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Freshman Seminar in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Summer 2009 cancelled On campus orientation: July 20 - July 21, 2009 On-campus follow-up meetings throughout fall semester 2009 Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Study Abroad What's this seminar about? Icebergs, Whales, Puffins, Caribou, Archeology, WWII History, Fishing, Hiking, Music, and the First Sunrise in North America … What do these things have in common? Newfoundland. This program travels to the remote north eastern coast of North America to the isolated island of Newfoundland situated in the Iceberg Alley near the site of the Titanic's collision. Students on this program will experience the music, military and maritime heritage, and Irish culture of the Avalon Peninsula in eastern Newfoundland, one of the oldest inhabited areas in North America. Students will also explore the area's many hiking trails, ecological reserves, and geological parks. Newfoundland also features a parade of puffins, whales, and icebergs around its shores, all of which students will have an opportunity to see first-hand as they consider environmental and sustainability issues. If you care about the environment and like to be outside, then this program is sure to offer you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because if it keeps getting warmer, soon the icebergs will be gone! **Please note, as an environmentally-based program, this program will involve hiking and boating as activities. Students should be prepared for being outside. Where does it take place? The seminar will take place in St. John's, Newfoundland, the provincial capital and the largest city on the island. Students will also experience day trips from St. John's to various parts of the island including national parks, marine reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and historical sites. 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 in the following thematic track: Cool Cities, Warm Planet – Green Living and Global Warming in Iceberg Alley The academic portion of the program will investigate how humans live in and adapt to their environment—both urban environments and natural areas. Students live and explore historic St. John's, Newfoundland's capital and largest city, as well as several ocean-side villages, marine reserves, ecological reserves, and wildlife parks as they consider what makes a place livable and what features of these areas make them sustainable? Students will also consider how global warming will influence Newfoundland and its delicate environment, fragile natural resources, and populated coastline. While in Newfoundland, students will spend time outdoors experiencing a unique environment unlike anywhere else on the planet. They will hike over rocks up to 4 billion years old; boat along the coast to observe Puffins, whales and hopefully icebergs; observe caribou and other indigenous flora and fauna; and visit historic villages and monuments that detail the area's military, fishing, and immigration history as they consider how human activities and decision-making influence the natural environment. What are the requirements? To be eligible, applicants must have first-year freshman status at Michigan State University beginning in fall 2009 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 2009-10 academic year. While in St. John's students will stay at Memorial University in the facilities residence halls. Students will be in single or double rooms living in the same building. Students will have access to laundry, telephone, and internet facilities. Students will be in close proximity to the campus library, student center, and parks. They will also be a ten minute walk from the major shopping center and a five minute bus ride from downtown St. John's. Laundry facilities are available at all locations. Who can tell me more about this program? Jim Lucas Jim Lucas is the Assistant to the Dean of Undergraduate Education for internationalization on campus. Jim has worked as an academic advisor and instructor on campus, and he has taught first-year students for the past eight years. He has worked on first-year seminars programs in Ireland, New Zealand, and Canada, and he also co-leads a program to Australia related to sustainability. Jim has won several teaching awards for his work with students, and his professional interests include global education, student learning, and sustainability. In his free time, Jim enjoys reading, hiking, camping, and kayaking. Secretly, he collects comic books and is a huge fan of Star Wars and all things sci-fi, fantasy and the like. The program assistant this year will be Cathleen Clara. Cathleen is currently a third year doctoral student in teacher education at Michigan State University where she teaches two courses for pre-service teachers in content area literacy and children's literature. She completed her undergraduate degree in 1996 at Central Michigan University. After working for several years in the service sector, she discovered that teaching was her calling. She completed her teacher certification at Olivet College in 2001 and went on to teach English and history at an alternative high school in Lansing for five years. While teaching she also completed her Master's degree in Teaching and Curriculum in 2004. She left her teaching position to begin work on her PhD in hopes of helping pre-service teachers learn to work with diverse student populations in an unbiased, inclusive manner. Last summer she traveled with a freshman seminar abroad to Cork and Dublin, Ireland, as support staff and had an amazing time working with the thirty freshman on the trip. Cathleen is married and has a soon to be five year old daughter. 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 the web page. 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 the web page. 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. See the "Health Issues" section of the Student Handbook for further health information and recommendations. How much does it cost? The program fee is $1,890 and includes the following:
Amounts not included in the program fee for which participants will need to budget include:
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.) *Check Student Accounts for current tuition, fees and taxes. Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances. 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 seminar, including airfare. For further information about financial aid, visit the Web page. Freshman Seminar Abroad (FSA) Scholarships Awards funded through the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (APUE) and Office of Financial Aid are for up to $2,000 toward the program fee (note: if the program fee is less than $2,000, then students will only be given an amount equal to the cost of the program fee). These scholarships are designated for Pell grant eligible students who have demonstrated high academic merit. The priority deadline for APUE awards is June 9, 2009. Awards funded through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) are for $250, and require applicants to have a 2.5 GPA or above and demonstrate financial need. The deadline for OSA awards is June 9, 2009. 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 online. 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. 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. Don't hesitate to contact us to find out if space is still available on the program of your choice. 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 2009. 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 New Students: Activating your MSU NetID. 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 theStudy Abroad Student Handbook available on line (including information about withdrawing from a seminar). Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances. What's next? Check out the following Additional Resources: Office of Financial Aid MSU Travel Clinic Academic Advisers Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities Area Studies Centers MSU Global Access |
