Group IV: Studies in Culture and Diversity

Sub-Group IVB: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition

Application for Credit Using Applied Experiences Coursework

The General Education Committee understands there are many unique benefits for students engaging in at least three credits of a Study Abroad oran applied experience(i.e. internship, practicum, service-learning project) outside of the United States. In general, such coursework will prepare students for productive careers and responsible citizenship both in the United States and in a globalizing world – preparation that is at the heart of the mission of Central Michigan University. Completing a Study Abroad program or other applied experiences in a foreign country allows students to learn about cultures and societies both different from and similar to their own; to develop both an awareness of and sensitivity to cultural difference; to learn about cultural factors that impact approaches used to solve “real-world problems”; andcan help students decide to whether to seek international employment opportunities after graduation.

After completing your Study Abroad or other appliedexperience in a country outside of the United States, you must petition the General Education Committee to obtain approval for the course to fulfill your subgroup IV B: Studies in Global Cultures requirement. The application contains two parts: a coversheet and answers to a set of questions appended below. The cover sheet must indicate the number of credits earned, the grade awarded, and the faculty sponsor; in addition, it must indicate how the course or applied experience meets the goals of Sub-Group IVB. The application must also explicitly answer the questions listed at the end of this document. The completedapplication should be sent electronically to the Office of the Academic Senate(). Questions regarding the application process can be addressed directly to the Director of General Education (). A useful suggestion is that you take this applicationalong with you when you go abroad and maintain a log or diary of the ways in which you might reasonably fill out the application and answer the questions.

For more information on the benefits of doing applied coursework and engaging in study outside of the United States of America, see the Study Abroad website:(

Group IV: Studies in Culture and Diversity

Subgroup IV-B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo- American Tradition Application to receive Approval for Applied Experiences Coursework

Cover sheet

This application must be completed and returned to the Academic Senate Office if you wish to receive University Program approval for your Group IVB applied experience. If you have any questions about this application, contact the Director of General Education ().

Name: ______Student number: ______

Address: ______

Telephone: ______Email address: ______

Name of the Study Abroad or applied experience for which you are seeking approval:

______

Inclusive dates of activity: ______Credits awarded: ______Grade: ______

Faculty member who supervised your experience:

Signature: ______Date: ______

Printed Name: ______Phone: ______

E-mail address: ______

Onsite Supervisor (if applied experience was an internship, practicum, service-learning project)

Name: ______Phone: ______

E-mail Address: ______

Please address the following items on pages that are double spaced, typewritten, numbered, and attached to this document.

1. Describe fully and clearly the academic or other applied experience activities that you participated inand how you were supervised. Attach a syllabus or similar descriptive materials such as: supervisor’s reports, written work produced in preparation for the experience, or written work completed during the applied course.

2. Explain fully and clearly how your experience enabled you to meet goals of Subgroup IV B: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition: these studies involve exploration of an integrated geographical, cultural, or political region or tradition outside of the Anglo-American cultural tradition (for example, Africa, Latin America, the Muslim World). They will explicitly include but not be limited to a search for that which makes the geographical, cultural, or political region or tradition under consideration a unity, i.e., the fundamental considerations linking those found within a geographical, political or cultural boundary and differentiating them from others outside that boundary. The courses may be based in more traditional academic disciplines, and may require the student to become familiar with specific disciplinary methodologies; but their major goal should be to acquaint students with the fundamental and distinctive characteristics of the geographical, cultural, or political region or tradition under examination.

Sub-Group IVB: Studies in Cultures Outside of the Anglo-American Tradition

Application to Receive Approval for Applied Experiences Coursework

Questions

  1. What did you read about the host culture before or during your stay abroad? List and briefly summarize specific readings.
  1. Describe your living arrangements while you were abroad: did you live with local residents of the host country, in a dorm or apartment with other people from your host country, or with other students from the Unites States?
  1. If your stay abroad involved taking coursework in or through another university, describe the contact it enabled you to have with residents of the host country. What similarities and/or differences did you notice between the ways things are done in an American academic setting and the way they are done in your study abroad location?
  1. If your stay abroad involved work in a business or other professional setting, describe the contact it enabled you to have with residents of the host country. What similarities and/or differences did you notice between the workplace—its practices and perspectives—and what one might experience in an equivalent American setting?
  1. What efforts did you make to interact informally with local residents? Be specific and give examples. How frequently did you have such contact with them?
  1. If residents of the host country spoke a language other than English, what efforts (if any) did you make to learn that language? Please explain.
  1. If you studied or worked in an English-speaking location, what differences (if any) did you notice between the English you speak and the English spoken by inhabitants of the host country? Give some specific examples.
  1. What efforts did you make to learn about and participate in the cultural traditions, practices and beliefs of the host country? Give some examples and describe one particular tradition or practice in which you participated.
  1. Did you take part in and learn the significance of any local community events, festivals, feast days or holidays? If so, provide examples.
  1. What cultural events such as concerts, theatrical performances, museum visits, or walking tours did you attend or participate in? Be specific and give examples.
  1. Has your understanding of and appreciation for the cultural practices and beliefs of your host country changed in any way as a result of your experience abroad? If yes, how so? If not, why not, in your opinion?
  1. Has your understanding of and appreciation for your own traditions, practices and beliefs changed in any way as a result of your stay abroad? If yes, how so? If not, why not, in your opinion?
  1. Based on the totality of your experience abroad, what do you consider to be the benefits (or drawbacks) of living in a country other than your own for more than a few days and as more than a tourist?