DIPA postcard series entices SU freshmen to study abroad

Friday, December 6, 2002, By News Staff

DIPA postcard series entices SU freshmen to study abroadDecember 06, 2002Cynthia J. Moritzcjmoritz@syr.edu

Jayne is having a wonderful experience studying in London. Maybe you should consider following her lead.

That is the message of a series of postcards that will be mailed to all Syracuse University freshmen by the Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA) during the spring semester. The illustrations, which show two of Jayne’s friends talking in various campus settings, were drawn by Bradford Garman ’02, who earned a degree in illustration and was a work-study student at DIPA for four years.

“DIPA left the requirements for the illustrations pretty wide open,” says Garman, who is now doing freelance work in his home state of Pennsylvania. “I first thought of doing a postcard for each particular country where DIPA has a program. Then I came up with the idea of having a storyline.”

Garman points out that the viewer becomes an observer of the conversation along with other people in the illustrations, who can be seen listening in.

There are six illustrations in the postcard series, which can be read as a brief story in which Jayne’s friends progress from hearing about her London experience to applying for DIPA programs themselves. The series points out some of the advantages of studying abroad, such as international internship opportunities and the chance to learn in exotic locations. The cards also address concerns that students might have about DIPA, such as graduating on time and financing international study.

Each freshman will receive one of the postcards at his or her campus address during the spring semester. The mailing is part of a larger DIPA campaign to publicize its programs on campus. “We have started to focus more on the Syracuse University population in response to the vice chancellor’s academic plan,” says Suzanne Shane, assistant to the DIPA director.

The campaign also includes a mailing to faculty members answering frequently asked questions about DIPA, as well as faculty workshops on opportunities for faculty and students.