Road
Scholar
Every
profession or pursuit has a prestigious award, one reserved solely
for those who are at the top of their field. For novelists or reporters,
it is the Pulitzer Prize. For film producers, it is the Academy
Award. In higher education, a professor who can call herself a Fulbright
Scholar is truly a gifted instructor, one who inspires those whom
she teaches. Rosemary Gould can make such a claim.
“I have always wanted to be a Fulbright Scholar,” said
Gould, chairperson of the Department of Graphic and Communi-cation
Design at La Roche and a professor at the College since 1992. “I
consider it the highest honor I’ve ever earned.”
Indeed she should. Gould spent the spring 2002 semester at the University
of Latvia, made possible by the Fulbright Scholar program. In 2001,
Gould applied to the United States Fulbright Committee, which was
looking for an English-speaking instructor at the University. Committee
members chose her as a finalist and placed her on the list of scholars
eligible for the position. A committee in Latvia made the final
choice, inviting Gould to spend six months at the University.
“It’s enjoyable to visit another country on a vacation,
but if you live there for six months, you really get a sense of
the people,” said Gould. “You learn about their culture,
their history, and their way of life. That was something I wanted.”
Designed by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Scholar Program promotes intercultural
exchange. Every year, the Program chooses only the best and brightest
college professors from around the nation to travel to 140 countries
where they lecture and teach.
“Latvia is one of the most exciting places to visit in Europe
because of its vibrant national fervor,” said Gould. “It’s
pretty hard to escape the feeling of optimism and excitement as
the country works hard to define itself.”
Latvia is a Baltic state that remains in a period of rebuilding
after declaring its independence from Russia in 1991. It is home
to about 2.5 million people. Nearly 30 percent of Latvians speak
Russian as a first language. The University of Latvia, the nation’s
prime degree-granting institution, is situated in the capital city
of Riga.
At the University, Gould taught a master’s-level course, an
extension of the senior seminar course taken by Gould’s design
students at La Roche. She also taught an undergraduate class in
media design. Along with her classes, Gould gave a series of lectures
at the Latvian Art Academy titled “What is Graphic Design?”
Her students all had to meet an English language requirement to
enroll in her classes.
Gould noted that while her Latvian students had strong backgrounds
in communication and journalism, visual art was not a part of their
program.
“Their sense of imagery was primitive. After seeing a program
with no blend of visual and verbal communication, I became even
more convinced that these elements are necessary in design,”
said Gould. Her experience at the University confirmed what she
already knew - that La Roche’s Division of Design does an
effective job of combining these elements, making it a strong program.
“It’s a great model for the University of Latvia,”
said Gould.
She may have been the teacher, but Gould’s time in Latvia
was a learning experience for her, too. For instance, she quickly
realized that her Latvian students were much more independent than
their American counterparts. Rarely did the students have advisors
or mentors to guide them. In most cases, the Latvian students were
also responsible for their own expenses. Some were working two jobs
to finance their education.
“They have a different attitude because it is more difficult
for them to go to school,” said Gould. “They have so
much invested in it.”
Gould also found herself adjusting to a European educational system
that is much more formal and regimented than in the U.S.
“There was a separate faculty entrance in the front of the
room so that faculty members would not enter along with students,”
said Gould. “The curriculum is much more lecture centered
and less interactive than in America.”
Such an atmosphere did not prevent Gould from connecting with her
students and introducing them to new ideas.
“I love watching students discover how the elements of design,
communication and the world of business come together in graphic
design,” said Gould. “I like seeing people get excited
and commit to design.”
The international connections that Gould forged during her semester
in Latvia will have a far-reaching impact on La Roche students.
She has formed a bond between
La Roche College’s graphic design program and the country
of Latvia. Marcia Carlson, the wife of the United States ambassador
to Latvia, has asked to be one of the clients for La Roche’s
senior seminar class (see companion article).
“It’s very exciting,” said Gould of Carlson’s
interest. “La Roche students could actually have posters and
logos printed in Latvia via digital files.”
Gould plans to return to the University of Latvia in May 2003 through
a Senior Specialist Grant, which is a form of the Fulbright Grant.
She will conduct a four-week-long workshop at the University. In
the meantime, she is applying her international experience to her
American classroom.
"My experience in Latvia taught me to listen more carefully
and to trust in student ideas,” she said. “The next
great design breakthrough will be theirs and I have learned to believe
in what they see.”
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