Furman University

Latin America

Spring 2012 Study Away, Furman University

For additional information on the program contact the director, Dr. Steve O’Neill, History Department, or stay tuned to the program’s website: http://www.furman.edu/depts/latinamerica/ steve.o’neill@furman.edu

Destinations
Mexico (or Cuba); Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador

 

Topical Foci: health and medical practices; contemporary politics; the history of US foreign policy in the region; globalization

 

Language
There is no language requirement for this program. All lectures and programming activities will be translated.

 

History of the Program
Furman’s Latin America study abroad program has gone four times since its inception in 2004. All four iterations have followed roughly the same itinerary and programming foci.

 

Faculty and Courses
Cuba or Mexico: Dr. Kristy Maher, Sociology, teaching Sociology 260 “Global Health Inequities.” Carries GER credit for HB and WC and counts towards the Poverty Studies Concentration.

 

Guatemala: Dr. Cleve Fraser, Political Science, teaching Political Science 244, “Issues in Latin American Politics.” Carries GER credit for HB and will count towards the Latin American Studies Concentration.

 

Nicaragua: Dr. Steve O’Neill, History Department, teaching History 352, “Travel Study Special Topic: US Foreign Policy in Latin America.”  Carries GER credit in HA, Historical Analysis.

 

El Salvador: Dr. David Gandolfo, Philosophy Department, teaching Philosophy, 304, “Ethics of Globalization.” Carries GER credit in NE, Humans and the Natural Environment, and counts towards the Poverty Studies Concentration.

 

Applications and Selection Process
Applications will be available late Fall 2010, and will presumably be done online through the new method being put in place by the Office of International Education. It appears that system will be up and running in late November or early December 2010. Stay tuned to the program website in late November for any additional updates. Completed applications will be due in early Spring 2011, and following an interview process, final selections will be made by late February 2011. The program is open to all majors and years.

Approximately 20 applicants will be selected.

 

Cost
The cost of the program will not exceed the normal cost of staying on campus in Spring term 2012 and all financial aid applies to the program as with any other normal Furman semester.

 

Calendar
The plan is to be on campus for approximately six weeks of the fourteen-week semester, three at the beginning and three at the end, with approximately eight weeks in country. We will spend roughly two weeks in each of the four countries. The probable order of countries to be visited follows that listed above: 1) Cuba or Mexico 2) Guatemala 3) Nicaragua and 4) El Salvador.

 

Our Local Partner
The Center for Global Education, a study-abroad coordinator based out of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN. A relatively small organization with study centers and staff members in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Namibia. Furman and CGE establish an institutional partnership around our Latin America and Africa study away programs. http://www.augsburg.edu/global/

 

Accommodations and Transportation
We stay in guesthouses, small hotels and occasional homestays. We fly between each country and we move about in vans and small buses in each country.