The project will also provide a major technology center for the entire campus. A record number of Susquehanna students studied abroad in the 1996-97 academic year. One hundred and sixteen students and 13 faculty members traveled to 41 separate locations from Greece to Australia. Participation grew by 31 percent over the previous year, with juniors making up a large majority. Offered through the Department of English, the program focuses on workshop courses and independent writing projects with supporting courses in literature and grammar and usage.
Participants work closely with faculty mentors specializing in their area of interest.
Early development of a writing portfolio is stressed to assist students planning to apply to graduate school. To help students gain practical experience, the concentration includes internships and practica, student readings, and writing for publications including The Susquehanna Review , the campus literary magazine and Liminal Spaces, the Writer's Institute newsletter. The change will help prepare students for emerging career opportunities in fields such as business systems analysis where job prospects are projected to grow by more than 50 percent in the next five years according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. The four-year module focuses on the use of information technology for strategic and competitive business advantage. It includes courses in personal productivity, database management, network computing and hands-on system development.