Overview

Introduction

The University of Washington, Tacoma's four week program in Cuernavaca, Mexico offers an opportunity to undergraduate and graduate students to learn about daily life in Central Mexico and to explore aspects of Mexican culture, history and the arts. Students learn about the role of art, literature, film, music, history and nationalism in the development of contemporary Mexican culture. In addition to lectures and discussions on various aspects of Mexican culture, the program includes an immersion experience in the Spanish language at a level appropriate to the student's background (beginning to advanced). The goal of this tour is to expose students to the richness of Mexican culture and to encourage students to develop conversational skills in the Spanish language. Classes are held at the Kukulcán Institute located in a quiet residential area near downtown Cuernavaca. Kukulcán is housed in a converted mansion with extensive grounds, beautiful gardens, terraces, and a swimming pool. There is a volleyball field, locker rooms and showers, a reading room, and a cafeteria on the premises. The school is within 10 minutes walking distance of downtown Cuernavaca. Cuernavaca is situated in a pleasant valley about an hour southwest of Mexico City. It is known as the City of Eternal Spring because of its beautiful weather year round and its lush vegetation. Cuernavaca is a midsize city with many cultural attractions, and it is a popular destination for people escaping the hectic pace of life in Mexico City on the weekends. Frequent field trips to museums, historical sites, monuments, and weekend visits to other nearby cities take students out of the classroom and allow them to learn about Mexico by observing and interacting with the Mexican people.

Student Eligibility

Undergraduate and graduate students at any UW campus may apply. Participants are selected on the basis of high scholarship, academic preparation, motivation, emotional maturity, and financial responsibility. A maximum of 18 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 Mexico as part of this program. The program is open only to students, faculty and staff at the University of Washington.

Lodging and Food

While in Cuernavaca, students will be housed with carefully chosen Mexican families. From Monday to Friday, the host family provides students with three meals a day. Transportation to and from school will also be provided by the host family. Home stay is strongly encouraged because it provides students with a safe, clean, comfortable environment, as well as with social contact and a rich cultural experience. On weekends, students will travel with the group to a nearby city like Taxco, Puebla or Mexico City and will stay in a hotel. Some meals on the weekend are not included as part of the program fee, but students will find many inexpensive options in restaurants and cafeterias. Costs are based on double occupancy. A limited number of single rooms are available at an additional cost.

Courses and Credits

Students will receive 12 quarter credits in the IAS program for TXCIN 464 The Arts, Cultures and History of Mexico during Summer Quarter 2005, Term A. Students will take conversational Spanish classes each morning, in groups of no more than five students per class, at a level that is appropriate for them. As part of the immersion experience, students will explore the city with their instructor and practice their speaking skills in "real life" situations such as the market, a restaurant, the post office, or a travel agency. In addition, students will have lectures and discussions (in Spanish or English, as appropriate for the individual) on Mexican history, literature, film, art, music, popular culture, as well as contemporary social and political issues. Some lectures will be in a classroom environment and others will be on site, as students tour the city and surrounding areas. We will not meet as a class during Term B, but you will be able to consult with the professor on an independant basis about your writing assignments. There is some flexibility in terms of due dates for papers, but all written assignments must be completed by the end of Term B. Credit cannot be granted until satisfactory completion of the field experience and all written work. With the exception of the grammar and vocabulary quizzes, which test students' progress with language acquisition, all reading, writing and lectures can be in English or Spanish, as the student prefers. The program offers a great deal of flexibility and can accommodate students with different levels of competency in Spanish, from true beginners to advanced students or native speakers.

Faculty

The program will be led by Nelly Blacker-Hanson, Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program, University of Washington Tacoma. She will lead a team of Mexican instructors at the Kukulcán Institute who will teach the Spanish conversation classes. These instructors are native speakers of Spanish with vast experience teaching foreign students. In addition, Mexican professors with different areas of expertise will contribute to the students' knowledge of Mexican culture by giving frequent guest lectures.

Program Cost

The total program fee is $3,500 undergraduate / $4000 graduate. Program fees are divided into academic course fees and travel fees. All academic course fees will be charged to participants' UW student accounts, and are paid the same way as tuition. All travel fees ($2,000) are to be paid directly to UW Tacoma Cashier (MAT 324). The academic course fee is $1,500 undergrad / $2000 graduate and includes a $100 non-refundable administrative fee charged by UW Tacoma International Programs. Information about financial aid for study abroad programs is available on the "Financial Aid For Foreign Study Programs" section of the Resources Link.

What is included?

• 25-30 hours classroom instruction per week, plus additional cultural activities such as dances, films, cooking lessons, and artesan demonstrations
• 4 weekend trips (Mexico City, Taxco, Puebla, Mexico City); hotels and transportation
• 4 day trips to places in or around Cuernavaca (Tepoztlán, Palacio de Cortés, Jardín Borda, Museo Bradley, etc.), transportation and guides
• room and board (3 meals per day) with carefully chosen Mexican families M-F
• round-trip bus transportation from Mexico City airport to Cuernavaca
• transportation to and from school every day M-F
• museum entrance fees, guided tours
• your $200 deposit is applied toward the cost of the tour
• acadmemic course fee for 12 credits

Not included:

• round-trip airfare from Seattle to Mexico City
• some meals on weekends
• optional bus or taxi fares
• personal expenses (laundry, phone calls, eating out, etc.)

Students should be prepared to purchase the majority of their supplies as they would on their home campus. Students should budget approximately $100 for textbooks, and $30 per day for personal expenses. All students who go on the tour must be enrolled for credit in Summer Quarter, 2005.

Planned Activities

Because this is an intensive four week program, you are expected to participate in all group activities, to attend all group events, and accompany the group on field tours. You will be in class from approximately 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. every day. Late afternoons and evenings are "free time," but keep in mind you will have homework and assignments to do. 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 to Mexico. This is a university course and the purpose of the tour is academic. Weekend excursions are considered class time, not free time.

Schedule

The UWT in Mexico program will begin on Friday, June 17th and ends on Saturday, July 16th. The program is intensive and will involve daily participation, including weekends. Our first weekend will be spent in Mexico City, and we will travel by bus to Cuernavaca on Sunday, June 19th, where students will meet their host families.

Preparation, Orientation and Followup

Two orientation meetings will be held during Spring Quarter, 2005. These meetings are obligatory for participation in the program. All written work will be due by the end of Term B, Summer Quarter, 2005.