Campus set to welcome large Korean student contingent
Nearly 100 students from South Korea will officially become part of SUNY Fredonia when the spring semester begins through a new 1+3 program with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea. SUNY Fredonia faculty, students and staff are invited to attend a welcome ceremony for 95 Korean students on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 11 a.m. at Rosch Recital Hall. Several high-ranking officials from Hankuk University will participate.
Upon completing one year of study at Hankuk and three years at SUNY Fredonia, the students will be awarded SUNY Fredonia undergraduate degrees. Eventually, Fredonia plans on admitting 120 to 160 South Korean students to campus.
Their arrival day is Monday, Jan. 16, and members of the campus community are asked to help staff a “welcome center” at Cranston Marche from 4 to 9 p.m.
The 1+3 program, which Hankuk University operates in 19 universities across the United States, is designed to improve opportunities for qualified Korean students in a variety of majors to study general education courses and improve their English.
Before arriving here, the students spent a year preparing at their home campus, by taking general education courses pre-selected by Hankuk and Fredonia, along with intensive studies in English reading, speaking, listening and writing.
Their transition to SUNY Fredonia will be made easier by services provided by Fredonia's International Education Center: Julee Strek of the SUNY Fredonia English Language Immersion Academy will teach several sections of English language courses, using a curriculum developed in collaboration with Kate Mahoney of the Department of Language, Learning and Leadership. In addition, a temporary international student advisor will work closely with these students and also help SUNY Fredonia prepare to double its international enrollment.
Additional services will be provided by the Learning Center and the Henry C. Youngerman Center.
