Palo Alto College students now have the opportunity to obtain a better understanding of the world they live in.

In the Spring of 2003, Palo Alto College’s International Education Committee created an International Studies Certificate that provides students, regardless of their major, a global outlook on the cultural, environmental, sociological, spiritual, political and economic inter-relatedness of all people.

To obtain the certificate, students are required to complete 12 to 14 hours of designated courses with a C or better, and they are required to submit an e-Portfolio, an electronic portfolio of their accumulated course work that will be reviewed by a faculty committee.

Students must take the gateway course, HUMA 1302: World Cultures & Global Issues, plus nine to 11 additional hours of core or component International Studies courses. Palo Alto faculty and staff may also enhance their learning by obtaining the International Studies certificate.

Dr. Thomas Baynum, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said that all Palo Alto College students would benefit from adding an internationalized perspective to their studies.
Baynum said that the primary benefits revolve around the increased understanding of differences and the value that diversity adds to our lives.

“The International Studies Certificate will make a student more employable, in that business and industry live in a global environment,” said Baynum. “Businesses are looking for people with experience in dealing with international peoples and perspectives.”

Karen Marcotte, Professor of History, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies, is the instructor of the gateway course. The gateway course teaches students to be aware of the planet that they are a part of and helps them find their role.

Anna Maria Sifuentes, a sophomore Logistic Management major, wants to know how other countries run their Logistic Departments, and the gateway course allows her to learn about other countries’ cultures and economies.

Sifuentes is preparing for the international companies that will provide support to Toyota. “I want to have an advantage to go and get a job with them,” she said.

Raymond “Larry” Jower, a sophomore History major, is very interested in the world’s organization and how world history evolved. The gateway course has provided him the opportunity to take a global outlook of the world.

“My goal is to learn and understand more,” said Jower. “I’m so interested in the history of what created today’s world. You can’t sit there and judge what’s happening today without first understanding all the different cultures.”

Marcotte agreed, “Students should expand their horizons. Bexar County is not the limit. It’s not the only part of the world for you.” Contact Marcotte <kmarcott@accd.edu> at 921-5035.