Arcadia England

One of the most important and, potentially, challenging aspects of the study abroad experience is engaging meaningfully with the host culture.

Dr. Laurence Scott describes how Arcadia’s Co-Curricular Learning Certificate (CLC) offers students a formalised way in which to participate in British life beyond the classroom and highlights some of the best CLC projects of the past terms submitted by Jake Nightlinger, Devan Maglio, and Jay Seetharaman.

It is always encouraging to see the imagination and enthusiasm that Arcadia London and Regional students bring to their CLC projects. The programme allows them to explore new passions offered by the host culture, as well as to discover how longstanding areas of interest translate in this new environment.

The best CLC projects are revelatory: they reveal unexpected aspects of UK culture, as seen from a study-abroad perspective, but they also reveal areas of personal growth in those who have completed them.

Jake Nightlinger, a FYSAE student from Fall 2015, submitted a CLC on his semester’s engagement with London’s Islamic culture. His final project was a fascinating account of his experiences making friends with members of the Muslim community, as well as attending religious services and artistic events. Nightlinger writes that by participating in the CLC he ‘realized that many Western liberals fall victim to condescendingly sympathizing with Muslims, seeing Muslims as a group of victims rather than individuals who have the capacity to think and act for themselves.’ Nightlinger’s work is a valuable meditation on multiculturalism and an excellent endorsement of the CLC project.

The best CLC projects are revelatory: they reveal unexpected aspects of UK culture, as seen from a study-abroad perspective, but they also reveal areas of personal growth in those who have completed them.'

Another outstanding CLC from the Fall 2015 term was Devan Maglio’s project on British Orchestral Music. Maglio, also a FYSAE student, has been studying the violin for over twelve years. Her CLC vividly documented the orchestral performances she was able to attend during her time in London, and offered insightful analysis of the economics of this artistic sector. Maglio writes that ‘Whereas members of American orchestras may make a comparably decent living, those of British orchestras are grossly underpaid due to the lack of privatization in the U.K.’s orchestra business.’

Arcadia students in the UK consistently produce an enlightening range of CLC projects, reporting from the more light-hearted areas of British culture to addressing some of its most important social issues.'

A highlight of this past Spring semester was Jay Seetharaman’s ‘Higher Education: An International Comparison’. For his CLC, Seetharaman compared the learning environment of his host institution, the London School of Economics (LSE), with his home college, Ohio State University Columbus. By looking at contact hours, assessment types, and the general pedagogical ethos of his department at the LSE, Seetharaman produced a thoughtful paper on the various strengths and weaknesses of both his host and home institutions.

Arcadia students in the UK consistently produce an enlightening range of CLC projects, reporting from the more light-hearted areas of British culture to addressing some of its most important social issues. What emerges is a mosaic-portrait of contemporary British life, and an uplifting record of our students’ involvement with it.