Freshman Seminar in Kyoto, Japan

Summer 2008

On-campus orientation: July 9 - July 11, 2008
On site in Japan: July 12 - July 25, 2008

On-campus follow-up meetings throughout fall semester 2008

Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Study Abroad

To view a printable flyer for this program, please click here.

What's this seminar about?

Join other first-year MSU students on this unique study abroad opportunity in Japan studying the construction of Japanese identity through culture and work. Students enrolling in this seminar will be assigned to one of two teams to work closely with faculty in adjusting to college. Each student in the track will participate in both of the following learning experiences.

This year students will have the unique opportunity for an overnight stay at an old hot springs inn above the Tenryu Gorge where students will spend a day observing and trying Bunraku (traditional Japanese Puppet Theater), Taiko Drumming and traditional Lion Dance. Another excursion will take students to the ancient pottery village of Shigaraki where they will learn about traditional Japanese pottery and how this ancient art is adapting in a global economy. A tour of the Koka Ninja house will also be available.

What can I study?

Students earn two credits for UGS 102 and receive a numeric (4.0-scale) grade for their work. Credit earned in UGS 102 counts as elective credit, regardless of students' major or area of interest (although some majors may allow the course to fulfill a requirement). UGS 102 is designed to provide students with an introduction to scholarship and inquiry in international contexts. Special disciplinary-based topics are focused to develop intercultural abilities and deepen international understandings.

Students will enroll for one of the two thematic tracks. Enrollment in these tracks will be on a first-come, first-served basis with every effort being made to give students their first preference. The specific topics covered in each seminar depend on the faculty members teaching them.

Students enrolling in this seminar will be assigned to one of two tracks to work closely with faculty in adjusting to college.

Track 1: Japanese Culture and Language (led by Catherine Ryu)

In this track we will study various forms of Japanese culture that have been recognized as the key constituents of Japanese identity. Specifically, we will analyze the constructed nature of Japanese identity through its relation to language, literature, food, film, and traditional visual and performance arts such as bunraku (puppet theater), kabuki, noh, and tea ceremony.

Track 2: Japanese Economy Challenges and Opportunities (led by Phil Gardner)

Following World War II the Japanese economy resurrected itself as the world leader in quality and cost containment. The emergence of China has challenged Japan businesses and her workers. In this track, students will gain an understanding of the global economy with particular focus on Japan 's role its development. Japanese workers closely identify with their companies and expect life-time employment. However, for young adults traditional arrangements are changing in order for businesses to remain globally competitive. We will look at how young adults are handling these changes. As part of our discussion we will explore how you will shape your own career identity while at MSU and the resources available to help you.

What are the requirements?

To be eligible, applicants must have first-year freshman status at Michigan State University beginning in fall 2008 AND have paid their Advanced Enrollment Deposit (AED). That is, a student must be admitted to and attending MSU for the first time as a full-time college student during the 2008-09 academic year.

It is strongly recommended that students apply early as acceptance into the program is on a rolling basis and the program may fill to capacity (15 students) before the priority application deadline.

Applicants' participation may be denied or their participation approval may be revoked if their conduct before departure raises doubts as to their suitability for seminar participation.

If you are unsure about your eligibility, please email Mr. Jim Lucas at lucasjam@msu.edu.

Where will I live?

Students will be housed in a hotel in Kyoto, one of Japan's major cultural and historical centers.

Who can tell me more about this program?

Ms. Sandy Tupper
Office of Study Abroad
Phone: (517) 432-4341
E-mail: tuppers@msu.edu

Sandy Tupper coordinates study abroad programs in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, S. Korea and the Philippines. She also works with incoming exchange students from around the world that come to MSU for a semester or academic year. Sandy spent 5 years studying and working in Japan and has traveled extensively in Asia and the Oceania region. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees are both from Michigan State University. The years studying and working abroad inspired her to work in the field of international education, where she has spent the last 14 years assisting students to study abroad.

Catherine Ryu
Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages
Phone: (517) 353-6656
E-mail: ryuc@msu.edu

Dr. Catherine Ryu is an associate professor of Japanese Language and Culture in the Department of Linguistics and Languages. Her research and teaching interests include classical Japanese literature, visual cultures, and performative arts. She regularly offers an Integrative Arts and Humanities course on “The Constructions of the Feminine in Japanese Art and Culture”. People usually assume that she must be Dr. Dragon (“ryu” means a dragon in Japanese), but her last name is another reading for “yanagi”, which refers to a willow tree. One more interesting fact about her name is that it is actually a Korean name, which can be Romanized in various ways (Ryu, Yu, Lew, etc.). Dr. Ryu regards Japan as her adopted homeland, and she has a great passion for anything Japanese, especially art, literature, food, and even anime. She is thrilled to take her FAS students to Kyoto, the seat of Japanese court culture. The very first time she went to Kyoto, she is rumored to have danced on the platform of Kyoto Station, right below the sign “ Kyoto”. She was overjoyed to find herself there, after having studied so much about this ancient capital of Japan. Will she dance again? We will find out this summer!

Philip Gardner
Career Services - Collegiate Employment Research Institute
Phone: (517) 355-2211
E-mail: gardnerp@msu.edu

Dr. Phil Gardner is the director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute.  For nearly 25 years he has studied the transition from college to work, college labor markets, and the preparedness of young adults for the world of work which includes adjusting expectations to a rapidly globalizing economy.  He also teaches a course commonly referred to as "What Do I Do with the Rest of My Life" for sophomores and juniors.  Prior to coming to MSU, Dr. Gardner lived in Vietnam, Japan and Thailand where he worked on issues of economic development and has taught at the University of California.  His work on young adults is widely recognized and he speaks frequently around the U.S. and internationally.  His research partners include colleagues in New Zealand, Germany, Netherlands, and South Africa.  This is the fourth freshman group he has led.

Our program assistant this year will be Ms. Kate Simon who currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU), a consortium of the 15 public universities in Michigan. JCMU features a living/learning center on the shores of Lake Biwa in Hikone city (just north of Kyoto) and offers programming in Japanese language and culture. Kate has spent a total of three years living, studying and working in education and study abroad in Japan. She loves the Japanese language, culture, art and food, and looks forward to sharing these aspects of Japan with the Freshman Seminar students.

Do I need a passport or visa?

U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a valid passport both to enter other countries and to return to the United States. If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date. If you must apply for or renew a passport, APPLY EARLY, since a minimum of twelve weeks are usually required for processing. During peak travel seasons, more processing time is required. Passport forms are available at many federal and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal offices and some post offices. They can also be downloaded from the Web.

For more information about passports visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/passports.html

A visa is official permission granted by the authorities of a country where you will study or travel that allows you to enter and remain in that country for a specific purpose. The visa itself is frequently a stamp in your passport, not a separate document. You will need a passport before applying for a visa and the passport plus visa process may take several months, so start early. It is your responsibility to inquire about visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad; this includes countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program.

For more information about visas visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/visas.html

Are there special health issues?

As part of your acceptance you will complete a Student Health/Emergency Treatment Authorization. It is your responsibility to ensure that your routine immunizations are up-to-date; inquire whether there are recommended and/or required immunizations or medications for the country/countries you will visit (including any countries you will visit that are not part of the study abroad program's itinerary); and review educational issues relevant to your personal health and safety.

For further health information and recommendations visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/health.html

How much does it cost?

The program fee is $4,360 and includes the following:

• application fee ($100)
• deposit ($200)
• overnight stay, meals and orientation program at MSU
• transportation (Roundtrip travel from MSU campus to Detroit Metro Airport; round-trip airfare Detroit-Japan-Detroit)
• lodging while in Japan
• some meals while in Japan
• excursions and field trips
• accident and sickness insurance

Amounts not included in the program fee for which participants will need to budget include:

• MSU tuition and fees*
• additional meals
• local transportation during free time
• passport application fee ($100)
• visa application fees (if applicable)
• pre-departure doctor visits
• pre-departure immunizations (if applicable)
• personal spending money

Students may request a cost sheet which estimates these additional expenses not included in the program fee by contacting the Office of Study Abroad at (517) 353-8920.

Students will receive an e-bill from the MSU Student Accounts Office for the study abroad program fee. Students will also be e-billed for two credits. (Both amounts may be billed at the same time.)

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

*Check http://ctlr.msu.edu/COStudentAccounts/Tuition_Fees.aspx for current tuition, fees and taxes

How can I get help to pay for it?

Financial assistance is available to students who make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) and MSU's Office of Financial Aid.

If you are an MSU student and indicate on your application that you plan to use financial aid to pay for your study abroad experience, OSA will forward an estimated cost sheet to the MSU Office of Financial Aid for processing. This form will include all anticipated costs associated with the program, including airfare.

For further information about financial aid visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/finaid/index.html

Freshman Seminar Abroad (FSA) Scholarships

Students participating on an FSA program may be eligible for up to three awards created just for these programs. General information about the awards is available below.

Freshman Seminar Abroad Study Abroad Scholarships: The Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (APUE) and the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) offer a limited number of scholarships specifically for eligible FSA participants. In all cases, to be eligible for the award a student must be (1) admitted to MSU with their deposit paid, (2) have submitted their application to an FSA program, and (3) have on file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the MSU Financial Aid Office. Students must submit a scholarship application form located at: http://studyabroad.msu.edu/scholarships/scholarapp.pdf.

Awards funded through the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (APUE) are for $1,000, and require applicants to be Pell grant eligible and to have demonstrated high academic merit. The priority deadline for APUE awards is April 15, 2008.

Awards funded through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) are for $200, and require applicants to have a 2.5 GPA or above and demonstrate financial need. The deadline for OSA awards is June 9, 2008.

Please note that it may take several weeks after the deadlines to process and select the recipients of these awards.

Freshman Seminar Abroad Honors College Scholarship: MSU's Honors College offers a limited number of awards specifically for FSA participants who are also incoming Honors College students. Scholarships will be awarded by the Honors College to the first eligible students who register for each program, so apply early!

How do I apply?

The application is available by clicking here.

Once admitted into Michigan State University , you may submit your application to the MSU Office of Study in person, by fax, or by mail. A complete application requires your signature on the application form (and a parent's/guardian's signature, if you are under age 18 at the time of application). A $100 application fee is required. You will receive an electronic bill (e-bill) from the MSU Student Accounts Office for the application fee, which is applied to the cost of the seminar and is non-refundable once you accept admission into the seminar. If you are denied admission into the seminar, you will receive a full refund of the $100 application fee.

Deadlines for application depend on seminar departure dates and logistical planning, and applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. The following Priority Deadlines should be taken into consideration when applying for a 2008 seminar:

The Office of Study Abroad suggests you apply well before the priority deadline date. Faculty will accept students into seminars until they are full or logistical factors make it impossible to add additional participants. To increase your chances of being accepted into your desired seminar, you should apply as early as possible.

Admission into these seminars minimally requires you maintain your status as an MSU freshman and be in good academic and disciplinary standing.

You will be notified of your acceptance status by an official letter from the Office of Study Abroad. Participation is contingent on maintaining your status as admitted student for fall 2008. Your participation may be denied or your participation approval may be revoked if your conduct before departure raises doubts as to your suitability for seminar participation.

If admitted into a seminar, you will receive an official acceptance packet in the mail that includes a Decision Form, Student Health/Emergency Treatment Authorization, Statement of Responsibility, and a Travel Permission for Minors (required for participants under age 18 at the time of the seminar's departure). To confirm your admission into a seminar, you must sign and return the forms included in this packet to the Office of Study Abroad within two weeks of the date of your acceptance letter or you may lose your space in the seminar. Students admitted into a seminar less than six (6) weeks prior to the seminar's departure date must sign and return the forms upon receipt.

Once you return the forms indicating your acceptance of admission you will be billed a non-refundable and non-transferable $200 deposit. This deposit will be posted and due on your student account and must be paid by the due date indicated on the e-bill. It will be applied to the program fee. If you do not pay the application fee and/or deposit by the due date indicated on the e-bill, the fees will accrue monthly late charges until paid in full.

Students who are wait-listed because a seminar is filled to capacity will not be billed the $200 deposit until formally accepted. The application fee will be refunded to wait-listed students who are unable to participate due to seminar space limitations.

Billing notification will be sent to your MSU e-mail account, so you must check it regularly! To activate your MSU e-mail account visit http://help.msu.edu/newstudent/. This site will provide you with instructions on how to activate your account. You will then be able to view your bill and determine when payment is due.

Further details can be found in the Study Abroad Student Handbook available on line at http://studyabroad.msu.edu/abcs/index.html (including information about withdrawing from a seminar).

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

What's next?

Visit the OSA Web site
http://studyabroad.msu.edu

Check out the following Additional Resources:

Office of Financial Aid
http://www.finaid.msu.edu
252 Student Services

MSU Travel Clinic
http://travelclinic.msu.edu
East Circle Drive

Academic Advisers
http://www.msu.edu/common/academic/units.html
Located in each individual college/department

Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities
http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/Home/
120 Bessey Hall

Area Studies Centers
http://www.isp.msu.edu
International Center

MSU Global Access
http://www.msuglobalaccess.net
Information about the world - its regions and peoples and important international issues