The grant to Ruegamer was among eight awarded nationwide through the Fulbright’s U.S–Korea International Education Administrators program. The assistant director at Bentley’s Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS) learned of her successful application in March 2011.
“Ecstatic doesn’t even begin to express how I felt,” says Ruegamer, who joined peers from an eclectic group of American universities, including the University of Hawaii–Manoa and Kansas State.The group spent two weeks in South Korea last June to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s education systems and networks of colleagues.
Beforehand, Ruegamer steeped herself in a history of Confucianism and primers on Korean politics and values. A pre-trip orientation introduced her and fellow travelers to their counterparts from institutions that included Yon Sei University, Korean Aerospace University, and the Korean Women’s Development Institute.
Red-Carpet Treatment
In South Korea, the Fulbright program’s rigorous schedule saw Ruegamer in meetings at more than a dozen universities and other institutions such as the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Discussion topics included the difficulties that students face in getting into top Korean institutions, the roles of international educators in Korea, and gender relations.
“We received the red-carpet treatment everywhere we visited,” she says, noting additional invitations to theater, musical and dance performances, and lectures on the country’s history and economic state.
There were some surprises, Ruegamer reports. “A number of times in casual conversations, I was asked, ‘How old are you?’ ‘Are you married?’ ‘Do you have children?’ To me these are personal questions, and they took me somewhat aback.”
Her discomfort eased as she recognized the cultural impetus for the questions. “For Koreans, it’s important to learn each others’ title and age in order to address one another with the proper respect. Family and bloodline are extremely valued.”
Another discovery: Women’s status in Korean society is boosted by marriage and children. So it was that Ruegamer – with many academic and professional accomplishments but also single with no children – found herself with “little cultural capital. It was a valuable experience to look at myself from a different angle and realize that my social capital changes depending on where I find myself and who is asking the questions.”
Applied Learning
Back at Bentley, Ruegamer is sharing her takeaways with colleagues and applying the lessons in her own advising and teaching. The insights are especially valuable in helping students address academic difficulties.
“Sometimes, saving face may be more important to Korean students than asking hard questions,” she explains. “So it can be helpful for a student to bring a Korean friend to a meeting that might be difficult or to identify a Korean faculty or staff member to mentor the student and follow up.”
CISS Director Papa Sarr welcomes the new ideas. “We were very pleased to support Tana’s interest in the Fulbright program,” he says. “The insights she has gained help all of us to better serve our students and the entire Bentley community.”
