Each fall semester, a select number of California Lutheran University students embark on the Oxford Study Abroad program. The first half is spent in Oxford and the second half is spent in London.
Compared to the other study abroad programs offered at Cal Lutheran, the application process for the program is considered “very competitive,” per the OEA’s website. Students are to apply one year in advance and fill out the Office of Education Abroad’s questions section.
This year, only eight students were accepted to the Oxford program. Dru Pagliassotti, a professor in the Communication Department, is the faculty leader for the current program.
“This is its 15th year anniversary, and I’ve always thought it’d be very interesting to do,” Pagliassotti said.
The program has previously been run by Cal Lutheran professors Brent Morris, senior adjunct faculty member, and Peter Carlson, associate professor within the Religion Department.
“I heard some of the stories, saw some of his [Carlson’s] photographs, and he told me a bit about it. So I went to one of the Oxford program meetings where they were asking interested faculty to come,” Pagliassotti said.
Pagliassotti said they were able to propose a syllabus in which students “would be using graphic novels to investigate the British empire.” The course is called the Imperial Inc and the Legacy of Empire according to Pagliassotti; all Oxford program students are required to take it.
“[This is] a preset program. It’s very unusual that the students actually get to stay at Balliol College in Oxford, they’re living in this very old majestic area and take classes from Oxford dons,” Pagliassotti said.
Pagliassotti says that some responsibilities as a faculty leader include working side by side with the Oxford University faculty referred to as “dons,” and conducting weekly check-in meetings with the students. Pagliassotti also lends a hand in deciding students’ grades by working with the dons to coordinate the grading process.
At the time of writing, Pagliassotti said their students are approaching their finals at Oxford and getting ready to leave for the London segment of the program on Sep. 30, while Pagliassotti stays back in Oxford. Pagliassotti said they will be teaching their class via Zoom following the students’ departure.
“It’s the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It’s one of the number one universities. It’s a wonderful opportunity for [students] for a whole month to take courses from Oxford,” Pagliassotti said.
Senior Amelia Tracey is one of the eight students currently abroad. She says she has enjoyed the Oxford program so far.
”It’s been such a great opportunity both learning from the dons here who just have a lot of knowledge in their respective field. And then also getting closer with the group as a whole. It’s a group of less than 10 students here abroad, and so we’ve all gotten really close,” Tracey said.
Tracey said she has been handling finals through prior internal preparation and finding the right coffee shop to write her essays.
“It’s been a lot of essay writing, but I feel lucky because as an English major, I was prepared for that,” Tracey said. “It’s a lot of work, but you just find a cute coffee shop, sit down and lock in for a few hours, and you’re good.”
According to the UK Study Centre, the British higher education system is different compared to most tertiary education institutions in the United States. Instead of having a usual lecture, students take personalized lectures.
“We have tutorials rather than normal classes. They’re more one-on-one meetings or there are only two students and one don. So it’s more conversational rather than lectures. The style of writing is different as well. So you’re kind of learning a whole new style of education and learning, which is a lot of work, but it’s also very rewarding,” Tracey said.
Tracey said she is most looking forward to the weekend travel that the London program would offer in her schedule.
“As of right now, I have a few trips planned to Paris, Scotland, Ireland and even Norway. Some with the group and others kind of more independently, and I’m just really excited,” Tracey said.
While she said she’ll miss the old cobblestone feel of Oxford, Tracey said she is excited to visit new countries.
“I’m excited to explore the city and see new things, but I’m also just excited to hop on a train and see other countries or a plane and go somewhere for a weekend,” Tracey said.
Junior Emily Gamboa is another student in the Oxford program and is also enjoying her time abroad.
“I love it here. It’s very different from back home. It’s my first time out of the country, so the weather has been a cultural shock for me,” Gamboa said.
According to Gamboa, her peers have only added value to her experience.
“I feel like the people I’m with are a good group and we’re all getting along, so I feel like that adds a lot to it. We all want to go out and explore things. The people I’m with definitely add a lot to the location,” Gamboa said.
Gamboa said she typically writes about three essays per week and describes the curriculum as very demanding.
“I am not used to [it] back at school in Cal Lu. It is very demanding, a lot of work, whether it’s writing an essay or reading the material or taking notes. Lecture-wise, we have one tutorial a week with our Oxford dons and those are about two hours,” Gamboa said. “We talk about whatever is in our papers from that week, or branch off and do subtopics of the papers. I feel like that is also very different from the typical, you go to a lecture, take notes and have exams.”
Gamboa said she is most looking forward to being back in the city when in London.
“Oxford is very different from Thousand Oaks, since it’s very walkable, and the buildings are so different and grander, so I’m excited to see the landmarks do all the tourist stuff,” Gamboa said.
So far, Gamboa said she and her peers have taken a day trip down to Portsmouth and visited Shakespeare’s hometown where they saw a ballet of “Romeo and Juliet.”
Gamboa also said she’s also excited about the planned trips brought up by Tracey, and hopes to see the Northern Lights as they’d be visiting the most northern city inside the Arctic Circle.
Gamboa said she wants to encourage students to apply to the Oxford study abroad program.
“If you’re feeling called to do it, definitely apply. Put yourself out there, because you don’t want to miss the opportunity. I do think, maybe I’m biased, this is one of the best programs,” Gamboa said.
