Global College

Global College is an international studies college with regional centers scattered around the globe. It was founded as Friends World College by the New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1965, but became non-sectarian in the mid-1970s. In financial difficulties, the college became a part of Long Island University in the 1991-1992 academic year as the Friends World Programcite web |title=Finding aid for Friends World College Records, 1958-2001 |url=http://www.swarthmore.edu/library/friends/ead/4082frwo.xml |accessdate=2007-11-29In March 2007, Friends World Program became Global College.

Currently there are between 100-150 students enrolled worldwide. Students participating in the full four-year Bachelor of Arts degree program in Global Studies spend their first two semesters at the Costa Rica Center in Heredia City, Costa Rica (the "First Year Program"). Their sophomore year is spent at either the China Center or the India Center. Their third year is spent split with one semester in Japan and one in South Africa. An alternate junior year is the Comparative Religion and Culture Program. This year-long, mobile classroom program travels to Taiwan, India, Thailand, and Turkey. In the students' senior year, they spend one semester studying independently and their last semester ("Senior Capstone") in Brooklyn, NY.

The school promotes an experiential approach to education, with most of the student work at the centers - which have limited teaching faculty - being in the form of independent research projects, local involvement, and internships with various organizations. The emphasis is on cultural studies, arts, language, development and sustainability issues, and international relations, but Global College students study a wide variety of subjects under the instruction and guidance of their advisors.

At the end of every academic semester, students submit a Portfolio of Learning, a collection of their notes, essays, and other documentation, which is then reviewed by an advisor who assesses their learning experience.

Global College is an accredited university program. Upon completion of their requirements graduates receive a degree in Global Studies from Long Island University. Students are required to decide upon an area of concentration while they are in their 3rd or 4th year of study that relates to their senior thesis studies.

Recent developments

The South Africa Center in Durban, South Africa, opened its doors in February 2008.

New North American Center

Prior to the 2005 academic year the North American Center was located in Southampton, New York, United States of America and was home to the administrative operations of Friends World Program. Beginning in the Fall of 2005, FWP moved to the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University. To help encourage a well rounded experience seniors are now required to return to the North American Center to finish their studies.

Currently operating centers

*New York Center, Brooklyn, New York
*Costa Rica Center, Heredia City, Costa Rica
*India Center, Bangalore, India
*China Center, Hangzhou, China
*Japan Center, Kyoto, Japan
*South Africa Center, Durban, South Africa

Currently suspended centers

Regional centers are sometimes shut down indefinitely due to lack of funds or security or health risks. As of February 2007 these include:
*West Africa Centre, Ghana *East Africa Centre, Kenya *European Centre, *Middle East Center, Jerusalem

External links

* [http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/globalcollege/virtualtour/index.html Global College]
* [http://www.fwpsacindia.net/ India Center] independent website
* [http://www.globalcollegejapan.org/ Japan Center] independent website
* [http://fwplatinamerica.com/ Costa Rica Center] independent website
* [http://www.fwpchina.com/ China Center] independent website
* [http://friendsworld.tribe.net/ an online ingathering] "for people who have attended or been a part of the Friends World Program or Friends World College"