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Angela Moots, the Study Abroad coordinator, has been appointed as director of the PSU in Paraguay program.
This program is a unique study abroad program for Paraguayan students to take PSU general education courses while in their home country.
“Our PSU in Paraguay is a program that has been going on for about fifteen years,” Moots said. “We have Pitt State professors that go down to Paraguay and teach Pitt state general education classes to Paraguayan students. So, they’re Pitt State classes just in Paraguay. Paraguayan students have the opportunity to come up to PSU to finish up their degree.”
This new position has similar responsibilities to Moot’s last position as well.
“It falls right into my position because with study abroad I helped students with short- or long-term programs around the world,” Moots said. “I help with credit transfer and financial aid. So, the PSU in Paraguay program falls right into my normal job responsibilities. I’m excited to work with the Paraguayan students and the professors that go down, it’s kind of a study abroad opportunity for faculty so they can go and travel. But then these Paraguayan students can study abroad in their own country. They’re studying in an American classroom learning general education classes from Pitt state but they’re not leaving their own country. So, I get to help them hopefully come to Pitt State in the future.”
This program offers around nine class sessions between March and November, which vary every two years. All the classes are in person and taught in English. Moots helps with a variety of different parts of the process.
“I help the professors arrange the class and travel to Paraguay,” Moots said. “And I also help the students in Paraguay enroll in the classes, I help them understand what it’s like to be in an American classroom. I help with the logistics of the class enrollment and advising, the travel for faculty as well.”
This program has been at PSU for the last 15 years, although PSU isn’t the only school in Kansas to offer a program like this.
“There’s a Kansas-Paraguayan (program) between the state of Kansas and the country of Paraguay that started back in 1968,” Moots said. “It’s not just a Pitt State partnership but the entire state of Kansas. Other universities have programs, and students can study at another es as well. We’re excited to be able to have this unique program of Pitt State classes in Paraguay.”
The program has a variety of goals for the upcoming semesters and academic years.
“We are trying to see how we can try to attract more students here,“ said Sharon Caballero, junior in biology. “Because even though they may be taking Pitt State classes, they can still transfer those to other universities. So, we are trying to make changes to make sure those students stick with Pitt State.”
Moots has a direct relationship with not only faculty, but students as well.
“I think she’s doing very good,” Caballero said. “From the very beginning when we met her, we saw that she’s coming up with really good ideas and she’s really interested in our program and how we can attract more students.”