Universities Weblog

With the arrival of 20 college students in antarctica, Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma, Washington, became the first university to achieve the distinction of having campuses on all seven continents.

The students are recording their adventures in a weblog, and seem to be looking more forward to spotting penguins than expanding their education.

Going to college in Antarctica…now that's dedication to higher education! Would you live in always-frozen Antarctica, with minimal civilization and no distractions such as restaurants or movie theaters, to get a degree?

Well…I suppose it would leave a lot of time for studying.

Inside Higher Ed reports:

"This really is a high water mark for us," says Loren Anderson, president of the university. "We live in a globally focused corner of the country — with many ports and much international trade — so we have strong conviction to help our students become the next generation of leaders who can communicate with their global peers."

Several students traveling abroad this month have posted messages on the university's Web log, which is intended to give students and faculty an opportunity to record their experiences and to stay in touch with their families.
"We are doing our best to ensure that these are real courses with real study — not just some meaningless trip abroad," says Anderson. "Faculty members are increasingly preparing quality measures and take their student's very seriously."
For the students on the Antarctic leg of the program, evaluations already appear to be glowing. After taking a flight to Buenos Aires, the group headed south to the tip of South America to catch a ship headed for Antarctica.

"It was not until today — our second day at sea — that we realized what we had done; we had left the comforts of civilization for the mysteries of the Antarctic," wrote three members of the group on Monday. "As the latitudes climb and the temperatures drop, we are all anxious to see the wonders ahead: icebergs, penguins, leopard seals, and more.(Photo courtesy of Frans Lanting)

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