Program Information & Academic Bulletin
MUDEC – Intensive Thematic Sequence
Summer Workshop
2016
Oxford Luxembourg Office
214 MacMillan Hall
(513) 529-8600
www.MiamiOH.edu/luxembourg
Updated 08/26/2015
2016 MUDEC Summer Workshop – Intensive Thematic Sequence Track
Differdange, Luxembourg – May 18-July 2, 2016
Program Information and Policies
Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center (MUDEC)
The Luxembourg Program offers students of all majors a unique combination of first-class academics,
engagement in the local community, and various faculty-guided and independent travel opportunities.
Students enrolled in the program attend classes at the Miami University John E. Dolibois European
Center (MUDEC) and are housed with European hosts throughout the community. MUDEC is located in
a beautiful 15th century castle (château) and is set in a spacious park, located in the center of
Differdange, Luxembourg’s third largest city. In addition to being equipped with Wi-Fi, the château also
contains classrooms, a library, computer area, a student lounge area, and laundry facilities. Luxembourg
is in the heart of Europe, 30 miles from France, Germany, and Belgium. Despite being one of Europe’s
smallest countries, it was charter member of the EU’s Common Market and is known for its richly varied
cultural, economic, and political life. Luxembourg City is recognized today as one of the three capitals of
the European Union and a major international financial center.
European Hosts and The Homestay Experience
Living in a local homestay arrangement has always been a central component of the Luxembourg
Program. Homestays are arranged by the MUDEC Housing Coordinator and students are typically
housed between Luxembourg City and Differdange. The student’s “family” composition will vary – it
could be a widow, an older couple, or a family with children. All hosts will provide a room (which may or
may not be shared with other students), basic breakfast (toast, cereal, etc.) 7 days a week and the
opportunity for students to get to know European life as insider. Internet access, phone privileges, and
laundry facilities are NOT provided by the hosts. Students may preference a roommate or
roommates/housemates, though roommate requests cannot always be fulfilled. Hosts will speak some
combination of Luxembourgish, French, German, and sometimes English and other languages. Note that
French or German is not required prior to attending.
Transportation and Commute
Some students will be housed within walking distance of the Château, but the majority will live in towns
between Luxembourg City and Differdange (chateau’s location). Students will be provided with a
transportation pass (Jumbo Pass) to take public transportation (bus or train) to and from classes.
Academic Expectations: This is a Miami program allowing students to earn 9 Miami credits in 7
weeks. Students need to apply themselves to their course work as this is an academically intensive
program. Academic obligations come first, so it may not be possible for students to travel every
weekend.
Passport Validity: A valid passport with at least SIX MONTHS FROM EXPIRATION LEFT ON IT WHEN
YOU RETURN TO THE U.S. is required to study in Luxembourg. If you do not have a passport or a valid
passport, you must apply for one no later than February 1st, 2016. US and European citizens will not
need a Schengen visa to participate in this program, provided they remain in the EU less than 90 days.
Non-US or European students may need tourist visas.
Supplemental Travel The program is designed to allow students opportunity to explore Europe
with their peers and complete homework. Most students tend to travel in small groups of two to five
students who have similar interests. In addition to independent travel opportunities, there will also be
two 5 day-long faculty-led study tours and a possible service-learning component during the program.
Supplemental International Accident and Sickness Insurance
All Miami students participating in study abroad programs are required to carry supplemental
international accident and sickness coverage through HTH Worldwide. HTH insurance must be
purchased by the students to cover the entire term. Should a health problem arise, the student should
call the 24/7/365 800# on the HTH card so that a case can be opened and HTH can put the student in
contact with an English-speaking medical professional. Further details about HTH will be provided to students
during the Oxford Pre-Departure Orientation Sessions.
Program Prerequisites
All students in the Luxembourg Summer Workshop are expected to represent themselves and the
University in a consistently exemplary fashion, both in the classroom and in the overseas community.
All students also must adhere to Miami’s Student Code of Conduct while abroad. Accordingly,
acceptance to the Luxembourg Summer Workshop is only offered to students in good academic
standing and who have satisfactory judicial records. Students’ acceptance may be withdrawn if their
judicial record deteriorates after program admittance. Students’ acceptance will always be withdrawn
if they are placed on academic or judicial probation prior to departure. No student may participate in
the Luxembourg Summer Workshop while on academic or judicial probation.
Application Requirements
1. A 2.5 GPA or above (on a scale of 4.0)
2. A good conduct record
3. Rising sophomores, juniors & seniors may apply.* Students from partner universities must be
temporarily admitted to Miami as transient students.
4. An essay and one academic letter of recommendation (must be from a grad student or above)
*Seniors, juniors & students in lockstep majors may be given preference if the number of applicants exceeds the
number of spots available.
5. Demonstration of maturity, responsibility, and preparedness for study abroad, based on an
advising meeting with the Luxembourg Coordinator or Advisor, application essay, and ability to
complete all pre/post admission requirements and submissions.
Application Procedures and Deadline
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Applications can be accessed online at www.MiamiOH.edu/luxembourg. Click “Apply Now”.
It is recommended that students apply during the fall semester. The application deadline is
December 7th, 2015 with rolling admissions thereafter for any open spots.
Program Fees
Program fees of approximately $3500 (refer to cost sheet) are paid in three installments to the Luxembourg
Office by credit card, check or money order, made payable to Miami University:
 The first installment of $500 is due on January 30, 2016 and is non-refundable after Feb 26,
2016.
 The second installment of $1,000 is due on February 26, 2016 (Non-refundable).
 The final installment of approximately $2000 (final amount TBD) is due on March 25, 2016 (Nonrefundable).
Registration and Tuition Payment
In mid-April, students will register for the MUDEC Workshop (refer to cost sheet for tuition details) by turning
in or mailing/scanning/faxing the credit workshop registration form to the Study Abroad Office in 214
MacMillan Hall. Once the form has been turned in, tuition will then be charged to the student’s Bursar
bill. The Luxembourg Office will provide students with an electronic copy of the form once all program
fee deposits have been made. Submitting this Credit Workshop Registration Form is the only way to
register for summer Luxembourg courses.
Students are responsible for all fees associated with the workshop and are required to make payment to
the Office of the Bursar. See www.MiamiOH.edu/Bursar for payment details. Reminder: No student
may participate on the program without having all tuition and program fees paid before the workshop
begins.
Refund policy
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For program fees: the first installment is refundable until February 26, 2016. The subsequent
installments are non-refundable.
For tuition and general fees: University policy permits no refunds after 4:30 p.m. on the last
working day before the first meeting day of the workshop.
Pre-Departure Orientation Program
A Pre-Departure Orientation Session in Oxford provides admitted students with detailed program and
cultural information, as well as opportunities to meet fellow program participants and returned MUDEC
students. Sample topics discussed include academic expectations, homestay tips, transportation
logistics, and further travel information.
Sources for Summer Study Abroad Scholarships (Most scholarships require students to file
the FAFSA)
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University Honors Program students who apply for and are granted the Honors Program
summer tuition waiver can use the waiver to cover the instructional fee (not the general fee) for
8 of the 9 credit hours. The Honors program summer tuition waiver requires students to study
abroad for at least a semester during the academic year. Consult with a UHP Advisor in Old
Manse or the online University Honors portal for more information. Application deadlines are
firmly enforced.
Global Initiatives: Complete the Common Scholarship Application found at
www.miamioh.edu/studyabroad for all Global Initiatives administered scholarships.
Farmer School of Business majors: See Business Advisors in 1022 FSB. It is advised to apply for
an FSB summer scholarship early in the application process.
General Miami Scholarships (limited numbers) are available for summer study; loans are a
further possibility. See the Office of Student Financial Assistance, 121CAB.
Pell Eligible students may be able to receive a Pell Grant during the summer term. Check with
your financial aid counselor in 121 CAB or your home institution for further information.
Phi Kappa Phi has study abroad grants. Go to: www.phikappaphi.org
Study Abroad Funding for the summer. Go to: www.Studyabroadfunding.org
Also ask in individual departments, especially the department of your major.
Attendance Policy for Summer Workshop Students
The MU Student Handbook, Chapter 9 (1.9.B) of the Undergraduate Academic Regulations, states “Every
student is expected to attend every class session for which the student is duly registered.” Attendance
policies are at the discretion of the individual professor. Check with your summer workshop instructor
for more information. Remember that academic work must be your top priority. You are first and
foremost a student and only secondarily a traveler!
Withdrawal Policy
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Prior to the beginning of the program*: Students must submit a written statement to the
Luxembourg Office via email at Luxembourg@MiamiOH.edu and indicate the reason for
withdrawal (for program statistical purposes).
Once the program has started*: Students should first contact the MUDEC Dean; they may not
just leave the program. The MUDEC Dean and staff will assist students with the withdrawal
process. Note that there may be both financial and academic consequences by withdrawing
from the program once it is in session.
Refunds: Please refer to the Refund Policy section above.
*Students from partner universities should also contact the appropriate international office at their home
institution to determine what procedures must be followed.
Academic Bulletin and Course Offerings
Intensive Thematic Sequence Program (9 hours)
Three Ohio-based Miami professors will teach courses that satisfy requirements of the Global Miami
Plan curriculum. The program lasts seven weeks and provides nine hours of Miami credit. Classes meet
Monday through Thursday. Two 6-day (5-night) faculty-led study tours are embedded in the 7-week
program. There may also be a possibility for local service-learning opportunities.
2016 Courses
Three Ohio-based Miami professors will teach a set of courses that satisfy requirements of the Global
Miami Plan curriculum and provide nine hours of Miami credit. The three courses may fulfill a Thematic
Sequence, plus 3 hours towards the Global Perspectives requirement, or the courses may count as the
completion of the Global Perspectives requirement, plus 3 hours toward a Global MPF requirement.
There are no prerequisites for these courses, and students must take all three courses.
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ENG 251/252L/BWS 360L*- Europe in Literature Written by African Writers: Between Two
Worlds – Europe in the African Imagination (3 hrs)
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PHL 103L * - Society and the Individual (3 hrs)
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ENG/IMS 416L – Writing for Global Audiences Engaging with Europe (3 hrs)
*Week-long faculty-led study tours to:
o England
o France
Course Descriptions
ENG/IMS 416L – Writing for Global Audiences Engaging with Europe
Gabriele Bechtel
This course aims to expand Miami students’ intercultural literacy and written/oral communication skills, with a specific focus on
Western European audiences and their communicative practices. To that end, students will be familiarized with some of the
foundational concepts and core issues raised by the fields of intercultural communication, technical communication, and crosscultural rhetoric. In addition, students will analyze digital and print texts targeted at a variety of European audiences; here, a
specific focus will be placed on the local multicultural context of Luxembourg.
Intercultural competencies typically evolve over longer periods of time, requiring willful and extended exposure to multicultural
contexts, and, most importantly, critical reflection on one’s own position in relation to others’. Students will be given the
opportunity to “see” their own communication patterns and cultural values, which will enable them to understand the cultural
differences they observe and experience during their stay in Luxembourg. For the duration of the course, students will write
about and reflect on the many intercultural encounters they experience, not only while staying in Luxembourg, but also when
traveling in other parts of Europe, individually or with their study tour groups.
ENG 416 is designed in a way that fosters collaboration within and between groups, and many class activities will be team-based.
Most importantly, students will have the opportunity to collaborate with European audiences in ways that are personally and
professionally meaningful. No study tour.
ENG 251L/252L/BWS 360L- Europe in Literature Written by African Writers: Between
Two Worlds- Europe in the African Imagination
Gwen Etter-Lewis
This course examines multi-cultural European identities through literature written by African writers who reside in European
countries. We will focus on contemporary Anglophone literature. Our primary goal is to explore Europe as a central component
of identity in the imagination and lived experiences of first and second generation African immigrants. Specifically, we analyze
ways that African writers perceive Europe in general and London in particular, as a source of literary imagination/production. We
will discuss and critique relevant topics including exile and creativity, the politics of location, issues of identity, “unbelonging,”
and “postcoloniality.”
Our study tour will take place in London, the hub of Anglophone literature written by African writers. During African struggles
for independence from colonial powers, many English speaking African writers sought refuge in London, an international city of
diverse cultures. Prominent writers such as Olaudah Equiano immigrated to London in 1792, Buchi Emcheta in 1962, and Zoe
Wicomb in 1970, to name a few.
PHL 103L – Society and the Individual
Pascal Massie
Miami Plan Foundation Course IIB; CAS-B-HUMANITIES
Society and the Individual introduces students to fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies,
and concepts used by philosophers. The course focuses on the relationship between human beings and the societies in which they
live in terms of its political, social, existential, and ethical dimensions. It prepares students to better understand some fundamental
normative concepts by tracing them back to their historical sources and encourages them to question their validity, application,
and limits. The summer workshop will specifically explore three conceptual categories that underpin core political beliefs as they
developed in European culture and are still in place and at play in today’s political discourse in most part of the globe; namely:
(a) ‘authority,’ (b) ‘justice and justification,’ and (c) ‘community.’
Human existence takes place in a realm that has been called “social reality.” This means that our existence is not only regulated
by the physical and biological laws that govern matter and organisms but also by “institutions” in the broadest sense of the term
(legal systems, religious and civil organizations, traditions, education, conventions, and the like). Human life does not simply
occur as a material fact; it also depends in large part on structures of power expressed in symbolic forms. Authority, in order to
be obeyed, must be recognized. Far from being atomistic units, individuals are linked to society in a peculiar causal loop: social
reality can be analyzed both as the product of the individuals’ activities- in which case, it is constructed (we “make” social
institutions) and as the force that profoundly shapes and controls the life of its creators- in which case we are constructed by it
(we are, in part at least, “made” by social institutions). Traditional subject-centered theories lack the categories through which
this chiasm can become intelligible.
To discover and engage these questions students will read a broad array of works from Sophocles, Aristotle, Aquinas,
Machiavelli, Hobbes, Kant, Marx, and Rancière. Study tour to France