Annual Whistle-Stop Tour showcases Carolina’s Global Guarantee to new students
September 17, 2024UNC Global Affairs
Every year, Carolina’s Weeks of Welcome helps Tar Heels, both new and returning, transition to campus life. For the third year, UNC Global Affairs and the Study Abroad Office co-hosted the Global Whistle-Stop Tour to showcase the resources, programs and departments that deliver Carolina’s Global Guarantee — the University’s promise that a global education is available to every Tar Heel. The event took place on Wednesday, Aug. 28, in the Florence and James Peacock Atrium in the FedEx Global Education Center, and more than 200 students attended.
“I hope the Whistle-Stop Tour helps students get acquainted with the many ways that Carolina is making a global education available and accessible to all students,” said Emmy Grace, program manager for global education in UNC Global Affairs. “I also hope the event welcomes new students to the FedEx Global Education Center in a way that they will return for events, programs and even just to study.”
At the event, students met representatives from the six centers at Carolina focused on the study of world regions and languages; the Curriculum in Global Studies; the Study Abroad Office; International Student Scholar Services; and UNC Global Affairs, which administers the Diplomacy Initiative and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Students also learned about global programs offered by Honors Carolina and Kenan-Flagler Business School, and about scholarship funding available through the Phillips Ambassadors program. Stephanie Hutchinson, Carolina’s Diplomat in Residence attended the event and spoke with students interested in pursuing careers in diplomacy and foreign affairs. In addition to learning about global opportunities, students played games, earned prizes and enjoyed food and drinks, like Boba and Italian ice.
“To me, a global education is about learning new things from different perspectives and backgrounds,” Pallavi Mylar ’27 said. “For example, I learned about COIL and hope I will be able to take a class with a COIL experience one day.”
In a COIL course, students engage virtually with students at an international partner university to learn and complete projects together. COIL is a critical component of Carolina’s Global Guarantee.
Last year, nearly 3,000 Tar Heels studied abroad for academic credit, and they received nearly $1 million in scholarship funding to do so. Another 1,000 or more students enrolled in COIL courses, and 1,600 participated in various events and programs with the Diplomacy Initiative. Hundreds more pursue academic programs in Global Studies, world regions and advanced languages. The Global Guarantee ensures there is a rich menu of global learning opportunities for students throughout their time at the University.
“The Whistle-Stop Tour is an incredible opportunity to connect with students early on and discuss their study abroad ambitions, helping them plan ahead for success,” said Mallory Minnehan, communications and marketing manager for the Study Abroad Office. “We’re especially excited to see the growing interest in our new Carolina Spring Forward program from first-year students, reconnecting with them after orientation, and answering any lingering questions before the spring application deadline.”
Along with UNC Global Affairs and the Study Abroad Office, which hosted the Whistle-Stop Tour, there were several co-sponsors: the African Studies Center, Carolina Asia Center, Center for European Studies, Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, Center for Slavic, Eastern Europe and Eurasian Studies, Institute for the Study of the Americas, Curriculum in Global Studies, International Student and Scholar Services, Phillips Ambassadors, Global Honors, Kenan-Flagler Business School Undergraduate Global Programs, and the Diplomat in Residence.
Students can visit the FedEx Global Education Center, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. To stay informed about upcoming events and resources related to UNC Global Affairs, students should subscribe to the monthly newsletter here. To connect with the Study Abroad Office, students should subscribe to the newsletter here.
More News
September 16, 2024