Tailored program offered for Koreans

Scott Wyatt, left, president of Southern Utah University, poses with a freshman admitted to the school through the Education Abroad program for the 2014 academic year, during a matriculation ceremony at COEX, southern Seoul, on March 1. Courtesy of KORUS Education Institute

Southern Utah University is right school for int'l students'

By Bahk Eun-ji

Scott Wyatt, left, president of Southern Utah University, poses with a freshman admitted to the school through the Education Abroad program for the 2014 academic year, during a matriculation ceremony at COEX, southern Seoul, on March 1. Courtesy of KORUS Education Institute
Scott Wyatt, president of Southern Utah Universit

Southern Utah University (SUU) provides a good English program that enables students to experience new culture, which in turn, attracts more international students, especially Koreans, according to SUU President Scott Wyatt.

"Our university is the right school for international students, especially for Korean students who are ready to be a global talent, but still required some time to keep up with the American education style," Wyatt said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

"Korean students are more prepared than most international students," he said. "We provide a very good English program with small classes."

He visited Korea last week to hold a matriculation ceremony for Korean students who got admitted to the school at the COEX in southern Seoul Saturday.

"Students have to be prepared for cultural change", he said.

SUU recruits students through the Education Abroad program in partnership with the Korus Education Institute, a Seoul-based education business that helps local students study abroad, especially in the United States.

Wyatt said Korean students under the Education Abroad program are required to take the Proficiency of English for Academic Purpose (PEAP) course to improve their competence in the English language.

He said that the PEAP course is designed to help students become well-prepared for English culture and academic orientation.

The Education Abroad program is organized by the Korus Education Institute in partnership with 20 American state universities. Students applying to the program prove their English abilities by taking PEAP, which is officially acknowledged by those universities, instead of submitting TOEFL scores.

Those students admitted through the Education Abroad program are fairly reliable as they prove their language ability after completing the PEAP course, Wyatt said. But he added that those students need to take additional English classes in order to be more prepared for regular courses offered by SUU.

He pointed out that naturally, certain English proficiency test scores such as TOEFL are necessary criteria when it comes to the admission policy of SUU, but even with a low score, SUU helps students raise the level to the required standard.

"Many students come and spend all of their time studying English, and then they can start taking regular classes. With good English, they can immediately start taking courses," Wyatt said.

About 200 Korean students have so far been admitted to SUU under the Education Abroad program since 2007. And 70 of them have already graduated from the school.

The following is an excerpt of The Korea Times' interview with President Wyatt.

Q: How are Korean students admitted through the Education Abroad program different from other students in your school?

A: We have students from 30 countries from all over the world. Korean students are very well prepared to attend the university. They are very polite and well behaved, so we are pleased to have them at our university.

Q: What does it take for students to be successful in your school?

A: They have to be prepared for cultural change. The best thing about going to our school is being exposed to other cultures. Food, and climate are different as well as the language. The more English they can learn, the more rapidly they can move through the program. With some English they can improve much quicker. If academically prepared, it helps. If they know some of general education requirements, it helps as well.

Q: What is your unique teaching methodology?

A: We have small class size — English classes have 15 students. Some are smaller and some bigger. Many American universities have large sizes. For example, Ohio State has 7,000 students in one class with 70 teaching assistants. At southern Utah, however, small classes with 20 students average. If they want to learn chemistry or math, it's much easier to learn in small groups because students and teachers become connected and have an opportunity to talk after class and also during class discussions.

Therefore, there are three strong points of SUU: 1. Very good English program. 2. Small classes. 3. If there's a class they want to learn which isn't offered, the university helps them find it at another university through inter-university liaisons.

Studying liberal arts is emphasized at SUU. It is a very broad education that can prepare students for a number of jobs. History, literature, science and arts prepare them for roles in society. Even for particular majors, for example, Medical school or engineer, training is a combination of broad study and specific training for the job.

Q: What makes a good university?

A: First, the most important thing is having good professors who know the subject and care about students. Utah has many good professors.

Another thing is the environment or the location of a university. A university where students live at or close to university creates a community of learners. Students engage with each other and know people from other cultures and faculty members. Some research shows students that go to a residential university learn more and are more likely to graduate and have good experiences. There are many opportunities to join clubs, or go on field trips and take part in extracurricular activities.

These kinds of activities are not as common in universities where students have to commute to school each day. More than 80 percent of freshmen at SUU live at the university in a dormitory or apartment close to the university. So many opportunities to get to know each other and Korean students can interact with students from all over the world. This is a big part of education in the global world.

Q: What kinds of students are encouraged to apply for education abroad?

A:; Students who are ready to study must get ready for a wonderful adventure.

For example, anatomy classes have cadavers. There are dance and theater classes and many concerts.

Students who want to become doctors have great opportunities to prepare themselves for medical school. On the weekends, they can go to the six national parks close to the university, five in southern Utah and one in Arizona across the border is Grand Canyon which is one of the most beautiful places in America.