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Perth College president Mandy Exley makes a point
while talking to members of Monmouth College's development and
college relations staff during her recent visit to campus.
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Of all the study abroad
options available to Monmouth College students, a recently-added venue
seems particularly appropriate. "Fighting Scots" can now spend a
semester at Perth College, an institution on the eastern coast of the
northernmost nation in the United Kingdom.
One such student, senior Holly Butz of Des Plaines, spent her fall
semester at Perth, an experience she said was very educational.
"I have learned and experienced so much," she wrote in her final online
journal entry last November. "Sometimes I wish I could have gotten to
stay longer."
Perth returned the favor in the exchange program this year, as Jason Lim
of Reddingmuirhead, Falkirk, is in the second of two semesters at
Monmouth. Last week, the Scottish college sent another individual, but
it wasn’t a student. Rather, its principal (president), Mandy Exley,
visited Monmouth, where she was able to learn more about higher
education in the United States.
Although it’s more than an ocean away, Exley said she was struck more by
the similarities than the differences between her home institution and
Monmouth College.
"(Monmouth College) is incredibly calm," she said. "It’s got a very nice
feel as a place of higher learning … There aren’t huge differences
between Monmouth and Perth. I’m struggling a little to find them."
One difference is terminology. A glance at Perth’s Web site shows
references to a "sports hall" as opposed to an athletic center, and
students don’t eat in dining halls but, rather, "canteens." And there a
lot more students. Counting those taking courses part-time, more than
8,000 students are enrolled at Perth.
Another contrast is the age of the institutions. Though one would expect
Perth College to be older – after all, higher education in Scotland
dates back to at least the early 15th century with the University of St.
Andrews – Monmouth College was founded more than 100 years earlier than
Perth. The Scottish college, which was founded in 1961, is in some ways
more similar to a two-year community college like Carl Sandburg in
Galesburg, which Exley also visited. However, Perth recently moved to
university status, which will make it seem even more like Monmouth than
it already is.
"This is a lovely place," Exley said of the Monmouth campus. "I’m
surprised a little bit by its history, but the feel of our colleges is
incredibly similar."
Another surprise, she said, was Monmouth’s faculty.
"The faculty is very diverse and seems to have a large range of
interests," she said. "I had thought their interests might be more
focused on specific subjects."
While drawing primarily from a similar middle-class base of students to
Monmouth, Perth’s students, said Exley, "are of all abilities and from
all walks of life. The range is much greater, and there are fewer
barriers. We want them to get a step higher on the ladder. A program
might even be developed to address the needs of a single student. That’s
a very important element of the mission of a college like ours."
Perth recently became part of the new University of the Highlands and
Islands (UHI) higher education system, which is a step higher on the
ladder for the college itself.
"Formerly, we were a stepping stone," she said. "Students could stay at
Perth after two years, but the degree they completed would be some other
university’s. We have all levels now and can award our own degrees."
Perth’s students typically focus on one of three major specialties in
the curriculum – music, tourism or aeronautic engineering. Monmouth
students who take advantage of the study-abroad program are attracted to
Perth’s media and public relations courses.
"The exchange program is remarkably complimentary," said MC faculty
member Bill Wallace. "Our students in music, media and public relations
have the chance at Perth to work on semester-long projects focusing on
application of materials. Their ‘outputs’ are geared much more toward
direct employability. Perth students have found that Monmouth’s advanced
work and theoretical underpinning really amplify the knowledge they have
gained at Perth."
Wallace added, "We often speak of partnerships, teamwork, ‘the world is
a smaller place.’ We have developed a relationship that seems beneficial
to both our campuses. Now comes the fun part of seeing where this might
go."
Exley said that both Perth and Monmouth are well aware of their "global
citizenship" responsibilities. For example, Perth is taking on more and
more international students and not only has exchange programs for
students, but for faculty and staff, as well.
A global perspective is critical, Exley said, because "many of our
students think they’re only competing with the rest of Scotland when it
comes to the job market, but it’s China and India and the rest of the
world, too."
While Monmouth prides itself on being a residential campus, Perth is
more "new age" in its approach and is part of a network system that
allows it to educate students hundreds of miles away through
videoconferencing and regional "learning centres."
Perth College is not only an appealing option for Monmouth students who
want to study abroad, it’s also a great tourist destination. While in
Scotland, tourists might even come across the works of one of Perth
College’s most famous alumni. The culinary masterpieces of celebrated
chef and Perth College graduate Andrew Fairley can be sampled at the
nearby five-star Gleneagles Hotel, one of the world’s most famous
resorts.
