ONCAMPUS Boston

May 31, 2012

Cambridge Education Group (CEG) has partnered with Wheelock College to launch ONCAMPUS Boston, a college preparatory program for international students aiming to earn an American college degree. The new program is enrolling its first students for September 2012. 

In the first year of the ONCAMPUS Boston program, students are enrolled at Wheelock, offering them a college experience within a safe and secure environment where they can settle into college life. Upon completion of the University Transfer Program, students will have the opportunity to progress into the second year of degree courses at Wheelock or any of the other ONCAMPUS Boston partner institutions.

The ONCAMPUS Boston program is a perfect fit with Wheelock's mission to improve the lives of children and families around the world. It supports the College's goal to grow its international student body and expand conversations around world issues, while meeting Wheelock's high academic standards. Said Wheelock President Jackie Jenkins-Scott, "We are thrilled to open up our Boston campus to a new cohort of international students. Wheelock College is committed to academic achievement while embracing multiculturalism and diversity."

CEG is the United Kingdom's leading university pathway provider, preparing thousands of international students each year for university courses in the UK. The partnership with Wheelock marks the company's first expansion into the United States. Fergus Brownlee, CEG's chief executive officer, said, "This is a unique opportunity to experience American student life in the very heart of Boston whilst benefiting from a program of study tailored to meet the needs of international students. Hosted at one of the city's exceptional private institutions, Wheelock College, students will study the first year of their degree with a highly specialized focus from international education experts, Cambridge Education Group, preparing them to progress successfully on to a range of exciting degree courses at some of New England's most exclusive institutions."

Visit CEG's ONCAMPUS Boston website to learn more about the program.

Visit Wheelock's International Programs web page to learn more about all of the College's international programs.

Meet the Director of ONCAMPUS Boston

Dr. Alfredo Varela was named as the Director of ONCAMPUS Boston. Most recently, he was Dean for the Center for Global Education at Wheaton College. He was recognized for designing the only semester-long study-abroad program in nation of Bhutan and starting a summer college prep program for international high school students interested in attending college or university in the US.

A native of Southern California, he earned his undergraduate degree from California State University-Northridge and his first Master's degree from UC Santa Barbara, both in Anthropology. He spent a year in Ghana researching women's marketing networks before heading to Sapporo, Japan. Returning to the US nearly eight years later, he had taught extensively in Japan's higher education system designing several innovative courses, including a bilingual team-taught course entitled "Japanese Education."  During his stay in Japan, he also earned a second masters degree in education from Heidelberg College.

Dr. Varela earned his Ph.D. at Stony Brook University, where he also served as assistant dean for international programs. He has worked as Assistant Director and Regional Manager for the School for International Training.