UW Oshkosh students will be able to declare the Global Scholar Option, a self-directed course of study leading to a “Global Scholar” distinction at graduation, starting in fall 2016. Provost’s Leadership Fellow for Global Studies Druscilla Scribner said students who wish to become Global Scholars may be incoming freshmen in the fall, returning UWO students or transfer students. “It’s open to everyone in every college,” Scribner said. “Current students may be able to complete this option, and should see their adviser to find out.” Associate Dean of the College of Letters and Science Franca Barricelli said the current Global Scholar Option grew out of talks that began in just one college. “As these discussions got bigger and bigger they moved beyond Letters and Science to include the Colleges of Nursing, Business, and Education and Human Services,” Barricelli said. “At that point it became a university-wide program.” Students in the University Studies Program could already be prepared to start the Global Scholar Option, as a required class for USP also serves as the first step on the journey to becoming a Global Scholar. “The Non-Western requirement in USP becomes Global Citizenship,” said Scribner. That first USP class is used as a stepping stone for students to become Global Scholars, according to Barricelli. “We wanted the advanced level of the curriculum to build off of the one piece in USP,” Barricelli said. The Global Scholar Option is designed to focus on the upper-level courses more than the first course that students may have already completed. “We focused energy on what we do with the advanced level of the curriculum, and that’s where the Global Scholars program came from,” Barricelli said.   Scribner said Global Scholars at UWO will do more than simply take specific courses. There is another requirement that does not take place in university classrooms. “The program includes an out-of-classroom experience that’s globally focused,” Scribner said. There are several options that will likely be available for Global Scholars to choose from to fulfill that requirement, according to Scribner. “Study abroad, an internship and alternative spring break are among potential experiences,” Scribner said. Social Sciences representative on the Global Scholar Council Angela Subulwa said that aspect of the program is one thing the Council is working on at the moment. “We’ve been spending time thinking about who’s going to look at the out-of-classroom experiences,” Subulwa said. Subulwa added that the Global Scholar Council is also looking into providing a way to display the work Global Scholars accomplish out of the classroom to the community at large. “We’re considering showcasing what the global experiences look like at some venue, either online or in person, to show what this option allows you to do,” Subulwa said. Barricelli said students could use the Global Scholar Option to help give a boost to their transcripts, as there will be documented proof from the University provided to any students that complete the option. “I think having a Global Scholar designation on their transcripts is valuable to students,” Barricelli said. Scribner said the program will also provide value to students in a less tangible sense. “We need to shift students thinking away from east versus west, to global,” Scribner said. “If we want our students to become globally aware and prepared to contribute to and thrive in an interconnected world, that takes more than one class.” UWO junior Ethan Felhofer said he can see the benefits of the program. “I would definitely say it sounds valuable to students looking for opportunities once they graduate,” Felhofer said. Students interested in the Global Scholar Option can get more information on the University’s website, or from their advisers.