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September
23, 2009
ISE Appoints Rosalyn W. Berne as Vice President
and Senior Academic Officer for Semester at
Sea
 Rosalyn W. Berne, formerly an
associate professor in the Department of Science, Technology
and Society at the University of Virginia, has been appointed
vice president and senior academic officer for the Institute
for Shipboard Education and Semester at Sea program.
"Rosalyn will play a central role in enhancing our academic
program in conjunction with our University of Virginia
colleagues," said ISE President Les McCabe, PhD. "Her
understanding and support of the ISE mission, coupled with her
academic and professional achievements, make her an ideal
match for our organization."
In this newly-created position, Berne will recruit academic
faculty and support staff for Semester at Sea voyages, design
curricula, evaluate the performance of the academic program
and personnel, and manage the extensive international field
program. She will collaborate with Semester at Sea's academic
sponsor, the University of Virginia (U.Va.), on all aspects of
the academic program.
Berne believes global education has the power to equip
undergraduates with a deeper knowledge of emerging
international issues at a time of "growing despondency." She
states: "It seems to me that a program such as Semester at Sea
might actually make a difference for today's learners, by
expanding the boundaries of what is thought, understood, and
known about one's self and the world."
"The Institute's mission to 'develop leaders who have the
knowledge and perspective necessary to promote greater
understanding of all peoples and all cultures' is one that
speaks directly to who I am as a person, and reflects an
essential aspect of my teaching." she said. "I see tremendous
opportunities for weaving a strong academic focus through all
elements of the Semester at Sea program."
Read more about Berne’s appointment in The
Chronicle of Higher Education (Volume 55, Issue 42,
Page A27).
Semester at Sea Voyage Visits Accra, Ghana
100th Voyage Includes Three Stops in
Africa
Was it a coincidence that President Obama and his
family visited Ghana just a few months before the MV
Explorer would land there with an academic community of
Semester at Sea students and faculty? Perhaps not. Ghana
connects to our history as Americans in its role in the slave
trade which brought people to this land and it connects us a
human family in its ancient civilizations, arts, and learning
traditions.
After a five-day call on Morocco, Semester at Sea will
arrive in Accra and be welcomed by students from one of
Ghana’s newest higher education establishments: African University College of
Communications. Students will have time together in the
classroom and over lunch, providing a rich opportunity for
cross-cultural exchange at both the intellectual and personal
level. Dr. Linda Davis, College of the Bahamas vice president,
research, graduate programs, and international relations, will
sail with the fall 2009 voyage to Ghana to forge
relations between SAS and African University College of
Communications President Dr. Kojo Yankah. Visiting the holding
facilities of the slave trade will be sure to evoke a strong
emotional response from some SAS students, just as it did from
the Obama family. Read more about the educational activities
planned for Ghana as part of the SAS
International Field Program. After the voyage’s four-day
call on Accra, the community will sail to the third African
port of Cape Town, South Africa.
Stay tuned to the 100th
Voyage website to learn more about the $100 Solution
service learning project, partnership with non-profit Global
Nomads Group, and to watch slideshows and videos. Keep current
with the fall 2009 community by subscribing to the SAS Voyage
Blog.
Accessibility Initiative Targets Students from
Middle- to Lower-Income Families
The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) has launched a
sweeping accessibility
initiative to increase affordability for middle- and
lower-income families. In the midst of new economic challenges
facing students and families, the accessibility initiative
will provide $3.25 million in financial aid for Semester at
Sea students this year, surpassing last year's record-breaking
allocation by 25 percent. In addition to the considerable jump
in financial aid, the initiative includes:
- an overhauled cabin
pricing structure that adds an additional 150 discounted
cabins.
- a commitment to hold steady program fees for the Spring
2010 voyage and beyond.
- a reduction in the cost of the confirmation deposit from
$1000 to $500.
- a $500 credit for field trips for students who deposit
12-months in advance of fall and spring voyages (effective
Fall 2010)
- a $250 credit for field trips for students who deposit
12-months in advance of summer voyages (effective Summer
2010).
Semester at Sea is committed to maintaining affordability
for our participants by awarding scholarships and work study
grants directly to students. Types of financial assistance
offered by ISE include need-based work grants, need-based
monetary grants, and monetary grants based on a combination of
need and merit. In the past two years we have increased
student aid more than 100 percent which has allowed us to
double the number of students receiving ISE aid.
New Program Showcases Diversity
Scholars
Earlier this year, the Institute for Shipboard Education
(ISE) partnered with Diversity Abroad to offer new
scholarships to students wishing to study abroad on Semester
at Sea. Diversity Abroad is the leading global education
organization serving underrepresented students pursuing
international education opportunities. Candidates were asked
to submit video essays to YouTube addressing the question:
"Why is it important to study abroad with students from
diverse backgrounds?" The Fall
2009 Diversity Scholars have been announced on our
website, where you can also click to see many of the video
applications. Five scholarships of $13,000 will be awarded for
the Spring 2010 voyage. For details on applying, please see
the Diversity
Abroad website.
Do More, Learn More on the Semester at Sea
Microsite
 New SAS Materials
Available Showcase Value of a Global Shipboard Semester.
See the best of what Semester at Sea has to offer—including
videos, audio slideshows, testimonials, research findings, and
more—on the SAS microsite and in our redesigned viewbook.
Completely integrated with the official SAS Facebook
page, YouTube
Channel, and Twitter account,
these materials are a great way to kick off a student’s
application process, chat with Institute for Shipboard
Education personnel, and learn more about the educational,
career, and personal benefits of a Semester at Sea
experience. Get
started! | 
