TCNJ Faculty-Led Programs – Maymester/Summer 2011
Take a leap overseas this summer...with TCNJ faculty guiding you along the way!
Every year TCNJ faculty work together with the TCNJ Center for Global Engagement to offer students memorable study experiences abroad. While some of these experiences focus upon honing skills in another language, many of these programs offer TCNJ students without fluency in another language the opportunity to deepen their appreciation of various cultures and learn more about scholarly life under the tutelage of TCNJ’s esteemed faculty directors. (Many students come back from such programs and sign up for language classes as a response to being exposed to the language!)
There will be an information event on Wednesday, October 13, from 11:30am to 1:30pm in the Brower Student Center atrium about these programs, and faculty and students will be there to share their excitement about the programs and encourage students to take part in the 2011 edition. Here is a snapshot of each program:
Madrid, Spain – July 1 to August 15 - Students in TCNJ’s Madrid program spend five weeks immersing themselves in madrileño culture at the Casa do Brasil. Students take one course from a list of five with a TCNJ Spanish professor (under the direction of TCNJ’s Professor Teresa San Pedro) and participate in a wide-ranging cultural program that includes excursions to Segovia, El Escorial, a variety of sites in the greater Madrid area, and a field trip to Andalucia. This program is a cornerstone of TCNJ’s study abroad programs year in, year out, and it’s a great way to accelerate your acquisition of the Spanish language!
Harlaxton, England - July 23 to August 12 – Spend part of your summer in a real castle! Prof. Michele Lise Tarter leads twenty TCNJ students to the UK every year, with this year’s group starting off in England’s southwest and working their way north to Harlaxton Castle. At the castle students will study the “Literary Landscapes of England” while visiting many of those settings in the course of the program. Each year the program ends with a formal ball, which quickly becomes a highlight of the students’ experience! This program’s testimonials on the website will have you packing your bags and planning your UK adventure! This program fills up FAST, so students should prepare their applications for the program quickly!
Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia – May 15 to June 2 – Dr. Ben Rifkin, Dean of the School of Culture and Society and Professor of Russian, and Dr. Deborah Hutton, Professor of Art History, will introduce students to the two most important cities for the generation of modern Russian culture – the political capital of Moscow and the artistic capital of St. Petersburg. Students will sign up for RUS 171 (taught in English – an overview of Russian civilization and culture) and explore not only the more famous sights of the Kremlin and the Winter Palace, but also topics particular to contemporary Russian society such as human rights and the creation of a new democratic order.
Australia – May 15 to June 8 - This program focuses on the concept of “sustainability” in Australia – the world’s driest continent. Any student interested in learning the basic concepts of sustainability and seeking an experience in applying these concepts to real-world problems will enjoy IDS 470/ENG 470. The director of the program is Dr. Michael Shenoda from the TCNJ School of Engineering, and Dr. Shenoda will lead all students – including engineering students in all of the engineering departments as well as students seeking liberal learning (global and community) or elective credit through a series of site visits in Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra, Melbourne, and Cairns and assign projects appropriate to the student’s major area of study. This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about those “green” topics that often dominate our media!
China – dates TBD after June 15 - TCNJ business majors – and any student with an interest in Chinese language and culture – have a unique experience thanks to the US Department of Education’s grant to TCNJ that focuses on “Doing Business in China.” Professor Linghui (Lynn) Tang from TCNJ’s Department of Finance and International Business and Professor Qin Shao from the Department of History will direct a program the takes students to Shanghai and Beijing – China’s two most important cities for business and culture. Students will spend two weeks on the TCNJ campus preparing for the program overseas, and once in China they will work on projects designed to help small businesses in the Garden State gain greater access to the Chinese market…all the while enjoying some of the major sites of both cities as well as participating in excursions to other cities in the surrounding area.
Rome, Italy - May 18 to June 6 - Two of TCNJ’s favorite leaders of study abroad programs – Professors Lois Fichner-Rathus and Lee Ann Riccardi from the Art Department – are teaming up to offer students a unique program focusing on “Rome of the Caesars, Rome of the Popes.” Students will sign up for an Honors course that feature an exploration of the relationship between different governing ideologies and the art and aesthetic of various eras of Roman history. The professor will lead students through a wide variety of museums and historical sites in Italy’s capital. This program is a great “starter” for those students interested in testing the study abroad waters – many students who return from this type of program sign up for a semester abroad in the following year!
Cornwall, England - July 7 to July 23 - Students interested in learning how to perform archival research and connected this research with their studies will have a wonderful opportunity to gain archives experience at the Museum of Witchcraft in Cornwall, England. Professor Michele Lise Tarter, director of TCNJ’s graduate program in English, will teach LIT 370 – Magic of Archival Research in Cornwall and guide students through the process of engaging primary sources and interpreting their meaning. Both undergraduate and graduate students will find a wealth of options available for them to perform research and publish their findings professionally!
Galapagos – May 19 to May 31 - (Please note – this program is now full, and there is a waiting list maintained by the Center.) Students will study the natural history of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands during the Spring 2011 semester with Professor Donald Lovett, chair of TCNJ’s Department of Biology, and take an additional one-half unit course on the topic in Maymester 2011, traveling to Ecuador and its famed islands.
In addition, Dr. Simona Wright, Professor of Italian and coordinator of TCNJ’s Italian program, will be teaching Italian this summer under the auspices of International Studies Abroad, an important international partner of TCNJ’s Center for Global Engagement. Students interested in continuing their studies of Italian in the perfect setting – Rome! – may sign up for ISA’s Rome program this summer at the American University of Rome. Students looking to complete the Italian minor or even develop a self-designed major in Italian should consider this opportunity to have Professor Wright help guide them through Italy’s capital.
Each program will have information sessions noted on their websites, and students should feel free to ask instructors for additional information. A general website for all TCNJ faculty-led programs may be found at http://www.tcnj.edu/~goglobal/undergraduate/facledabroad.htm. Application materials are online, and students should complete their applications as quickly as possible. A check for $150 (payable to TCNJ) should be submitted along with the application. Applications will be accepted by program directors on a rolling basis, which means – first come, first served! Please contact the Center at goglobal@tcnj.edu should you have any questions about the application process.
We can’t wait to see your pictures next year from your summer adventures!
