OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PANEL
Minutes
Thursday, February 24, 2011
11 AM – 1 PM
OHE-114
I.
II.
Approval of minutes of January 20, 2010, meeting
Campus-wide information regarding overseas studies: discussion of draft of memo
written by Steve Bucher for Kenneth McGillivray (attached).
The draft prepared by Steve Bucher for Kenneth McGillivray about resources for
studying going abroad was discussed. Several suggestions were made:
--Recommend that the web resource be overseen by McGillivray’s office.
--Purpose is to let students know what is available, and to help units know what to put on
their own websites (to which there would be links from this website)
--Make a clear distinction between information about credit-bearing activities (such as
OSP reviews) and non-credit bearing activities.
--The website should be easily navigable by all audiences: students, faculty, and
administrators.
Steve will prepare another draft and circulate it to OSP.
III.
General discussion:
--Goals of overseas studies
--How to determine if a situation is “safe.”
Deferred till a future meeting.
Attachments:
Minutes from OSP meeting January 20, 2010, and report of other items approved for February
UCOC meeting
Draft of Steve Bucher’s memo to Ken McGillivray
Present:
Steve Bucher (chair)
Gordon Stables
James Steele
Remotely via phone: Erin Quinn, Patricia Riley
Edwenna Werner (staff)
Off-campus Studies Program
Minutes
February 24, 2011
Page 2 of 4
Absent:
Stacy Geck
Norman Hollyn
Ted Lee
Dan Lynch
John Murray
Mark Robison
Carol Wise
Gene Bickers, David Glasgow, Kenneht McGillivray, Sally Pratt, Michael Quick, Andrea Torres
(ex-officio)
Approvals by Chair or Chair-plus-one
February, 2011
I. MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
A. New Semester International Exchange Program
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal (16 units)
>
Eff. Term: Spring 2011
Approved for 3 years
This is one of five new undergraduate International Exchange Programs proposed. Four were approved on the
January minutes, where the programs are described. This Lisbon program was not approved due to the scantiness of
the syllabi provided. Once more informative syllabi were provided, it was approved for 3 years/
II. COLLEGE OF LETTERS ARTS & SCIENCES
A. New “Short trip”
“Problems without Passports” trip to Cairo: IR 308 (4 units)
>
International Relations
Eff. Term: Summer 2011
Approved for 3 years
IR 308 "Globalization: Issues and Controversies" is a Problems without Passports course. This session will focus
on "Super Tourism--Impacts on Sustainable Development-- Case Study: Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh" (Red Sea).
Students spend 2 weeks at USC and 2 weeks in Egypt, mostly in Cairo but concluding with 3 days at Sharm ElSheikh. This course was also offered in Summer 2010 in Cairo. The instructor and a staff member accompany the
students. They stay in a hotel in Cairo. Abercrombie and Fitch will provide transportation. Students will meet with
government and NGO officials. They will make a final presentation to Egyptian tourism officials, among others.
The goal is for 6-10 students to attend.
Chair comments: The itinerary and co-curricular information are very helpful. The course syllabus
is very detailed. Approval is based on the very obvious clearance of Student Affairs (with regard to safety).
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Minutes
February 24, 2011
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B. New “Short trip”
Anthropology
Eff. Term: Summer 2011
ANTH 499: Indigenous Languages in the Contemporary World (4 units)
>
Approved for 2 years
Students study Gaelic in Ireland. Two weeks at USC are followed by two weeks in Dublin and Northern Ireland.
Students stay in hotels and are accompanied by faculty. Problems without Passports course.
Chair comments: Most relevant information is provided to students. We hope a more specific itinerary is provided
to students for their time in Ireland.
Note: Course was originally approved for 3 years, but since it is a 499, it can only be offered twice. This is its first
offering.
III. SCHOOL OF THEATRE
Two new International Summer Programs
Eff. Term: Summer 2011
Theatre “externships” in Rio de Janeiro and in Rwanda. Students in the Applied Theatre Arts (ATA) MA are
required to take THTR-598: Applied Theatre Arts: International Externship (2). Each of the two externships is
structured in the same way, but occurs in different countries with a different focus. The course involves 2 weeks at
USC in preparation, including learning about the country to be visited. Four weeks are spent in country,
accompanied by a USC faculty or staff member, observing community-based theatre workers involved with social
or cultural issues specific to the setting. The USC faculty or staff member is present in a non-instructional role to
provide stability, support, and assistance in case of any emergency. Students will document what they see through
journaling and possibly video and may assist in the projects. Housing varies by country but is usually provided by a
local NGO with which Theatre is cooperating. After the externship, students return to USC for a week to write up
their experiences and make an oral presentation. The course supplements local community-based fieldwork
undertaken previously in LA. Focus will be cultural field work employed for education, therapy and social change.
A. Theatre Externship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2 units)
> Approved for 1 year
In Brazil, students will observe clinical social workers in community settings in concert with local communitybased theatre workers along the specific issues of economic justice, popular education, prison reform and
mental health care. Students will stay in a hotel in Rio de Janeiro two blocks from the site. The Center for
Theatre of the Oppressed International Exchange Coordinator will be responsible for student services and
safety.
Chair comments: This is a unique and rich experience for theatre students. The preparation and
accommodation information is fine. Having a USC faculty or staff representative accompanying the
students is important. OSP requests a revised syllabus for Brazil once the faculty/staff has been identified.
B. Theatre Externship in Rwanda (2 units)
>
Approved for 1 year
Focus of the fieldwork in Rwanda will be genocide survivors working in therapeutic groups using applied theatre
arts to rebuild their lives. Students will observe clinical social workers in community settings in concert with local
community-based theatre workers along the specific issue of recovery from the traumatic effects of the 1994
genocide. Students will stay at the Kigali Health Institute Guest House for 2 weeks, and then in a hotel for 2 weeks.
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Minutes
February 24, 2011
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The site coordinator will provide transportation, student services, and safety information. Students will participate
in training or conversations with Rwandans for Peace and Progress, Genocide Museum employees, genocide
survivors and mental health workers.
Chair comments: This is a unique and rich experience for theatre students. The preparation and
accommodation information is fine. Having a USC faculty or staff representative accompanying the
students is important.