Meet the Staff: Dr. Godlove Fonjweng
Dr. Godlove Fonjweng is Hartwick’s director of global education and service learning. He is from Cameroon, Africa, and now in his 5th year with the College.
We asked him a few questions to get to know Godlove a bit better, and understand exactly what he does for our students.
1. What is the favorite aspect of your job?
Chatting with students who have just returned from an international experience and learning first hand from them how transformational the experience was. Knowing that I played a role in helping them gain that experience is very exciting to me.
2. Of what accomplishment are you most proud?
Until very recently I considered it a tie between the Northeast Semester Program and the Peace Corps Preparatory Program (PCPrep). I considered the Northeast Semester Program because of the energy and diversity it brings to Hartwick, the interest in studying abroad in Japan that it has helped to generate, and because of the interest expressed in the program by our Board of Trustees.
Meanwhile the PCPrep program is important because it helps to foster the College’s Liberal Arts in Practice mission. While I still consider the Northeast Semester Program a major accomplishment, I now think that the PCPrep Program has a bit of an edge. I came to this conclusion only recently when it was highlighted in the final report of our accreditation organization (Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools), in which they praised our “innovative spirit and commitment to service.”
3. What do you like best about working at Hartwick?
The best thing about working at Hartwick is the people, the mission-driven goals, and the collaborative spirit of all involved. The personal accomplishments cited above are done in the spirit of collaboration with faculty and staff colleagues, and especially my supervisor, Provost Michael Tannenbaum. Obviously, without the students the goals are meaningless, so ultimately it is the job of developing our students that makes working at Hartwick so great. I find my job as the College’s International Officer particularly exciting, as I take Hartwick College out to the world while also bringing the world to Hartwick College.
4. Why should a prospective student take a look at Hartwick today with so many choices available?
Hartwick is a small college that invests heavily in its students by creating an environment in which students have easy access to educational resources, especially access to faculty. While many schools may make the same claim, there is something special about Hartwick’s “student first” approach—we go to great lengths to ensure no student falls between the cracks.
Furthermore, we have a highly respected international education program, which includes our nationally recognized January Term (J Term) Off-Campus faculty-led programs. One metric for measuring our international programs’ success is the diversity of destinations to which our students and faculty go. Whether it’s for J Term, traditional semester/year-long programs, internships/research, or service trips, we typically place students in 15 – 25 countries a year. This is quite high for a school of our size, and reflects the extent to which our community engages the world.
Additionally, Hartwick is currently the only school in New York State, and one of only a few dozen nationwide, that has the Peace Corps Preparatory Program. This select group of institutions provide their graduates with a pathway to engaging in international work well beyond the Peace Corps Volunteer Service Program. Graduates with the PCPrep certificate are viewed favorably by international organizations seeking candidates with highly developed intercultural competencies.
For more information on Godlove and the Global Education & Service Learning department, visit the website or contact him at fonjwengg@hartwick.edu or 607-431-4414.