O'More College of Design

Study Abroad
O'More College of Design believes that a college experience should offer students exposure to, and training with, other countries and cultures. With each year that passes, more and more of our local economy will include global ties. An understanding of this global economy as well as global politics, education, religion, conflict, and art and design are imperative to the total preparation process of making a student marketable throughout the world. This global training involves an understanding of the traditions of various cultures in order to avoid misunderstanding. These cultural experiences also enrich our lives and provide us with a true understanding of our world. Local businesses are eager to hire employees who are globally competent and internationally prepared. With this in mind, the Hilliard Institute at O'More College created our new Global Visioning Initiative: Re-Design the World. This Re-Design the World initiative is fulfilled through the Townsend Institute for Global Competency (see Townsend Institute for more information).

The following are aspects of our efforts toward the globalization of our campus and our members. These programs are a part of the Townsend Institute for Global Competency known as the O'More Cultural Field College, unique experiential travel-learning opportunities and individualized programming that explores cultural and global diversity

The new Globalization program allows every student to take part in one global travel course after earning 60 credit hours at O'More College (without any additional cost above tuition). In addition, there are multiple cultural travel courses, classroom training opportunities, special global/cultural projects, and individualized global competency credentialing and training offerings available to each student. These programs are partially funded by a globalization fee paid by students each semester they attend O'More. Additional funding comes from donations to the Townsend Institute for Global Competency.

The following are aspects of our efforts toward the globalization of our campus and members, known as the O'More Cultural Field College:

O'More-Grand Tour: International travel courses which provide research, training, and travel to various international communities each year.
O'More-Market Trips: Market trips and experiential travel courses to design centers, workshops, and conferences both within and outside the United States (Boston, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and more).
O'More-Ireland: A summer semester in Abbey-Leix Ireland, the ancestral home of the O'Mores; Ireland internships; and educational and artistic exchanges.
O'More-Oxford: Membership in the Oxford University Summer Research Institute, Harris Manchester College, Oxford, England, which is a research program for O'More fellows, scholars, and professors.
O'More-Outreach Institute: Cultural community service projects by O'More design teams of students and faculty.
O'More-First Nations: A program of cultural, academic, artistic, and exploratory study into a variety of Native American Tribes. Activities include Project Cherokee and Indian Summer: A First-Nations Gathering.
O'More-Rural and Metro America: Research and travel to small and large academic, design, and artistic venues throughout the United States.
O'More-Explore: Short field trips and fun adventures to explore the world of history and nature in our own backyard (Civil war sites, Vespas down the Natchez, Sacred Spaces in Tennessee, etc.). These trips are typically offered during the fall, spring, and summer breaks.
O'More-Sister Cities: Twinning and exchanges with a variety of other countries (currently Canada and Ireland).
O'More-GlobeFest: "A Celebration of Nations" international and cultural festival with authentic artistic representatives of 20 or more cultures each year.
O'More Global and Cultural Lecture Series for O'More members
Globalization Training for O'More professors
Classroom global and cultural training for students: Students may determine their personal level of globalization training.

As we become even more successful in these efforts, we will accomplish the following specific global goals:

Strengthen our current international programs;
Expand our international programs;
Strengthen and expand our campus global diversity through our faculty, staff, students, and board members;
Expose our community to global visioning through art, design, education, and travel;
Increase our global visibility and recognition;
Create an authentic understanding of worldwide needs and how our disciplines can better address these needs as well as using global knowledge to provide service to our local community;
Determine how the arts and the disciplines of design can benefit humanity, society, and our environment;
Expose our members to multiple global experiences, international exploration, cultural training, and world travel;
Increase international studies within our current courses and add new cultural courses;
Explore and better understand the international connections within our local and regional community;
Define the skills that globally competent students need and address those skills through appropriate training;
Expand our understanding of how global issues affect each of our disciplines; and
Learn how, as individuals and together as a community, we can Redesign the World.