JO ZULKOWSKY
Students at Christ Church College in Canterbury, England address their teachers by first name, avoiding the "Mr.," "Mrs." or "Dr." American students are used to, but in some ways Christ Church is like IVCC.
"There is a large population of what are known as mature students or students who have returned to finish a degree," said Sam Hitchmough, director of American studies at Christ Church College.
The two largest degree programs are education and nursing, with those programs attracting more of the mature students and more females than males.
A few years ago, Christ Church was more of a community college than a university, and students majored in education, but funding increases have allowed the college to expand and diversify.
At this time, the student population is about twice IVCCs, 9,000 students, including part and full time, but three-fourths of the students here are women.
About 70 percent of the students are from County Kent, where the college is located, and almost 10 percent are from overseas. Christ Church attracts students from other parts of England and from the Continent, Hitchmough explained, because the college is so close to continental Europe.
Most British students complete a two-subject degree with their time split between two different subjects or with one subject as a major and the other as a minor
A degree typically takes three years, with graduation in November held at the Cathedral.
The first year, the British students take two electives, one each term. Hitchmough said the most popular elective course is on the assassination theories of JFK.
The second and third year courses are then chosen by the student to fit their area of study. A student would typically complete four courses in a year.
Normally classes run for an entire year with exams at the end, and a 5,000-word essay, or split between two essays, is required.
"A percentage of 60 and above (on the exams) is considered doing well and is looked upon as being respectable" said Hitchmough.
Students live on campus during the first year in either full board or self-catering dorms. For the second and third year most students live off campus in private housing.
Most students' walk to class. "A two hour drive is a major event," Hitchmough said.
(Columnist Jo Zulkowsky is earning IVCC credits this semester by attending Christ Church College in Canterbury, England through the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs.)