Overview

Introduction

The University of Washington, Tacoma's week long program in Cuba offers an opportunity to undergraduate and graduate students to learn about daily life on the island and to explore aspects of Cuban culture, history and the arts. The program introduces students to the contemporary culture of Cuba through extensive fieldwork in the streets, museums, monuments and cultural institutions of Cienfuegos, a provincial city in the south of Cuba, and Havana, the nation's capital. Lectures and discussions address the many facets of daily life in contemporary Cuba, including visits to schools, hospitals, a botanical garden, an agricultural cooperative, a theatre, interaction with university professors and students, and guided tours of the history, urban design, art and architecture of the cities we visit. The goal of this tour is to expose students to the richness of Cuban culture. Students will learn what it is like to live in Cuba today, what challenges the people face, and what strategies they have developed to cope with economic hardships. Our guides will be professors and students from the University of Cienfuegos, artists, writers, historians, and professional tour leaders. No knowledge of Spanish is required. Because of the licensing agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, this study tour is only open to UW students and faculty. We will be travelling legally to Cuba as scholars and students, using the University of Washington's license.

Student Eligibility

Undergraduate and graduate students at any UW campus may apply. Participants are selected on the basis of academic preparation, high scholarship, motivation, emotional maturity, and financial responsibility. A maximum of 16 students will be accepted. The University of Washington provides equal opportunity in education without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title IX of the Education Amendments, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and University of Washington policy. Students who are citizens of countries other than the United States must check with the office that issued their U.S. visa to determine if they are permitted to travel to Cuba as part of this program.

Facilities and Lodging

While in Cienfuegos, students will stay in university or city owned dormitories, and meals will be taken in the hotel cafeteria. Housing in Cuba is simple and spartan, and you should expect nothing in the way of luxury. However, it is a clean, safe environment, and you will have the opportunity to experience life the way Cuban students live it. While in Havana, you will stay in a modest hotel in a good neighborhood, and your meals will be taken in the hotel restaurant or state run restaurants. Again, your accomodations will be very basic and will lack luxuries, but they will be clean and safe. Costs are based on double or triple occupancy. Single rooms are not available.

Courses and Credits

Students will receive 3 to 5 quarter credits for Independent Study. The number of credits you receive depends on the scope and breadth of your project. You may do the Independent Study with Dr. Duncan or with any faculty member of your choice, but arrangements must be made prior to the tour. You must complete the necessary paperwork, describe your intended project, and obtain the signature of your faculty sponsor before you go to Cuba. For students who want IAS credit, download the appropriate form from the IAS Web site. Other students, speak to your program advisor for advice. The work will be completed upon return, and you will receive credit at the end of spring quarter. Because the credits are attached to spring quarter, you will pay tuition as you normally would in the spring. No additional tuition is required for the time you are in Cuba. Credit cannot be granted until satisfactory completion of the field experience and all written work. All students who go on the tour must be enrolled in UW classes in the spring quarter.

Faculty

The program will be led by Dr. Cynthia Duncan, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program, University of Washington, Tacoma. Dr. Duncan is a specialist in Latin America. She has been to Cuba numerous times and speaks Spanish fluently.

Program Cost

Program participation fee: $2,100

What is Included?

• round-trip airfare from Vancouver to Varadero
• transportation from Varadero to Cienfuegos, from Cienfuegos to Havana, from Havana to Varadero, plus all transportation for group activities in Cienfuegos and Havana
• 4 nights accomodations in Cienfuegos in dorms
• all meals in Cienfuegos
• day trip to Santa Clara, Trinidad or another nearby city
• 3 nights accomodations in hotel in Havana
• breakfast in Havana
• guided tours, receptions, organized cultural activities, lectures
• translators and interpreters for all lectures and guided tours
• your $200 application fee is applied toward the total cost of the program

Not Included:

• transportation to and from Vancouver
• lunches and dinners in Havana
• student health insurance, travel insurance
• tuition for 3-5 undergraduate or graduate credits in Spring Quarter, 2004
• personal expenses
• optional bus or taxi fares in Cuba
• passport and other travel document costs
• textbooks

Students should be prepared to purchase the majority of their supplies as they would on their home campus. Students should budget approximately $75 for textbooks, and $30 per day for personal expenses while in Cuba. Keep in mind that the U.S. department of treasury limits the amount of money you can spend in Cuba, so keep your shopping under control. You can only bring back $100 of merchandise.

Planned Activities

Because of travel restrictions between the U.S.A. and Cuba, this will be a tightly organized tour and there will be relatively little "free" time for individual activities. You are expected to participate in all group activities, to attend all group events, and to eat and lodge with the group. Most of your day and many evenings will be taken up with planned activities, and you will not be allowed to wander off on your own whenever you wish. It is important that you understand the nature of the study tour and the conditions imposed. This is not a "vacation" or a sightseeing trip of the island. This is a university course and the purpose of the tour is academic. Typically, we have activities from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. every day, and in the evenings, we usually have something planned from about 7 to 10 p.m. You are expected to take notes, read and write about the topics you are exposed to in Cuba.

In Cienfuegos:

• visit schools, meet professors, students and administrators who will talk to us about Cuba's educational system
• visit clinics, hospitals, mental health clinics, medical school, talk to doctors, health care practitioners and patients about Cuba's health care system
• meet the mayor, city officials, and members of a youth group who will talk about Cuba's political system, hopes and aspirations for the future
• visit an agricultural cooperative to learn how Cuba's land reform has affected production of crops
• visit Cienfuegos' botanical garden, tour the garden with specialists who will describe their work with eco tourism
• tour downtown Cienfuegos with the city's historian, visit city's cultural center, visit the Thomas Terry theatre, the Naval Academy museum
• attend a performance at the Thomas Terry theatre

In Havana:

• driving tour of the city with a guide
• walking tour of Old Havana
• visits to museums
• musical entertainment
• free time for sightseeing and shopping

Preparation, Orientation and Followup

Orientation meetings will be held during Winter Quarter, 2004. These meetings are obligatory for participation in the program. All written work will be due by the end of Spring Quarter, 2004.