Texas A&M University-Commerce is now home to 148 students from Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, thanks to a partnership between the schools.
“Korea has the highest percent in the world of high school students going to college,” Dr. Kenneth Clinton, Director of International Studies for A&M-Commerce, said. That strikes an issue in Korea for schools such as Konkuk, which has an enrollment ceiling and is having to turn down students.
Konkuk University has a building on its campus with two floors dedicated solely to studies for A&M-Commerce, according to Clinton, who has personally visited the site three times.
The Konkuk Global Frontier Program is designed to send students to A&M-Commerce giving the Korean students the opportunity to experience globalization, which Clinton said is a focus for the university put into place by the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The program also helps A&M-Commerce by enhancing enrollment and diversity.
The program is a “one to three” program, meaning Konkuk University students will take the English Language Institute (ELI) course in Korea during their first year, along with some freshman courses that A&M-Commerce accepts. Students who meet the requirements of a minimum 2.0 GPA and completion of the ELI program will spend the next three years at A&M-Commerce.
Konkuk University in itself has around 28,000 students. While the town of Commerce is minute compared to Seoul, Clinton said being close to Dallas is a way to bring attention to the university. Along with that, the fact that A&M-Commerce is a part of the A&M system is also appealing; the Korean students are guaranteed the opportunity to transfer to another A&M school if A&M-Commerce does not offer what they wish to study.
“We are committed as a university by 2015 to have over 1,000 international students,” Clinton said.
The current standing for internationals is at 849. Through more programs like the Konkuk Global Frontier Program, Clinton said they hope to reach that goal along with incorporating more global factors into A&M-Commerce classes. For instance, political science classes may soon include a glance into some British government. Clinton said that is a way of showing Americans how other cultures operate.
“All classes will have a global component by 2013 or 2014,” Clinton said. “Outside the way we do things, others do it differently.”
Heejoong Kim, a Korean student attending A&M-Commerce, pointed out that there is a slight struggle with the language barrier. Clinton is aware that there would be a barrier but believes that they will easily adjust the more they are exposed to English.
Clinton said that all the freshman Korean students live in Whitley Hall and 66 of those students were placed with American roommates.
“I encourage the students here to welcome these kiddos, to help them,” Clinton said, “This is the first time away from home for many of them.”