Students from Japan Come to Felician College to Study English and American Culture

Rutherford, NJ—Thirteen college students from Japan will embark on a five-week intensive course in English language and American culture at Felician College as they prepare to graduate from universities in Japan and come to the United States to earn a second baccalaureate.  “It is common practice for students from Japan and other countries to earn one degree in their native country and then come to the U.S. to earn a second degree here,” says Jeff Sinding, International Recruiter and Assistant Director of Admission at Felician College.  “By earning a degree in the United States, they increase their potential to land a good job in their native lands—it gives them the competitive edge,” he says.

The nine men and four women, aged 20-21, are working to complete the intensive course, offered through Kaplan^(R) at Felician, in preparation for a standardized English competency test.  Once they pass the test, they will have the option to matriculate into a degree program at Felician College this coming Fall.  Towards this end, they will be in class six days a week, four hours per day from February 12 through March 17.  But it’s not all lectures and homework, says Sinding, who notes that the class will incorporate field trips and activities to introduce the students to American culture.  Those activities include a trip to the Garden State Plaza and to New York City where they will visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and have lunch “on the town.”

Housed in dormitories on the college’s Rutherford campus, the students will also get a taste of American college life through evening activities organized by the various student and residence life groups on campus.  These include a “Grease” movie theme night, Mardi Gras “Party Gras,”  “Open Mic” night, talent show, career workshop, and “Video Music Awards” night. 

The group of Japanese students coming to campus is just one of the many examples of Felician College’s international reach.  The college’s diverse student body includes students with native homelands of China, Korea, Ireland, Canada, Greece, Phillipines, Albania, Columbia, Peru, Poland, Ukraine, Norway, India and Africa.

Felician College is a coeducational, liberal arts, Catholic college, founded in 1942 by the Felician Sisters in the Franciscan tradition.  Located on two campuses, in Lodi and Rutherford, NJ, Felician College enrolls 1500 students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Arts and Sciences, Teacher Education and Health Sciences.  A member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division II, the Golden Falcons field teams in baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, cross-country, track & field, and cheerleading.