Download Annual Program Review CIEE Study Center at Universidad de

Annual Program Review
CIEE Study Center at Universidad de Sevilla
Advanced Liberal Arts Program
2005
CIEE Program Director: Catharine Scruggs, cscruggs@ciee.org
CIEE Resident Director: Dr. Maritheresa Frain, Director, CIEE Seville
CIEE Resident Coordinator: Luisa Rodriguez
CIEE Academic Consortium Board Program Evaluation: www.ciee.org
CIEE Academic Consortium Board Monitor: Peter Wollitzer, University of California -- EAP
Each summer, program directors write a Study Center Review for each CIEE Study Center
program commenting on the previous academic year. The program director writes the review
based on input from the CIEE Academic Consortium Board members, resident directors, sending
institutions, and student evaluations. Each report is made public on the CIEE website at
www.ciee.org.
Program Goals
The goals of the Advanced Liberal Arts (ALA) Program are to enable students to achieve fluency in
spoken and written Spanish, and to pursue a wide variety of academic fields, gaining a deeper
understanding of these fields from a Spanish perspective. These goals are reached through direct
matriculation in university degree program courses, the homestay program, local and overnight
excursions, a conversational exchange program, volunteer opportunities, and independent study
options.
The goals were met and no changes to the mission are planned at this time.
Academic Program
Language
One of the biggest innovations this year has been the test launch of the CIEE on line placement
test (OLPT) for pre-arrival testing for spring 2005. Nearly 98% of all students took the test prior to
arrival. Having this information beforehand helped programs organize groups and levels in a more
timely fashion. It also freed up more time during orientation for other activities. Minor content
changes have been made to the OLPT for summer and fall 2005. Some programming changes
will be completed by 1 November for the spring 2006 launch date of 1 December.
ALA students with lower than average language skills were required to take an intensive advanced
Spanish language class. There was a small group during the fall intensive session (8 students) but
a large one for the spring (19 students). The evaluations (and student end of semester
performance) keep revealing that this language class is a positive contribution to the success of
students in regular university classes.
During the regular session, all ALA students could opt to take a two credit language support class.
Only two students were enrolled in this class, both during the fall semester and the spring
semester. This may be due to the fact that it is only two credits. This class will be changed to a
three credit class for the coming academic year. The content of this class will be revised to make it
more in line with the initial idea behind the class—to provide special linguistic support to students
taking regular university classes.
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Direct Enrollment
All students on the CIEE ALA program must enroll in three regular university courses at the
Universidad de Sevilla (US) and/or Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO). Students in ALA take
classes at the UPO, and eight of the different facultades of the Universidad de Sevilla. Students
may take a fourth direct enrollment course or a CIEE course.
The course registration process has become more streamlined given the CIEE database and
some program reorganization. All Universidad de Sevilla registrations were done electronically for
the first time this year saving much time and paper.
ALA program students are individually advised during the intensive session for class selection. In
the fall, Lucia Quintana, the ALA Academic Advisor, advised all the students. In the spring, Lucia
advised on large sending institution’s students and Maritheresa Frain, the CIEE Seville Center
Director, advised the remainder. This helped in providing the best possible information to students
concerning class selections, professors, time tables, final exam schedule, syllabi, etc. It is rather
time consuming for staff, but the investment but works for students.
Arrival dates for ALA have been changed to include two extra days for campus orientation before
the beginning of the intensive session. In this way, there is time to physically take the students to
each of the facultades and show them around (libraries, study rooms, bus schedules, professors’
offices, classrooms, bookstores, copy centers, cafeterias, etc.). UPO and US students assist in
these orientation sessions.
Spring 2005 semester was a bit challenging as there were students taking classes in the
Engineering and Biology Schools for the first time. Both schools were very receptive to having
CIEE students in their classes and feedback from the students has been positive (although classes
are difficult).
This year there were not any major problems with time conflicts, Friday class schedules, etc. In
fact, there are students taking classes at UPO, US and CIEE. Perhaps the orientation sessions
setting out clearly the logistical issues have helped create open minds among ALA students.
Students on the Advanced Liberal Arts program took the following direct enrollment courses in fall
2004:
Antropología cultural y social (II)
Antropología de las sociedades contemporáneas (II)
Antropología de los géneros (II)
Dirección estratégica (I)
Dirección y gestión de la producción (I)
Economía de la empresa (1)
Economía social (I)
Etnicidad, migraciones y nacionalismo (III)
Geografía del mundo (I)
Geografía económica (I)
Geografía general de Europea (V)
Geografía humana y demografía (II)
Hª contemporánea del mundo hispánico (II)
Hª de América (II)
Hª de América en la edad moderna I (II)
Hª de la América pre-hispánica I: pueblos y culturas indígenas (IV)
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Hª de la cultura contemporánea (II)
Hª de la ética (I)
Hª del antiguo Egipto (I)
Hª moderna de España (I)
Hª y ficción en Hispanoamérica (II)
Hª y técnica de la fotografía (I)
Historiografía árabe (III)
Lengua árabe (I)
Lengua Francesa I (I)
Literatura Española (I)
Literatura hispánica actual (I)
Literatura y espectáculo audiovisual (I)
Literatura y sociedad en Hispanoamérica (II)
Mitología (I)
Poesía hispanoamericana (III)
Política económica I (I)
Políticas y libertades de la UE (I)
Sociolingüística andaluza (VI)
Teoría y problemas éticos actuales (I)
And in spring 05:
Administración pública y empresa (I)
Antropología cultural en América (II)
Antropología de la comunicación (I)
Antropología de la marginalización social (III)
Antropología de la religión (V)
Antropología de la salud (II)
Antropología urbana (III)
Arte hispanoamericano (IV)
Arte iberoamericano del siglo XX (I)
Arte y fiesta en el renacimiento y barroco (II)
Biología de la reproducción vegetal (II)
Biología molecular de la interacción planta-micro-organismo (I)
Botánica aplicada (I)
Cervantes (VIII ALA and I LA)
Ciencia de los materiales (I)
Clima y sociedad (I)
Comedia: ciclo Lope de Vega (IV)
Comunicación intercultural (II)
Conducta Anormal y adicciones (III)
Conservación y gestión de espacios y recursos naturales (I)
Dirección de la innovación y el cambio (I)
Dirección y gestión de la producción/operaciones II (IV)
Economía de la UE (II)
El Corán (V)
El Español hablado UPO (II)
Formas de comunicación publicitaria (I)
Geografía general de España (IX)
Geografía política (II)
Geografía regional de España (I)
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Geografía urbana (I)
Geografía y urbanismo (I)
Gestión financiera (I)
Gramática contrastiva español-francés (I)
Hª de al-Andalus (II)
Hª de América (II)
Hª de América pre-hispánica II: estados y imperios (II)
Hª de Andalucía contemporánea (II)
Hª de la conquista de América (I)
Hª de la esclavitud en América (VI)
Hª de la iglesia en América en siglo XIX-XX (VIII)
Hª de las ideas lingüísticas (I)
Hª de los sistemas políticas americanos (III)
Hª del arte contemporáneo YEARLONG (I)
Hª del arte moderno en Andalucía (XV)
Hª del libro impreso (I LA)
Hª del pensamiento político y social siglos XIX (I)
Hª del pensamiento político y social siglos XX (VI)
Hª moderna de Europa (I)
Hª social de la colonización española (I)
Hidrología (II)
Historia de la ética YEARLONG (I)
Historia del cine (IV)
Iconografía (I)
Introducción a la fotografía (V)
Introducción a la literatura hispanoamericana colonial (IV)
La España actual (II)
La iglesia en la edad media (I)
Lengua francesa I YEARLONG (I)
Literatura y comunicación (I)
Magreb contemporáneo (I)
Marketing internacional UPO (I)
Mercados financieros (II)
Neuroetología (I)
Psicología del consumo (III)
Psicología del deporte y el ejercicio (V)
Publicidad (I)
Relato hispanomericano (VII)
Sistemas de la propulsión (I)
Sociolingüística andaluza (XI)
Teatro hispanoamericano (II)
Teoría del arte YEARLONG (I)
Teoría y problemas éticos actuales YEARLONG (I)
Termodinámica (I)
Textos literarios ingleses IV (I)
* (Roman numeral refers to the number of CIEE students in the class)
CIEE Content Classes
Several new CIEE classes were included in the spring 2005 semester including Three Religions
and Flamenco. For Fall 2005 a new Ecology class and one on Contemporary Arab Politics will be
added. For spring 2006, a new class will be added on the Spanish of America.
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Professor Evaluations
All professors are evaluated at the end of the class, intensive as well as regular sessions. Return
rate is 100%. CIEE staff review these evaluations and professors see these after final grades have
been received. In the event of any specific problem, the RD works with the professor to improve
teaching strategies, teaching across cultures, etc. There were no serious problems this year which
resulted in termination of contracts. Overall, students evaluate CIEE professors very highly.
CIEE Class Syllabi
All CIEE class syllabi now have a week by week schedule including readings and topics to be
covered. There is also a midterm week with the withdrawal date immediately following. This was
an Academic Consortium Board recommendation last year which has been included in all
programs.
Non-academic Features
Orientation
The Advanced Liberal Arts program orientation, based at a hotel for three nights and four full days,
was conducted by CIEE Seville staff. Following the orientation, students moved into their
homestays or residencias.
Beginning in the fall, orientation sessions, except for the welcome session, will be held in CIEE’s
new study center and students will stay in a more centrally-located hotel for one less night but with
orientation still taking place for four full days. The idea behind this is to get students into city life
quicker without creating a bunker mentality at the hotel. (Each CIEE program in Seville will lodge
in a different orientation hotel.) Also beginning in fall, host families will come to the hotel to pick up
their students in a cab.
This year CIEE Seville provided an opportunity for a particular cell phone company to work with
students with poor results. In the future, CIEE will either revert to having a general fair with a variety
of companies available or point students to cell phone shops. CIEE has re-edited the informational
pamphlet about the three cell phone providers in Spain to help students in their choices.
New features of the non-academic program included the Tertulia Program, a closer relationship
with SACUS regarding volunteer opportunities, and a new-and-improved intercambio system. A
new website (www.ciee.org/studyseville) was launched, along with a new format for the weekly
student newsletter.
Cultural Visits
Three types of Cultural Visits were offered this year including:
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•
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Weekly Visits within Seville - Weekly visits this year were organized to the following
destinations: Cathedral, Alcazar, Barrio de Santa Cruz, Casa Pilatos, Casa Lebrija,
Archeological Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Museum of Popular Arts and Customs,
Monasterio de la Cartuja, Ayuntamiento, and Triana, among others.
Day trips: There were 2 daytrips offered. Destinations this semester included Cádiz,
Lugares Colombinos (Huelva), and Ronda.
Overnight Trips. There are two overnight trips offered each term. In the fall LS students
went to Toledo and Extremadura and in the spring, they traveled to Granada and
Extremadura.
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For the future, CIEE staff in Seville is currently working to tailor cultural visits to better fit the
program’s needs. The patio of the palace will help assist staff in promoting activities by giving
students more information about what is planned and where....PowerPoint presentations with
photos, posters, etc.
In the coming year, ALA students will partake in a cultural reimbursement program to help them
integrate more closely into the local culture. Students will have several group organized visits and
one overnight trip, but students will also have set funds available to them to reimburse them for
tickets to theater, film, opera, ballet and other events to encourage them to explore the cultural life
of Andalucia with Spanish friends.
Language Exchange (Intercambio)
CIEE’s intercambio program is an opportunity for program participants to make connections with
Spaniards. At the recommendation of the ACB evaluation team, who visited in spring 2004, the
intercambio program was restructured. Beginning in fall 2004, a series of “intercambio meetings”
are held in which a group of about 20 students (both US and Spanish) get together and participate
in a lively getting-to-know-you activity. By the end of the activity, program participants should have
the contact information of about 6-10 Spanish exchange partners.
In Fall 2004, eight intercambio meetings were held between the 11th and the 26th of October. Equal
numbers of CIEE and Spanish students participated. After the meetings were held and additional
25 – 30 CIEE students asked for an intercambio. An additional 19 Spanish students came in
asking for intercambios after the meetings were held.
One issue was that the initial meetings were held in mid to late October…already 1.5 to 2 months
into the term. The lateness of the meetings was due to the fact that this was a new system but
also due to the on-going problem of the availability of Spanish students, due to exams in
September. In addition, CIEE students looking for an intercambio after the meetings were held
also had a lag time before a student was available. CIEE students’ starting signing up after the
meetings, and more time was needed to bring more Spaniards on board.
In Spring 2005, eight intercambio meetings were held during the intensive session, from the 25 of
January until the 17 of February. This was an improvement over the previous semester, as we
were able to hold meetings during the intensive session. After the meetings were held students
signed up for an intercambio. But, again, there was a lag time between the time (about 1 month)
that the CIEE student signed-up and the time that more Spaniards were on the list. Students were
encouraged to meet Spaniards though other means (CineClub, sports, volunteering, etc). At the
end of the semester, there were still Spaniards on the list…but no CIEE students were interested.
For the coming year, in general, CIEE will focus efforts on getting more Spaniards on the list as
early as possible, although this is an uphill battle, given exam schedules. Perhaps too much focus
is given to the intercambio program as THE way to meet Spanish students. CIEE will point
students to other ways (CIEE Sports, CINEClub, Voluntariado, tertulias, etc) in which they can
interact with Spaniards. Given differences in academic calendars, it will be difficult to have more
Spaniards earlier (which would help). A better option would be to promote and strengthen nonintercambio options….and make the point to interact with Spaniards…not necessarily participate in
a “formal” intercambio. For Fall 05 CIEE already has a large data base of Spanish students to
contact in order to begin the intercambio program earlier. 100% of intercambio needs for fall will be
covered.
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Other Activities
Sports – Each week program participants are offered friendly “pick-up” games of soccer,
basketball, and volleyball. The matches are open to the public and quite a number of Spanish
students join in on these games.
CineClub - This is a student-run activity, in which program participants organize a weekly film
series. The films are open to the public, and quite a number of Spanish students participate. It is
by far the most popular and well attended CIEE sponsored activity. During fall, 12 movies were
shown with an average attendance of 25. In the spring 14 movies were shown with an average
attendance of 30 participants. Attendance was generally 2/3 CIEE students and 1/3 Spanish
students.
Volunteer Program – Students have the opportunity to participate in volunteer activities through
SACUS (Servicio de Asistencia a la Comunidad Universitaria). In the fall several LA students
participated and in the spring six LA students participated.
Tertulia Series –This is a new activity in which CIEE Resident Staff organized a lecture series for all
CIEE program participants in Spanish. Attendance was not as high as expected but next year the
schedule for the tertulias will be published at the beginning of the semester so that students can
plan for the lectures that interest them.
This year’s tertulia series included:
Referendum on the EU Constitution
Spanish Monarchy
Survival Guide to Semana Santa
Wine Appreciation
Immigration in Spain/EU
Stress management
Turkish Integration into EU
Re-entry workshop
Several sessions were cancelled due to lack of interest (Cross-cultural issues, Safety)
Housing
In the fall the 17 students were placed in homestays in the Los Remedios and Triana areas except
for one student who decided to move to the Center. Three students changed homestays. In spring
six students moved. Twelve yearlong students opted to move into their own apartment in spring.
Four spring students chose to live in the student residencia. No ALA students were doubled up.
Student evaluations indicate that students on the ALA program are generally very pleased with
their homestays.
Nancy Merchant, the CIEE Housing Coordinator, has written a housing orientation pamphlet for
families. The plan is to distribute this to all families in the fall and host a coffee in late September in
the CIEE palacio sevillano so that they know the location and to go over important issues. In the
spring, there will be a mandatory new host family orientation which we will institutionalize every
semester.
In the future, fall Advanced Liberal Arts students will also be given the residencia option.
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Health and Safety
There were no notable changes in heath and safety at CIEE Seville.
Students
Enrollment
Semester
Academic Year
Gender
Male
Female
48
25
Average Student GPA
Top Enrollments by Major
Spanish
English
International Affairs
Marketing
Sociology
17
56
3.51
Top Sending Schools
Georgetown University
Macalester College
Cornell University
University of Colorado at Boulder
George Washington University
Future Directions
The ALA program is on solid footing. CIEE will seek to enroll students in additional facultades of the
Universidad de Sevilla and the Universidad Pablo de Olavide in response to diversifying student
interest.
The new cultural reimbursement program will serve to encourage students to further participate in
cultural activities such as theater, film, opera, ballet etc., in the region
The opening of CIEE’s Palacio Sevillano center this fall will provide the space for many new
programmatic activities to be developed.
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