Enhancing International Understanding
by President Richard W. Schneider
 Dr. Fran Chevalier, Norwich University Professor of French |
We have an exchange program with l'École Spéciale Militaire de St-Cyr, the prestigious French military college.
St-Cyr is a remarkable place. As at Norwich, you can feel the history all around you when you walk on that campus. Founded by Napoleon, its longstanding, myriad traditions are still very much in evidence in their beautiful surroundings west of Paris.
What impresses me the most is the rigor and seriousness of their academic offerings. St-Cyr is one of the finest academic institutions in all France, and admission is very competitive. Their system is different, in that their students are commissioned before their senior year and have completed the equivalent of our bachelor's degree. The students who attend Norwich are impressive for their military bearing, their academic abilities and their interest in studying in America. They are welcome additions to our community.
One way that colleges and universities measure quality is by the quality of their associations. Our affiliation with St-Cyr brings us top-quality students and allows our students the opportunity to study in France. We live in a global society, and the diversity of international students on campus improves our intellectual climate immensely. Likewise, our students at Norwich can benefit greatly from travel, broadening their perspective by experiencing other cultures, other militaries and other languages.
As we look to the future, it is going to be more important than ever to provide our students with an array of opportunities for global travel and cultural assimilation. My hope is that we can continue to nurture affiliations with other esteemed international universities, especially other military colleges.
As happened when our cadets went to the Virginia Military Institute to help with their effort to integrate women, new ideas can be exchanged, new traditions explored -- and we can learn from each other. Exchange programs will be one of the building blocks we use as we lay the foundation for the Norwich of the future, reaching for higher academic quality and for increased recognition for the excellence of our teaching.
For further information, contact Dr. Frances S. Chevalier, Norwich University Professor of French.
