By Mallory Sherwood, Managing Editor
Any students up for a ripper adventure and a squizz at the other side of the world can apply to take Dr. Ian Shepherd’s international business class during Christmas break in Sydney, Australia, for three credit hours.
Shepherd, associate professor of business, will take 15 students back to his homeland the day after Christmas for a two-week adventure and a look at the other side of the world to experience business in a new culture.
“It offers a different perspective for students because an Australian guy is actually going to take a group of students to Australia,” Shepherd said. “I lived there for 30 years and I have a unique perspective on business.”
The university is a member of the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad, a consortium of 24 colleges and universities across the country that propose short-term classes to be offered abroad for students of all classifications.
Dr. John Timmerman, associate professor of business, introduced the CCSA to the university when he began to work here six years ago.
“It is a big opportunity for students,” Timmerman said. “You can pick any class from this program and ACU will reward you credit for it.”
He said he introduced the program for students and for teachers who are interested in traveling, but whose department can’t spare them a whole semester. He said this program offers students and teachers to travel during Christmas, after commencement or during the summer.
The Study Abroad Program offers students the ability to study abroad for a semester, but the business study abroad program has more flexibility and is the alternative for people who can’t afford to be gone the whole semester, can’t afford the time or don’t want to miss events on campus, Timmerman said.
More than 30 students have participated in the CCSA from the business department and eight students have completed internships abroad through the program.
Students who attend through the CCSA will be able to travel to an English-speaking country, so they don’t have to be fluent in any other language. Timmerman also said students will attend with some people that they know, but that one-third of the students who attend will be from colleges across the country.
According to the CCSA brochure, students will learn about global strategy, international trade, international marketing, cross-cultural management issues, global supply chain and international business trends during this course. They will also be able to study Australian companies as well as branches of American business overseas.
The Australian International Business class costs $5,240, and it includes the deposit, round-trip airfare, tuition, accommodations, breakfast and program excursions including flying in between Sydney and Cairns.
Shepherd said not to be alarmed at the price because it is a great deal on airfare.
“You’re traveling as far across the world as you can go and back, during the busiest tourist season we have,” Shepherd said.
Students will also experience summer at Christmastime.
“One of the beauties of going to Australia at Christmas is that it is summer, so one of the things they’ll do is go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef while the rest of us are shivering somewhere,” Timmerman said.
Shepherd said students may also have the opportunity to visit the Sydney Opera House, Ford Australia, Hewson Australia, a management training facility that trains senior executives in Australia, home visits to host families in Australia to see how life is different from the American experience and an Aussie barbeque at his old home place.
Students may experience unique cultural opportunities, but they’ll also experience unique business opportunities, too, Timmerman said.
“Australia has laws like we do, but they may be a bit different,” Timmerman said. “Unless you’ve experienced it, it’s like eating the food in a different culture. It is all the same ingredients, but it tastes completely different.”
He said students enjoy the class because instead of professors lecturing to them, they are teaching at the scenes of the Stock Exchange or the Trade Center.
“People are experiencing and breathing the air of the culture while learning about it,” Timmerman said.
Most people who attend the international business class will be business majors since the class is required, Timmerman said, but students don’t have to be a business major. He said any student who has taken economic courses can apply.
Applications are available in the College of Business Administration or from either Timmerman or Shepherd. The deadline is Oct. 3 for interested students and at that time they must deposit $200. Scholarships may be available to students who apply.
