PSU offers summer classes in Paraguay

Some of the faculty call it PSU south – way south. Catolica Universidad in Asuncion, Paraguay, may not be a satellite campus for Pittsburg State University, but a new program means that students can easily take Pitt State classes there.

Alice Sagehorn, a member of the PSU a member of the faculty in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and director of the PSU in Paraguay Program, said a new program makes it possible for PSU students to pick up general education credits this summer and have a rich international experience at the same time.

Sagehorn said that for American students who are reluctant to commit to a semester or a year abroad, the summer program is a perfect option. Offering general education courses in Paraguay is another way for us to open the international experience to more students, Sagehorn said. The courses to be taught this summer are "General Literature," May 22-June 14; "Environmental Life Science," June 19-July 27; and "Speech Communication," July 31-Aug. 18.

"These are general education classes taught in English by PSU professors," Sagehorn said.

Students who enroll in the summer classes in Paraguay will be housed with host families in Asuncion, Sagehorn said.

"As much as possible, we hope to be able to match up American students with the families of Paraguayan students who are also taking PSU classes," Sagehorn said.

Staying with host families not only improves the cultural experience for the American students, according to Sagehorn, but also keeps the cost down. She said that the American students could expect to pay just $15 a day for lodging. Additionally, they will also need to pay for airline fare and for their visa. The cost for the classes is $155 per credit hour. Sagehorn pointed out that the program is not restricted to PSU students.

Sagehorn said that unlike some other parts of the world, Paraguay is still a very welcoming place for Americans.

"They are very friendly," Sagehorn said. "They know Kansas because of the long history between Kansas and Paraguay, which extends back to 1968 when the Kansas Paraguay Partnership and its Paraguayan counterpart, the Comite' Paraguay Kansas, were created."

The summer classes are part of the ongoing Pittsburg State University in Paraguay Program, which includes a number of Paraguayan students who are currently enrolled in PSU classes at Catolica Universidad. Students in the program can earn up to 48 PSU credit hours over two years at Catolica Universidad. A number of the Paraguayan students enrolled in the program eventually come to Pitt State, Sagehorn said. Currently, 12 students from Paraguay are pursuing degrees at PSU and others are now studying at other universities in Kansas and the U.S.

For more about the Pittsburg State University in Paraguay Program, call Sagehorn at 620-235-4499 or Heather Eckstein, interim co-director of Admission and Enrollment Services at 620-235-4265, or visit the program Web site at www.pittstate.edu/admit/paraguay.html.

---Pitt State---