March 2009
Volume 1 Issue 5

 

 

 

 


International Programs, Northwood University
4000 Whiting Drive, Midland, Michigan, 48640-2398 USA
Ph: 989·837·4327 | FAX: 989·837·4247
www.northwood.edu/international/

 

From the Dean

Northwood University turned 50 years old this week! On March 23, 2009 the institution celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding. A luncheon was held in Michigan to mark this event, and celebrations are planned in Texas and Florida and throughout the rest of the year, including our overseas sites.

The university was founded by Gary and Willa Stauffer and Arthur and Johann Turner, who together decided that an institution dedicated to the concepts of free enterprise and entrepreneurship was needed to educate students about putting these concepts into practice around the globe. Now, 50 years later, Northwood has over 6,500 students in multiple locations in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

At the luncheon held in Michigan this week, the lone surviving founder, Willa Stauffer, talked about the very early years of Northwood University and how a small group of paid employees and volunteers patiently built the institution. She remembers it as a period of very hard work as the institution reached out to volunteers, friends and supporters who helped to make Northwood University what it is today. But she also remembers it as a "labor of love", and well worth the effort.

Though most of the early supporters and friends are no longer living, their work and vision lives on in the Northwood Idea. I can think of no finer tribute to their work than the achievements of thousands of graduates who have gone on to live the Northwood Idea through their beliefs and actions.

But the 50th anniversary is also a time of renewal and rebirth. As we celebrate past achievements, we also engage in the process of continuous renewal that is the field of education: wherein we renew ourselves intellectually by constantly examining new ideas and concepts in order to inform the way we think and feel about the world around us. Celebrating the past also reminds us that no matter what we have accomplished, there is always more work to be done. In that spirit, let's continue our important work!

Best regards,

Lance B. Lewis, Ph.D

Lance B. Lewis, Ph.D.
Dean of International Programs

Semesters at Northwood University

The academic calendar in the U.S. has typically been either the quarter system or the semester system (with a smattering of other kinds of calendars). In general, the quarter system divides the academic year into four quarters of 10 weeks each (one quarter during the summer), while the semester system divides the academic year into two 16 week semesters and summer sessions, with each offering roughly 40 weeks of coursework over the course of an entire academic year (usually August of one year to July of the next year).

Northwood University has been on a quarter system since its founding, but over 80 percent of American colleges and universities currently use semesters. So, in early 2007, Northwood president Keith Pretty convened a task force to look at whether or not the university should switch. That group recommended that all of Northwood University switch to a semester system starting in the 2010-2011 academic year. The MBA program was already using semesters.

Why switch? There are several compelling reasons: 1) it puts Northwood's academic calendar more in line with most U.S. institutions, and with most overseas institutions; 2) it provides a longer time for teaching course material, which means more time for student learning; 3) most textbooks and course materials are written and designed for the semester system; 4) it makes transferring easier; and 5) it simplifies a variety of academic processes by doing these twice per year instead of three times under the current system.

But the transition also means a lot of work – everything from the curriculum to computer systems to publications to websites has to be redesigned. Since early 2008, teams at Northwood have been working on revising systems and processes across the board to be ready for the changeover starting August 2010.

The academic year at Northwood in the U.S. will consist of a fall semester, starting in August and ending in December, and a spring semester, starting in January and ending in May. Summer sessions will take place in June and July.

What does this mean for our overseas programs? As soon as curriculum revisions are finalized (which should be before June 2009), curricula and courses will be revised at all of our overseas sites. Though some courses will remain, others will disappear or change or existing courses may be combined. Most courses will go from being 4 quarter credits to 3 semester credits, so the number of courses required for the BBA will also change to reflect this new system.

Some of our students will finish part of their BBA under the quarter system and part of it under the semester system, while other students will simply start on a semester system in autumn of 2010. Regardless, we'll share the new curriculum as soon as it is completed, and work together with our partners to make sure that any revisions to curricula and completion plans will be done in plenty of time so that we are all ready for the first term in the semester system, and that the process is as seamless as possible for students.

Please see the Terms to Semesters Update and the original Terms-to-Semesters Announcement for more information.

Spotlight On... American National College (Sri Lanka)

American National College - Sri Lanka

ANC classrooms, offices, labs and student facilities are located in two multi-story buildings in the city of Colombo.

Cricket on the Army training field - Sri Lanka

Cricket is a national obsession in Sri Lanka! This army training field also serves as one of many cricket "pitches" in Colombo.

The IPC at American National College in Colombo, Sri Lanka is part of a consortium involving U.S., Australian and British universities. Some students take the first two years of coursework from Patten University (a U.S. college with ANC), and the final two years of coursework from Northwood. Other students transfer in coursework and finish with Northwood. ANC operates on a trimester calendar, with a spring term starting in February, a summer term starting in late May, and a fall term starting in September, but also offers evening and weekend classes to meet the needs of older, part-time students. Each summer, an award and graduation ceremony, a fashion show and student party are held for ANC and for Northwood BBA students…all in one night!

Northwood started with ANC in 2004, and offers the following BBA degrees there:

ANC is located in two multi-story buildings in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a city of over 700,000 inhabitants, with over a million people in the metropolitan area. This vibrant urban area has a mixture of traditional, colonial and modern buildings, and enjoys a tropical climate moderated by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Colombo is also a major port facility for south central Asia.

As with all IPCs, coursework is taught by local faculty, western faculty, and NU faculty who travel to Sri Lanka. Each year, a number of students come to the U.S. to complete their BBA degrees. Over 150 students are currently enrolled in the Northwood program at ANC.

ANC is led by Dr. Punarjeeva "Jeeva" Karunanayake, Executive Director, and Dr. Upali Mampitiya, Director of the Academic Operations Office. Daniel Kelch serves as NU Program Director, and Professor Inderjit "Indy" Chander serves as NU Academic Director.

Update... on Strategic Themes

We continue to work on our strategic themes for this year, which include progress toward the following:

Please contribute!

We welcome ideas and articles and photos from faculty and staff at all of our IPC sites. Submit any ideas to:

Linda Dick
International Programs Coordinator
dickl@northwood.edu