Dear 2008-09 Fulbright College Freshmen,
Global Perspectives at Holcombe (GPH) is a brand-new, innovative program offered to Fulbright College first-year students. GPH is part of the Holcombe International Living/Learning Community, which focuses on exploring culture and diversity by building relationships with other students in the hall and by participating in events and activities that promote cross-cultural learning among international and American students. Participation in GPH costs nothing extra. Please continue to read this letter and let us know if you are interested or have any questions. We are here to help.

The GPH is a group of up to 20 male and female first-year students who are enrolled in the same blocked section of the Fulbright Perspectives program during the fall semester and who live in the same campus residence hall. Th e in-class learning will be supplemented with extracurricular activities. Together this creates a well-rounded learning environment that involves students, faculty, resident assistants, and others.

Global Perspectives at Holcombe students will take the following
courses together:
• ARSC 1001 – Fulbright Perspectives Course
(http://www.uark.edu/~arsc/students/fye.html)
• ENGL 1013 - English Composition I
• PSYC 2003 - General Psychology

Students involved in residential learning communities generally report having an easier time transitioning to the university. They tend to make friends easily from among a group of students with similar interests and they create a support network of students, faculty, and staff more quickly. This helps make the larger university community a “smaller” place. Students will live together in the Holcombe Hall International Living/Learning Community (HILLC). For more info, please visit http://housing.uark.edu/thehalls/holc/

Your participation in the Learning Team does not carry with it specific roommate requirements. So, if you would like to room with a specific person, that student does not need to be a participant in Global Perspectives at Holcombe. Due to limited space, roommate preference will be honored on a fi rst-come, first-served basis.

In order to live with you in the HILLC, your roommate needs to fill out an application available at http://housing.uark.edu/forms2/ HOLCOMBE-ILLC-app.doc and be a willing participant in the Holcombe International Living Learning Community.

You can live in the Holcombe International Living/Learning Community by completing the Holcombe application without being a participant in Global Perspective at Holcombe; however, if you sign up for Global Perspectives at Holcombe, you are expected to participate fully in all activities. Th is will include out-of-class activities with faculty members and social and cultural activities with the students in the learning community. For priority consideration, completed application materials are due by Th ursday, April 10. After April 10, selection into the program will be made on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. If you are interested you should act quickly to secure a space.

• Verify that you have completed a housing contract and remitted the $235 advanced payment to University Housing. If you have not yet filled out a contract, please visit http://housing.uark.edu/contracts/.

• Download and complete an application to live in Holcombe Hall available at http://housing.uark.edu/forms2/HOLCOMBE-ILLC-app.doc.

• Send an e-mail to Alisha Easter, Resident Director of Holcombe Hall,at adeaster@uark.edu. Th e e-mail must include that you “commit to
fully participate in the in- and out-of-class activities of Global Perspectives at Holcombe.” Please attach your HILLC application to this e-mail.

• Your space in the community will ultimately be confirmed when you register for classes during Summer Orientation in June.

For more information:
For questions pertaining to Fulbright College and related information, please contact Dr. Joel Freund at jsfreund@uark.edu or (479) 575-4256. For questions pertaining to University Housing and related information, please contact Dr. Jörg Vianden at jvianden@uark.edu or (479) 575-3951.

Lead Faculty for GPH
Dr. Joel S. Freund will be the lead faculty member for Global Perspectives at Holcombe. Says Dr. Freund: I was given a t-shirt which, according to some, gives my complete history. Th e message on the shirt is: “Born in the USA…a long, long time ago.” I have been an FYE mentor for about 9 years, and each semester I have learned something new about myself and the students. I am convinced that it is this course and the students in it which keep me looking so young.  The new living-learning community format will provide opportunities for all participants to broaden our perspectives. My one regret is that such an opportunity was not available to me when I was a student.