Program
Overview
Mission Statement
The mission statement of the Asia University America Program
is a threefold commitment to students, to the institution,
and to the profession. The AUAP Program is committed to
providing a high quality and dynamic study abroad program
for students from Asia University. The AUAP Program will
achieve its mission by providing:
-
a positive and supportive learning
environment for second language learners;
-
highly interactive and student-centered
classes taught by skilled and experienced ESL faculty;
-
strong student support services which
facilitate students' adjustment to a new culture so
that they can reach their academic and cultural objectives;
-
a variety of work-related, social,
and cross-cultural opportunities for EWU students. These
opportunities help EWU students to develop a keener
sense of cultural awareness and cross-cultural understanding:
By welcoming AUAP students to the EWU
campus and facilitating opportunities for these students
to interact and live with EWU students, the AUAP Program
also helps EWU accomplish its own mission “to prepare
broadly educated, technologically proficient, and highly
productive citizens to attain meaningful careers, to enjoy
enriched lives, and to make contributions to a culturally
diverse society.”
Goals
The Asia University America Program at Eastern Washington
University, a unique component of Asia University, Tokyo,
Japan, provides students with an opportunity to participate
in an innovative study abroad program. The goals of the
program are to develop students' communicative competence
in the English language, to promote intercultural awareness,
and to provide students with the opportunity to live in,
study about and experience another culture.
History
As part of its basic philosophy, Asia University advocates
active international relations and has promoted exchange
with universities in other countries for many years. Relations
were first developed with institutions of higher education
in Asia, and more recently with a number of American universities.
At present, Asia University has agreements with 18 universities
in 9 countries. Eastern Washington University is one of
the universities which participates in the Asia University
America Program. Other universities offering the AUAP Program
are Central Washington University, and Western Washington
University.
Participants
The students who join this program are freshmen or sophomores
majoring in International Relations, Law, Business, or Economics
at Asia University. Since 1989, over 9,000 Japanese students
have come to the Pacific Northwest as part of the AUAP Program,
with more than 2,600 students coming to EWU.
Schedule
AUAP students arrive at EWU in early-mid September or in
mid February and stay for five months. Each group has 30
- 90 students.
Curriculum
AUAP students take 20 hours of instruction per week in a
specially designed program that emphasizes communicative,
interactive, content-based language instruction. Students
study English as a Second Language, American Studies, Physical
Education, and a course related to their major. As part
of their coursework, students participate in educational
and cultural field trips in the Spokane area.
Faculty
Courses are taught by faculty who have specialized training
and experience in teaching English as a Second Language.
Peer Advisors
EWU students are hired as International Peer Advisors (IPAs)
to assist students with orientation to campus and community.
They also plan cultural, educational, and recreational activities
on and off campus, help students understand and adjust to
American life and culture and facilitate student involvement
in campus and residence hall activities.
Activities
An important goal of the program is to get students involved
with campus and community life. Students participate in
Homecoming Week activities, Japan Day festivals in the residence
halls, intramural sports, and a variety of educational,
cultural and social activities. In addition, upon arrival
at EWU, all AUAP students establish pen pal relationships
with elementary school children in Spokane and Cheney and
then visit those schools at least once during their five-month
stay in America.
Campus Friends Program
Since making American friends is an important goal for students,
the Campus Friends Program was created to help give our
students more chances to meet and spend time with Americans.
Community Volunteer Program
The AUAP Program also helps students to learn more about
American culture and social issues by arranging volunteer
opportunities in the local community. Students have worked
on Habitat for Humanity houses, volunteered at the EWU childcare
center, helped out at food banks, passed out water during
the Bloomsday Fun Run, shared Japanese culture with students
in various after school programs, helped cleanup the banks
of the Spokane River during “RiverFest,” and
worked at the America’s Kid’s Run.
Program Benefits
The AUAP gives its participants a chance to improve their
English skills, develop their intercultural awareness, and
gain confidence by living successfully in another country.
Having this international program on our campus has also
helped to bring the outside world closer to EWU students.
As a result, there has been an increased interest in Japanese
language study and international business, a developing
awareness of intercultural issues, and an increase in the
number of students interested in teaching English as a Second
or Foreign language.
Additional
Information
For more information about the Asia University America Program
at EWU, please contact Evelyn Renshaw, Program Director,
at: erenshaw@ewu.edu.
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