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September 14, 2012

ULM professor and students spend summer abroad; future opportunities announced

University of Louisiana at Monroe Associate Professor of Art, Dr. Joni Noble, recently taught two art/photography courses in Europe through the University of Southern Mississippi, ULM’s consortium partner.

As a consortium partner, ULM works with and shares resources with USM to provide students the opportunity to participate in study abroad programs.

More than 200 students from around the country participated in the summer 2012 British Studies and Compass Programs.

Six students were from ULM, including one ULM art student.The remainder of the photography classes were comprised of students from other universities. 

Student participants from ULM were Aaron Culpepper of West Monroe, Hudson Biedenharn of Monroe, Cara Rascoe of Shreveport, Robert Wofford of Monroe, John Owen of Alto, and Loretta Collins of West Monroe.

The purpose of the consortium is to promote a more profound understanding of British culture and society among students and faculty through scholarly and educational activities.

In recent years, students have made their way to Paris, Prague, Dublin, Barcelona, Munich, Krakow, Edinburgh, Venice, Athens, Rome, Florence, and Amsterdam.

Noble said, “International travel broadens the perspective and strengthens the eye.  Anyone involved in the visual arts would benefit from this course of study. Students become more aware of the wider scope of humanity, thus making them more well-rounded individuals.”

The British Studies Program and The Compass Program are available to any university student, and provide six hours of credit to participants. 

The British Studies Program, now entering its fourth decade, is organized by USM through an academic consortium of 14 colleges and universities located throughout the United States. 

Participants in The British Studies Program were given the opportunity to travel around Britain and beyond. 

Alongside Noble’s art/photography course, the British Studies Program offered courses in business, sociology, English, health, history, journalism, library science, music industry, physics, political science, psychology, sociology, speech communication, and sports management. 

In addition to the British Studies Program, Noble led an Art/Photography course through the newly created Compass Program, organized by USM.

This program led students to Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Normandy, and London.

Participants were given 10 days of free travel time to backpack across Europe with their Eurorail passes, which were provided by the program.

The study in London coincided with ULM’s second summer session, which made it a perfect fit for ULM students wishing to have a study abroad experience. 

Both of Professor Noble’s photography classes consisted of students from several different consortium universities, who were from varied backgrounds.

Many of the students had a background in photography or art. 

The class participated in daily walking tours of the city, stopping at famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey for photo opportunities. 

Noble’s class also toured lesser known neighborhoods in London including Camden and Abbey Road, capturing the very essence of the local population through the lens of their camera.

Students also visited major art and historical museums in the city, including The Tate Modern, The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The Photographer’s Gallery, and The Tower of London.

For the London Away experience, Noble’s class traveled to Paris, where they spent four days exploring the major art galleries of the French capital including The Louvre, The Musee d’orsay, and the Pompidou.  The class also participated in walking tours of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the Sacre Coeur, and some of the incredible cemeteries of Paris.

The 2013 British Studies program will run from July 1 –  Aug. 1, 2013.

The Compass Program lasts for five weeks and will run from May 25 –  June 30, 2013.

Complete information about both classes can be found at www.britishstudiesprogram.org and www.thecompassprogram.org

Tuition and expenses for the program can be funded through the ULM Financial Aid Office.

For more information, contact Noble at noble@ulm.edu or 342-1383.

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