Providence, R.I.--Dr. Deirdre Bird, Providence College assistant professor of marketing, spent the spring 2009 semester traveling the globe as a professor with the Semester at Sea (SAS) program.

Sponsored by the University of Virginia, SAS is a study abroad program for college students that takes place primarily on a cruise ship fitted specifically for this purpose. The MV Explorer generally circumnavigates the globe twice each year, in addition to taking several smaller trips during the summer and winter breaks.

Students participating in SAS take a variety of classes, particularly in the humanities, while aboard the vessel. The ship stops at a number of ports in countries along its route. Students are given a briefing on the culture and background of the nation and spend several days exploring the local area.

Bird, a Zimbabwe native who also taught with SAS in 1998, spoke enthusiastically about the cultural enrichment of her most recent voyage, describing it as a "fascinating experience."

"The good thing about SAS as a global experience is that you're plunged into each country," she said. "You can't help but arrive in a country like India and know you're in a different culture. It assails all of your faculties."

Bird's voyage, which left Miami and ultimately returned to Fort Lauderdale, included stops in the Bahamas, Spain, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, Hawaii, and Guatemala. The vessel also traversed the Panama Canal.

While Bird acknowledged that this immersion can be an intimidating prospect, she emphasized its value.

"It takes students way beyond their comfort zone," she said. "The most rewarding part of it is watching them blossom as they learn to appreciate new cultures."

An enriching teaching experience
Onboard the Explorer, Bird taught courses in marketing principles, international marketing, and marketing for nonprofit organizations. Her students undertook projects such as keeping a journal of marketing elements in the ports they visited, launching a hypothetical product in a foreign country, and a study of microfinance issues.

"It enriches me as a faculty member," said Bird. "It's very fulfilling. Just as the students go outside their comfort zones, so do I."

"I love teaching such curious students who are fascinated by the world around them," she said, adding that being one of 30 faculty on a ship with 700 college students "keeps you on your toes."

In addition to the academic work and cultural enrichment, Bird mentioned that the service projects performed by the group--assisting the poverty-stricken, orphaned, and disabled--were especially satisfying.

"These are people who are very disadvantaged in life but, at the same time, seem happy," she said. "They were filled with utter glee that we took an interest in them."

Overall, Bird's experience left her with a refreshed sense of optimism.

"You see young people who give you hope that the world will be a better place, because they are willing to work to improve it," she said.

--Joe Miller '10

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