Despite a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit Tuesday, students enjoyed a UB This Winter Carnival, complete snow cones and an 8-foot-tall balloon snowman.
The carnival was the first of several winter-themed events coming up in the semester to celebrate UB’s new winter sessions, which was introduced last year. ‘UB This Winter’ will offer classes on campus, online and across the globe – as well as volunteering and internship programs and Buffalo-based winter field trips.
“We target several goals with this program,” said Matthew Blum, director of summer/winter session enrollment. “We want to expand the learning experience to winter like we do in summer and keep the campus active during the break by offering similar opportunities we offer in summer session, and make the best out of winter session.”
There are other events planned for the rest of the semester, including a hot cocoa bar on Nov. 3, a gingerbread house competition on Nov. 17, and a Winter Igloo Competition on Dec. 1.
Last year, Blum said 32 students were able to graduate on time for spring semester graduation because they took classes during the winter session.
Blum said some students use the winter session classes as an opportunity to stay on track academically.
“Whether you want to take five classes instead of six in the spring and decrease your class load or you need to retake a class, you can do it all during winter session and still be on track,” he said.
There are more than 125 courses available to students this session, according to Blum.
Blum said the program also helps students to make winter “their own” through the study abroad, internship and volunteering programs.
There are currently 13 study abroad programs posted on UB’s website, featuring courses in different parts of the world including Barbados, Germany, Turkey, Italy and Tanzania. Last year’s winter session offered eight study abroad programs.
Last winter session, 1,135 students participated in the new programs, with 135 studying abroad, according to the Office of the Registrar.
Students can also get involved with an alternative break program by doing community service projects in Louisianan.
Many students are attracted to the chance to study abroad, but for some, money is the biggest factor in whether they can participate.
“My major is anthropology with concentration in archeology, so I really want to go to Italy,” said Caitlin Cole-Conroy, a junior. “But money matters, so I am planning on finishing my honor thesis and research work first and save the abroad experience to the end where I can make the most out of the experience.”
The classics department will host ‘UB Classics in the Mediterranean’ in Italy.
Blum said depending on students’ individual financial aid package, they can consult with their financial aid advisers to see whether they are eligible for classes or study abroad programs.
Jacqueline Conroy, a first-year educational psychology and quantitative methods graduate student, wishes there were more study abroad opportunities for graduate students.
“Currently there is only one program I can participate as a graduate student and it is not relevant to my studies,” she said.
UB This Winter programs mean more social activities for those who stay in Buffalo area and want to take a break from academic world for a couple of weeks.
Xiaoshuo Gao, a first year student affairs administration graduate student, will be spending his winter session in Buffalo.
“It’s a great thing that UB offers outdoor activities and discounts for local area attractions,” he said. “It will make my winter more fun and relaxing.”
Blum said UB This Winter is not only for students, but for faculty, too. They can use the winter session teaching experience to enhance their teaching techniques, as well as take classes themselves for professional development.
“Some faculty see winter classes as a positive challenge to understand how to fit a 15-week curriculum into three weeks and see what worked, what didn’t and how can they improve their teaching techniques.” Blum said.
He said squeezing 15 weeks’ worth of material into three weeks works only for some fields, not all.
“We offer physics classes in winter and can fit 15 week semester-load into three but it might not work for engineering classes,” Blum said.
Blum said even the UB This Winter staff will learn throughout the session by continuing to work on how to collaborate with students to maximize their time here on campus – including the winter and summer semesters.
He said he wants people to know the department is here to present opportunities for a more beneficial wintertime for all, depending on what they want to accomplish academically and socially.
email: news@ubspectrum.com
