CentreTerm Programs for 2013

There is a two-step process to become part of a 2013 CentreTerm course abroad. You must first apply directly to the faculty director of the abroad course. Do this as soon as possible but no later than Friday, March 2, 2012. By Monday, March 5, the faculty director will notify you by email if you are approved or are wait-listed for the trip. Students approved can hold their "slot" by paying a non-refundable deposit of $200 at the Cashier's Office in Boles Hall by noon on Monday, March 12. Wait-listed students will be notified by e-mail as soon as slots become open. Although professors establish their own criteria for selection and are the final arbiters of how many and which students may participate, most will consider the relevance of the trip to students' academic interests; some may ask students to fill out a form or write a short essay.

To continue to hold your slot, you must then pay the rest of the first payment (one-third the cost of the trip, minus your initial $200 deposit) at the Cashier's Office by noon on Monday, March 26, 2012, the day after Spring Break. (The second payment is due on September 3; the third on November 1.) The Dean will approve trips with 16 or more paid participants by March 26. Some students on CentreTerm trips may need to store their belongings at Centre while away and move into different residence-hall rooms at the beginning of spring term. In the past, students on CentreTerm courses abroad have received a reimbursement of about $200 on their spring-term bills because of meals missed in January—though this is not guaranteed for the future.

2013 Courses

Barbados: Research in Primate Behavior (BNS 450). Live the life of a field researcher tracking and observing troops of wild vervet monkeys in the Barbados Wildlife Reserve and Primate Research Center. After familiarizing themselves with the behavior of the monkeys, students will develop a research question, collect appropriate behavioral data, conduct statistical analyses, and present their findings. Contact Prof. Melissa Burns-Cusato or Brian Cusato. Estimated cost: $3200

China: Pilgrimage to Lhasa. This trip takes students on an unforgettable 14-day journey from the heart of China's administrative capital, Beijing, to its cultural periphery on the wild steppes of Tibet. The trek to Lhasa guides students through the controversial presence of Christianity to the fragrance and melodies of ancient Buddhist practices still vibrant today in China. Travel involves extensive hiking and walking, balanced by a relaxing and beautiful two-day train ride to Tibet. Contact Prof. Kyle Anderson. Estimated cost: $3600

France (Paris and Provence): Molecular Modernism: Manet to Matisse (CHE 264). This course will focus on the progression of French painting from the 1860's to the 1900's, from Realism to Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism. Beginning in Paris and finishing in Provence (Avignon, Arles, St. Remy, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and Nice), we will study in three types of locations—art museums, conservation labs, and actual painting sites of important artists, including Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Cézanne, van Gogh, Picasso, and Matisse. The role of science and technology in this progression (including synthesis of new materials and how color theory informed painting) will be discussed. Prerequisite: Any CHE course or permission of instructor. Contact Prof. Jeff Fieberg. Estimated cost: $3600

Ghana: Education in a Developing Nation/Community-Based Anthropology (EDU 251 or ANT 315). Within a community-based framework, students will observe and analyze another culture from the inside. In response to specifically framed journal questions, students will have the opportunity to enhance their critical thinking skills and written communication. Collaboratively, students will choose environmental topics of focus. Students' culminating work will be the implementation of their activities in a rural Ghanaian school. In addition, students will have the opportunity to learn about the culture as they interact with family members in their homestay, teach in the rural village of Avedo, practice anthropological fieldwork, and tour local/regional sites. Contact Prof. Sarah Murray and Prof. Andrea Abrams. Estimated cost: $3500

Holy Land: A Journey to Israel and Jordan. (History 340/Religion 311) This course explores the ways the land of Israel has been conceptualized and monumentalized as sacred space. In Jerusalem, in Galilee, and in the deserts around the Dead Sea, we will engage and reflect upon the ways in which Jews, Christians, and Muslims have in the past and continue to enfold this land into their theological and ritual worlds. We will utilize art, architecture, and texts and conversations as our sources for understanding. Contact Prof. Tom McCollough. Estimated cost: $3200

Italy: Machiavelli and Renaissance Florence. In the 15th and early 16th centuries, Florence witnessed an explosion of culture as painters, sculptors, architects, and thinkers rediscovered classical ideas; the all-powerful Christianity of the medieval world was pushed aside for something new. The class will study the city itself and some surrounding towns as backdrops for understanding Machiavelli's revolutionary political doctrines that are the foundation for modern politics. Prerequisite: GOV 110 or permission of the instructor. Contact Prof. Chris Paskewich. Estimated cost: $3600

The Low Countries: Marketing Art in Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam (ARH 382). From the 15th through 17th centuries, the three major economic markets of northern Europe were also the principal centers of artistic production. This class will explore the relationships between art and economics by immersing students in the urban spaces that gave rise to such celebrated artist-entrepreneursas Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt. Students will not only engage art first-hand in major museums but will also be able to walk along the cobbled streets and canals that define some of the best-preserved medieval and Renaissance cities in Europe and that stand witness to the fabulous wealth and trade that engendered their creation. Contact Prof. Jay Bloom. Estimated cost: $3500

Malaysian Borneo: Biodiversity and Conservation Issues. The course will introduce students to the third largest island and most biodiverse region on the globe and include an extended camping trip that will target pristine tracts of tropical forest and a rugged terrain rich with natural formations and endemic species including orangutans, giant stick insects, and plants that produce the world's largest flowers. Scientific and ethical perspectives will help us understand the natural history of Borneo and ascertain the short and long-term impacts of human activities that are rapidly altering the landscape composition. Good physical fitness is required: much of our time will be spent hiking over rough terrain and in challenging conditions. Prerequisite: One course from Bio 110, Bio 210, ENS 210, or permission of instructor. Contact Prof. Matthew Klooster. Estimated cost: $3800

Merida Internships: Centre-in-the-Yucatan. Jan. 3-27. Students live in homestays and do a carefully selected internship with a Merida firm or organization. Conversational Spanish is necessary. Contact Mindy Wilson in Career Services or Leigh Cocanougher in the Center for Global Citizenship. Cost: $850 plus airfare (a non-refundable $200 deposit is due March 26 with the remaining $650 due September 3. If interested, come to a special meeting at 11:20 on Tuesday, February 28, in the Davidson lounge of Old Carnegie.

To see photos from past CentreTerm abroad experiences, click here.