Upcoming May Term and Summer Study Experiences

Travel to: Copenhagen, Denmark; Stockholm, Sweden; and Reykjavik, Iceland

Travel Dates: May 14–30, 2018

Courses (choose one): SOC 300, HON 300, GNDR 300, ART 300

Engaging the World: Successful completion of this May Term Study Experience with a grade of C- or better fulfills the Engaging the World graduation requirement.

Faculty/Staff Leaders: Kristjane Nordmeyer, Naomi Marine, Matt Kruback

Mandatory On-campus Meeting Dates: May 1, 3, 8, and 10

Prerequisites: None

Study Experience Cost: $4,638 includes round-trip air transportation (SLC to Copenhagen to Stockholm to Reykjavik to SLC), ground transportation, hotels or other lodging, all breakfasts and some dinners, entrance fees, and international health insurance. Participants will need an estimated $700–$1,000 additional spending money for meals and personal expense.

Program Notes: Students should be prepared to walk long distances and to use public transportation. Due to the architecture of Scandinavia and Iceland, some of the buildings may not have accessible entrances or access to elevators. This program can easily accommodate vegetarian or vegan diets. 

Program Rotation: Planned for May term in even-numbered years.

Course Description: On this May Term Study Experience students will explore Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Reykjavik—three Scandinavian and Icelandic cities that are visually stunning with a rich cultural history. Copenhagen is known as a food destination in itself, Reykjavik is known for breathtaking glaciers and contemporary art, and Stockholm is known as one of the world’s top pop music exporters.

With these exciting cultures as our backdrop, participants will delve into the search for social justice among Scandinavia and Iceland’s top policy makers, artists, and community activists. In small-group meetings, we will ask the following questions:

• Where do they see a need for change or social transformation?
• What means or mechanisms do artists and policy makers use to further their goals?
• What would equality look like for them?

These are important questions because Scandinavia and Iceland top the world for gender equality, yet have much work to do around race, ethnicity, and immigration.

As part of the class assignments, students will produce reflection journals and a creative project that explores subjective and objective perspectives on social justice issues within these Scandinavian and Icelandic cities. Students will return from the trip with a better understanding of Scandinavian and Icelandic social policies and the advocacy work that remains to be done within both Scandinavia and the United States.

Travel to: Cuba

Travel Dates: May 17–June 2, 2018

Courses (choose one): CHEM 300, BIOL 300, ENVI 300, SPAN 300

Faculty/Staff Leaders: Frank Black and Sarah MacCarthy

Mandatory On-campus Meeting Dates: May 14–16, June 5

Prerequisites: SPAN 110 or equivalent for Spanish credits. No prerequisites for other course

Study Experience Cost: $4,100 includes round-trip air transportation (SLC to Havana), ground transportation, accommodation, entrance fees, visas, international health insurance, and all but seven meals during the two and a half weeks. Participants will need an estimated $150–$250 additional spending money for seven meals and personal expenses (snorkeling included in trip cost, optional scuba diving extra).

Program Notes: In accordance with the US travel restrictions and embargo of Cuba, each participant must be a currently registered student at Westminster and take the MTSE for course credit. Several days will include light physical activity, including walks in cities on cobblestone streets, biking in the country side, and hikes in the forest lasting a few hours. Many multistory buildings in Cuba do not have working elevators.

Program Rotation: Planned for May Term 2018 only.

Course Description: Since the Cuban revolution ended in 1959, the US embargo of Cuba began in 1960, and the US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion failed in 1961, Cuba has held a unique place both in the western hemisphere and in the American psyche. For many Americans, this has resulted in the formation of a myriad of perceptions and misconceptions about Cuba, which in many cases are based on very little information or fact. This May Term Study Experience will provide students with a first-hand opportunity to evaluate their own perceptions of Cuba and confront their misconceptions of this Caribbean island nation through the lenses of environmental science, environmental policy, politico-economics, music, dance, language, and culture. Students will explore themes such as how the US embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in Cuba becoming a world leader in organic farming. During a visit to an organic farming collective, science will be paired with the political and economic reasons for this transition, with students learning about how organic farming and mechanized farming with fertilizers and pesticides differ in their impacts on soil chemistry and biology. Other themes will include the Cuban health care system, Cuba’s numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and other charismatic leaders of the Cuban Revolution. We will also explore how Cuba’s history has influenced its approach to environmental policy and conservation, then see the results of these efforts firsthand when we visit terrestrial and marine national parks. Students will get to exchange world views with average Cubans, and compare this to impressions gained from our meetings with Cuban academics and artists in Havana. Students will also be immersed in the Spanish language during home stays, interview assignments, and the famous music and dance of Cuba, with multiple half-day Salsa lessons and opportunities for students to apply their newfound skills under real-world settings in Jazz and Salsa clubs.

For more information, visit the trip blog or see a few highlights from the 2014 Cuba MTSE.

Travel to: France and Spain including Madrid, Pamplona, Santiago de Compostela, and Toledo

Travel Dates: May 13–June 8, 2018

Courses (choose one): BUSI 412, ENVI 300, HON 300, COMM 300, SPAN 300

Faculty/Staff Leaders: Deyanira Ariza-Velasco, Matthew Baker, and Emily Rains

Mandatory On-campus Meeting Dates: November 16, 2017; January 25, February 17, March 24, April 15, April 22, and May 11, 2018

Prerequisites: SPAN 110 or equivalent for Spanish credits. No prerequisites for other courses

Study Experience Cost: $3, 698 includes round-trip air transportation (SLC to Madrid), ground transportation, hotels or other lodging, all breakfasts, some lunches, most dinners, entrance fees, and international health insurance. Participants will need an estimated $300 additional spending money for meals and personal expenses.

Program Notes: This course is physically and emotionally demanding. Participants must carry all their luggage with them as they trek between 12–18 miles each day. We will work with participants in advance of the trip to ensure they are physically prepared for such a challenge.

Program Rotation: Planned for May term in even-numbered years.

Course Description: In this MTSE we don’t just study pilgrimage, we become pilgrims as we trek along the Camino de Santiago from the French Pyrenees to Finisterre— the end of the earth—on Spain’s Atlantic coast. This is a journey of body, soul, and mind for students who crave adventure and want an immersive experience. As we trek along what was once a primitive trade route, we will discuss the entrepreneurial drive that has supported and shaped the pilgrim experience. As we skirt mountains and move through verdant valleys, we discover how the environment has shaped the trail and how the pilgrim experience has shaped the world around it. In small villages and along the trail we immerse ourselves in language and culture as we communicate with residents, business owners, hospitaleros, and other pilgrims. The physical demands of this pilgrimage, coupled with the camaraderie of students and faculty, create a transformative adventure that will define your college experience. For more information, visit: elcaminodesantiagosite.wordpress.com.

Travel to: Paris, Reims, Chartres, and Versailles

Travel Dates: May 14–June 6, 2018

Course (choose one): ART 300, FREN 300

Faculty/Staff Leaders: David Baddley and Steve Haslam

Mandatory On-campus Meeting Dates: February 11, March 4, and April 8 at 2:00 p.m.

Prerequisites: None

Study Experience Cost: $4,200 includes round-trip air transportation (SLC to Paris), ground transportation including metro pass and train, hotel, breakfasts, museum and performance venue entrance fees, and international health insurance. Participants will need an estimated $600 spending money for meals and personal expenses.

Program Notes: Students should be prepared to walk long distances and to use public transportation. Some hotels may only have stairs and lack working elevators.  

Program Rotation: Planned for May Term 2018 only.

Course Description: Hemingway famously described Paris as “a moveable feast,” and by this he meant that the cityʼs culture absorbed in youth would stay with the lucky traveler for a lifetime. This May Term Study Experience offers a distinctive learning experience in one of the most historically, culturally, and artistically rich cities on earth—an experience that features visits to inspiring cultural touchstones interlaced with sustained personal creative responsibility.

Participants will visit galleries and museums, explore landmarks, attend a variety of live performances, and discuss art and French culture while visiting local cafés. Individually, students will undertake various creative projects appropriate to their disciplines. The group will also go on outings by train to other nearby towns. Students will enjoy the conventional aspects of a study tour and harvest the creative results from labors uniquely available only through an artistic residency.

Travel to: Bluff, Utah; Chinle, Arizona; and Tuba City, Arizona

Travel Dates: May 14–24, 2018

Courses (choose one): NURS 300, EDUC 300, PLSC 300, JUST 300

Faculty/Staff Leaders: Marilee Coles-Ritchie, Carrie Huntsman-Jones, and Marsha Morton

Mandatory On-campus Meeting Dates: April 12, 24 at 7–8:30 p.m.; and May 8, 10 at 9:00 a.m.–noon

Prerequisites: None

Study Experience Cost: $1,000 includes round-trip van transportation (SLC to Arizona), hotels or other lodging, most meals, and entrance fees. Participants will need an estimated $50 additional spending money for meals and personal expenses.

Program Notes: This itinerary includes fully accessible visits to national parks and other natural areas.

Program Rotation: Scheduled to be offered in May term every year.

Course Description: This course introduces students to Hopi and Diné cultures. It includes social, educational, environmental, political, economic, artistic, health, and caring aspects of lived histories and practices. Students will have the opportunity to explore the complex histories, world views, and perceptions of the environment, relationships, and values of Hopi/Diné people through a variety of perspectives. All students will participate in a nine-day field trip designed to explore health issues, educational practices, and ecosystems on Hopi and Diné nations in northern Arizona and southern Utah. Students will visit Indian Health Services and private health care facilities, schools, Hopi and possibly Diné families, museums, and national park sites. Students will participate in a guided field and river trip on the San Juan River. Students will also visit related organizations in Salt Lake City after field experience. Students from all majors are welcome.

Travel to: Thailand

Travel Dates: May 13–June 9, 2018

Courses (choose one): PUBH 300, EDUC 300, HON 300

Faculty/Staff Leaders: Peter Ingle, Han Kim

Mandatory On-campus Meeting Dates: December 7, 2017; January 18, February 15, March 15, April 5, 26, May 10, 2018

Prerequisites: None

Study Experience Cost: $4,400 includes round-trip air transportation (SLC to Bangkok), ground transportation, hotels or other lodging, all meals, entrance fees, and international health insurance. Participants will need an estimated $200–$300 additional spending money for personal expenses.

Program Notes: This itinerary includes travel to remote villages with rustic accommodations. Participants should be prepared for and comfortable with life in a rural Thai village with no indoor plumbing and limited electricity. Toilet facilities may consist of outhouses with “squat” toilets. Shower facilities will not generally be available during the village stay. Safe drinking water and food will be provided for the duration of the stay at the village.  

Program Rotation: Scheduled to be offered in May term every year.

Course Description: The focus of this course will be understanding the educational, health, and developmental needs of rural Thai citizens as well as indigenous populations through cultural immersion and active participation in service projects. Students will participate in deep cultural immersion activities and service-learning projects in two distinct rural Thai villages, one in the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai, Thailand, and one in the rural northeast near Khon Kaen, Thailand, that will help alleviate some of the health, educational, and developmental issues present while staying with local families within the villages.

Other activities will include a visit to a groundbreaking new concept school in the northeast, tours of historically significant sites in Thailand, visiting an HIV/AIDS hospice, sightseeing in Bangkok, and a relaxing few days on a tropical island to end the trip. Students will meet during spring semester for preparatory sessions that will ready them for the experience. Course assignments will include reflective journaling, active discussions during the trip, and a reflective multimedia project at the end of the trip. For more information, visit: May Term Thailand on Facebook, @MayTermThailand on Instagram, @MayTermThailand on Twitter, or http://maytermthailand.org.

Travel to: India (New Delhi, Dharamshala, Agra, Pune, Wai, Mumbai)

Travel Dates: July 25–August 13, 2018

Courses (choose one): ENGL 300, NURS 300, PUBH 300, EDUC 300, MGMT 412

Faculty Leaders: Ranjan Adiga, Peter Ingle

Mandatory On-campus Meeting Dates: May 17, June 21, 22, July 12, 13

Prerequisites: None

Study Experience Cost: $3,600 includes round-trip air transportation (SLC to New Delhi), ground transportatio and domestic flights in India, hotels or other lodging, some meals, entrance fees, and international health insurance. Participants will need an estimated $150–300 additional spending money for the Indian visa, some meals, and personal expenses.

Program Notes: The itinerary includes travel to Delhi, Agra, and Mumbai and a longer stay in a rural area with rustic hotel accommodations and a possible overnight with a local family. Participants should be prepared for life in a rural Indian village and must follow guidance to reduce food and water borne illness. Participates should also be prepared for hot humid temperatures.

Program Rotation: Scheduled to be offered in summer semester every year.

Course Description: Participants will travel to Western India to explore and understand social, cultural, economic, and environmental determinants of health through coursework, field trips, and service learning activities, primarily in the village of Wai, Maharashtra. Students will engage with local schools, women's groups, and community centers to advance community health and social entrepreneurship, primarily through the art of storytelling. Students and local community members will share and record their exchanges through written, oral, or visual stroies that will be the basis of a multimedia reflective project that students will submit after the trip.

In addition to immersion and service work in Wai, students will gain a broad appreciation for the range of Indian culture, history, and health conditions by visiting sites of cultural importance. Trip leaders have expertise in global health, Indian culture, literature, storytelling, and social entrepreneurship. The transformative learning that takes place through active listening and learning with community groups and first-hand observations of the broader pursuit of health and wellbeing in India will shape each student's personal philosophy of global citizenship.

Note: The course registration and travel for India occurs during summer semester. Students who have earned the four discounted credit hours for May Term may apply the full discount towards the credit for this study experience, meaning you will only pay travel expenses, not tuition.