Hartwick Expands Global Reach with New CISaustralia Partnership
Known for sending students abroad during J Term, Hartwick College saw the exchange go in two directions this year! Ten Australian students arrived on Oyaron Hill on Jan. 1 for the inaugural “January in New York State” program, a partnership with CISaustralia, which offers short-term study and work-integrated learning programs for Australian university students.
While CISaustralia has an established July study abroad program with UCLA, Hartwick is the only other U.S. institution offering a similar opportunity in January, thanks to the work of Noah Goldblatt, director of global education at Hartwick, and Sarah Busche, assistant director of global education.
Goldblatt said the partnership strengthens the College’s international presence. “This collaboration opens another door for the College,” he said. “We have global name recognition in some areas, but we’re always working to expand Hartwick’s brand and this partnership definitely helps us achieve that.”
CISaustralia Partnership students on Hartwick’s Founders’ Way with Hartwick students
The visiting students enrolled in one of four J Term courses: Business Analytics with Tableau; Mass Violence; Introduction to Augmented Reality; and TIP: Risk Factors in Childhood.
Britney Henderson, a senior at the University of Newcastle, Australia, took the childhood risk factors course taught by Assistant Professor of Psychology Erin Kenney.
“Taking this class was a really positive experience for me,” Henderson said. “I’m a business student, but I came here for the psychology class and it changed my perspective. Professor Kenney was so knowledgeable and inspiring. I’ve wanted to pursue psychology for years and this experience confirmed that I want to make the switch.”
Beyond the classroom, the group explored the region, seeing the award-winning musical Hadestown in New York City, skiing at Plattekill Mountain in Roxbury, N.Y., and visiting the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in North Adams, Massachusetts. Before their departure, President James Mullen hosted a dinner for the Australian and other international students on campus.
Hartwick’s Center for Global Education is optimistic that “January in New York State” will become an annual program. That’s welcome news for Louise Crook, a junior at the Queensland University of Technology.
“I really enjoyed it and am thinking of coming back because everyone at Hartwick was nice and it was an invaluable experience,” Crook said.
Brad Dorahy, founder and CEO of CISaustralia, said, “We are very pleased to have launched our partnership with Hartwick, and in particular, the wonderful support and engagement shown by Noah, Sarah and all the team at Hartwick. The students clearly loved their time at Hartwick, particularly the small classes, close engagement from faculty and the ability to meet lots of local students and enjoy all that the Oneonta community has to offer.”
With its successful launch, the program is poised to grow, further strengthening Hartwick’s global connections and providing international students with a unique academic and cultural experience.
Established in 2012, CISaustralia is dedicated to sending Australian university students abroad. Over 98% of those same students receive academic credit from their “home” university in Australia. Since its inception, CISAustralia has supported over 7,000 students in over 80 countries. The organization facilitates over 100 group programs annually and has formal agreements to support students from over 90% of all Australian universities.
