FSU 2+ 2 Panama
A scholarship program builds a bridge to facilitate an easier transfer process for FSU Panama students
T
he distance from Florida State University’s Republic of Panama campus to the Tallahassee campus is approximately 1,500 miles, a daunting trip no matter what travel method is used to make the trek. College students who are citizens of a Latin American or Caribbean country can ease their journey, however, with the institutions’ 2+2 Scholarship Program. Through a joint effort between administrators at both locations, qualified students are eligible to complete two years of undergraduate studies at Panama’s main campus, transfer to FSU’s main campus, and finish earning their degree in the U.S., paying in-state tuition. Students also receive a $500 stipend each semester of enrollment. The savings for students in the program can be around $15,000 in tuition. The 2+2 program began in January of 2001, and since that time 887 students have transferred with the program. Alexandra Anyfanti, Panama’s vice rector for academic affairs, says that the number of transfers has risen steadily over the past decade or so. “It has been increasing over the years, from 29 in 2007-2008 to 108 in 2017-2018, the biggest number so far,” she says. “Nowadays, we have about 73 to 95 students transferring with the 2+2 program per year, with the fall semester being the biggest group. Currently, there are 181 students—104 are female and 77 are male— in the program.” Carlos Langoni, rector of the Republic of Panama campus, and Anyfanti answered these other questions for Nomadic Noles. Nomadic Noles: Which countries do most of the participants come from? Ninety-eight are from Panama, 38 Venezuela, 12 Colombia. The list also includes students from Nicaragua, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba, Argentina, Bahamas, the Dutch Antilles, Uruguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, and Brazil.
42 Nomadic Noles // Summer 2019
Has there been an uptick (or drop) in the number of students from Venezuela in recent years? If so, can you comment on whether (and how) that is related to the current political situation there? Yes, the number of students from Venezuela reached its peak about three or four years ago and since has been declining slightly. I assume it’s because most who can afford to leave Venezuela have already done so. Of course the migration of families is 100% related to the political situation. We have observed two categories of students: one group whose entire family left Venezuela to seek opportunities in Panama. In the other group, at least one family member stayed behind because they still have businesses that can still operate. Are certain majors more popular for students in the program? If so, what are they and why? Traditionally, the programs in the College of Business have been the top preferences of the students from Latin America, followed closely by programs in engineering. Lately, there has been a increase also in the programs offered by Arts and Sciences such as biology, psychology, and Computer science. The order of preference is usually like this: business (finance is top choice), engineering (industrial mostly, but also mechanical and chemical), arts and sciences (biology, psychology and computer science), social sciences (economics and international affairs). This year we had the first 2+2 student transferring from our campus to the main campus in the College of Motion Picture Arts, a highly selective academic area that admits between 15-20 students every year. What does your campus do to help students with the cultural transition? After two years at FSU Panama, students become very familiar with the university system, curriculum, courses, etc. Most of them transfer as a junior, having completed the pre-requisites for their intended majors and the requirements for the AA
Photos courtesy of FSU Panama
A total of 887 students have transferred from Panama to Tallahassee with the 2+2 program. The students above are all part of the program.
certificate. Some already have friendships when they transfer, so they may even share apartments, which helps minimize the cultural changes. We have also seen a trend among our students to visit the main campus before their actual transfer semester, so they get to know their way around the campus and the city of Tallahassee. Our campus has also started to offer Transfer Tips presentations which provide information on how to be involved, how to make the most of their main campus experience, and what resources they can use. A recently completed doctoral dissertation on this student population revealed that the classroom culture at the main campus is the most notable change they experience as they change locations, and not so much the overall cultural differences between Latin American and the U.S. A student organization at the main campus called PTY at FSU is composed of
