, Anisio Martins dos Santos, is originally from Brazil but has lived in Germany and now lives in the Milledgeville area. When Santos moved to Milledgeville, it was difficult to find a house in this area because many of the students occupied the houses around campus, he said.

“The biggest hindrance is finding somewhere for professors to live.” Call said. According to Call, professors can usually find help getting around Milledgeville or getting situated into a home from colleagues within their department.

Finding a car took a long time and proved to be a big adjustment for Santos as well. While living in Germany, Santos said he walked or bicycled everywhere. When Palmer moved to Milledgeville, not having a mode of transportation impeded his mobility around town.

“Public transportation was a major hindrance while trying to find a car here in Milledgeville,” Palmer said. “I had to look around and it wasn’t easy getting around.”

English can also be a hindrance for professors who aren’t native speakers. The language barrier may give new professors a hard time adjusting but once they realize the students are adjusting to understand them, things can get better.

Professors also have to make adjustments because the students in America may display different characteristics than students elsewhere in the world.

According to Palmer, students in his home country have very few amenities to use, therefore they are grateful for what they have, yet students here have a lot at their disposal.

Unlike Palmer, Santos doesn’t see much of a difference in the students at GCSU.

“Students are pretty much the same here as they are in Germany.” Santos said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 9 2009. Filed under Perspectives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry