Why Global Residency Is Required
Contemporary higher education often promotes learning through distinct, sometimes disconnected courses. The Jane P. Batten Honors College pushes back on that model by requiring every scholar to unite classroom learning with cultural immersion — building the intellectual curiosity and cultural humility that global citizenship demands.
The JPBHC Global Residency program is built on the principles of cultural immersion and a holistic, intentionally comparative approach to learning. Scholars don't just visit a country — they study, serve, and engage within a community, developing the perspective and skills to collaborate effectively across academic, cultural, political, and ethnic divides.
Working with the Dean, the Director of Global Engagement, and their major advisor, each scholar develops an individualized residency plan aligned with their academic journey and personal goals. Plans are created during HON 210: Seminar in Global Citizenship. Most scholars complete their residency in their second or third year.
The Batten & Black School — Tokyo, Japan
One of the most popular destinations for Jane P. Batten Honors College scholars is the University's own collaborative campus in Tokyo, Japan — the Jane P. Batten & David R. Black School for International Studies at Lakeland University Japan. As a global leader in sustainability and the hub of Southeast Asian finance and trade, Tokyo presents an extraordinary opportunity to engage with the challenges and opportunities facing the world.
The Batten & Black School features a diverse international faculty and student body working together through English-based coursework — offering scholars immersion in a Pan-Asian Pacific region that values harmony, aesthetics, and sustainability. JPBHC scholars who study there may also become Batten & Black School Fellows.
JPBHC Global Residency Support
- Up to $5,000 grant toward airfare, room, and travel
- Study Away in Fall, Spring, or Summer
- Individualized plan developed with faculty and the Dean
- Eligible to become a Batten & Black School Fellow
- Credits count toward JPBHC graduation requirements
Plan Your Residency
- Plans are created during HON 210 (sophomore year)
- Most scholars complete their residency in years 2 or 3
- Talk to the Dean's office →
What the Experience Involves
The Global Residency is more than a semester abroad. It's a structured academic experience with real expectations and real outcomes.
Community Engagement
Scholars investigate concepts and issues relevant to their destination — including engagement in a service or research project addressing a specific community need through direct interaction with local constituencies.
Academic Coursework
Scholars enroll in coursework at a partner institution abroad. Credits transfer toward both their major requirements and JPBHC graduation requirements, keeping them on track academically.
Portfolio Documentation
To receive credit toward JPBHC graduation requirements, each experience must be documented with an entry in the scholar's electronic portfolio and submission of a completion form to the Dean's office.
Where Scholars Have Studied
Honors Scholars have completed their global residency on six continents and counting.
Hear it from the scholars.
Read first-hand accounts from Honors Scholars who have completed their global residency — in their own words, from Morocco to Melbourne.