New and Noteworthy. Academic

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1 Annual Study Center Review CIEE Study Center at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and La Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile Liberal Arts 2009 CIEE Program Director: Christine Wintersteen, Program Director, Latin America CIEE Resident Director: Hector Cruz Feliciano (Fall) and Patricio Varas Guerrero (Spring) CIEE Academic Consortium Board Program Evaluation: CIEE Academic Consortium Board Monitor: Neal Sobania, Pacific Lutheran University 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 Program Goals The Liberal Arts program at the CIEE Study Center in Santiago, Chile is designed for advanced Spanish language students from a wide variety of academic disciplines who are motivated to matriculate into regular university courses and are interested in learning more about Chilean life and society. During the academic year, students gave positive evaluations of the program and indicated that the program s goals were met both academically and in terms of their social immersion into Chilean society. The most important recommendations from the 2008 monitoring process were to add a new excursion in northern Chile, to facilitate integration with Chilean peers, and to prepare for the transition of Resident Directors that occurred in January 2009, including the implementation of new CIEE courses. New and Noteworthy Academic Spanish Language During orientation, students complete a form specific to their goals for Spanish language acquisition and resident staff assist students to identify ways that they may reach these goals during the semester. In addition, during orientation, students are immediately introduced to Chilean idioms and vocabulary. There were no changes to the Spanish language curriculum in Spanish language courses are optional and taught at the Pontificia Universidad Católica. All language professors are full-time professors at the university and are subject to university training and assessment guidelines. Course materials are updated on a regular basis. The Advanced Spanish Language I course is taught exclusively to CIEE students. Beginning in spring 2009, this course included more emphasis on written Spanish in order to support students in their direct enrollment courses assignments that often include pruebas escritas (written tests). Students at a more advanced level can enroll in an appropriate course at the university along with other foreign students. Page 1 of 6

2 CIEE Courses Although optional, the majority of students enroll in at least one specially-designed CIEE course taught during the semester. During the fall 2008 semester, CIEE offered the following two courses: The Construction of Chilean Identity in the Media: Approaches and Perspectives; and Poverty and Development in Chile and Latin America: Theory and Practice. Both of these courses were well evaluated, particularly the latter course, which included a practical service component. During the spring 2009 semester, CIEE offered the following three courses: The Construction of Chilean Identity in the Media: Approaches and Perspectives; Recognition and Criminalization of Chilean indigenous Rights; and Human Rights in Latin America and Chile. Although the course on Chilean Media had previously been evaluated well, spring students indicated it was somewhat disorganized in the spring semester. Efforts will be made to improve the organization and delivery of this course. The two courses on human rights are taught by the Universidad Central. Those students that complete both courses receive a certificate in Human Rights. Both of the courses are taught by leading scholars in the field of human rights, including Judge Juan Guzmán. Courses were well evaluated but students cited that more continuous assessment throughout the semester would be beneficial in order to increase retention of the academic readings and discussions. Direct Enrollment Courses CIEE participants may enroll in two Chilean universities including the public institution, Universidad de Chile; and the private institution, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Due to the wide range of courses available and the very different goals each student has for a particular course, evaluations of courses are mixed ranging from very rigorous and challenging coursework comparable to other courses that are disorganized and not as challenging. During the academic year, the following courses were very well evaluated by students: Universidad de la Chile: Estado y Desarollo Sustenible; Chile, Los Chilenos, y Su Cultura; Arte y Formas Politicas en America Latina; Derechos Humanas en los Leyes Internacionales; Literatura Chilena; Etnología Andina; Historia Social de Chile; Cine y Cultura Arabe; Historia de America y Chile Universidad de la Católica: Dibujo Figura Humana; Educación Cultura y Sociedad; Poesía Chilena y Latinoamericana; Historia de América y Chile Siglo XX; Seminario en Vargas Llosa; Salud Intercultural; Narrativa Chilena e Hispanoamericana; Teatro Chileno e Hispanoamericano; Arte, Cultura, y Sociedad; Cultura y Sociedad Latinoamericana; Pensadores de Siglo XX; Procesos de Integración en America Latina; Historia de Fotografía en Chile; Antropología Chilena; La Historia de América y Chile en el Siglo XX In spring 2009, the School of Law at the Universidad de Chile went on strike and courses were not held for roughly five weeks. This impacted four of the fifty-two participants on the program, who had been enrolled in courses taught at this faculty. The university was helpful in working with CIEE to ensure that this disruption in classes would not jeopardize the completion of the courses. Page 2 of 6

3 Non-Academic Orientation Orientation was well evaluated by both the fall and the spring students. Following the brief orientation that focuses on practical components, the students all take an intensive, two-credit course entitled Contemporary Chile. This interdisciplinary course provides a foundation of historical and contemporary information for students so that they are better prepared for their direct enrollment courses. The course was very well evaluated by students but some did indicate that the majority of sessions focused on historical aspects rather than contemporary issues in Chile. In the upcoming year, efforts will be made to include more contemporary issues. Resident staff also organizes a mid-semester workshop, which is an interactive discussion between students and staff on observed and/or visible elements of Chilean culture and how these reflect Chilean norms, values and belief systems. Near the end of the semester, a re-entry workshop is also organized that helps students process what they have learned while abroad and identify three skills they acquired while in Chile. In addition, they are provided with information about coping skills for reverse culture shock. Cultural Activities The following cultural activities took place during the past academic years: Fall 2008: Day-trip to Pomaire: Students visit a small town whose local economy is based on small scale ceramic production that dates back to pre-hispanic times. Students had a guided visit in a family workshop, a small hike in the beautiful surroundings, enjoyed a typical lunch and then had the opportunity to use the pottery wheel. Mid-Semester Workshop: The workshop focuses on cultural differences and similarities between Chile and the U.S. in terms of values and belief systems. Students discussed this theme based on their experiences with their host families, the Chilean university system and other interactions with Chilean society. Visit a family vineyard in San Esteban: After the workshop, the whole group visited the village of San Esteban, 30 km far from Los Andes, the most important city next to the Argentina border. San Esteban is a place for approaching the country life in the central part of Chile. One characteristic of San Esteban is the many family vineyards producing family trade mark wines. The group visited one of these families and could see the wine production process, after the mid-semester workshop. Spring 2009: Day trip to Quillota: Guided visit by a local to Quillota, an agricultural area known for its vegetation and avocado plantations. Students visited avocado and flower plantations sold for national and international markets as well as a family-run olive and avocado oil factory to learn about the cold press process and were able to taste the different products. Students also visited Quillota s School of Fine Arts where they participated in a workshop about glass painting. Human Rights Historical Memory Tour: Students participated in a guided visit with a former political prisoner of the Pinochet Dictatorship to Villa Grimaldi, a former torture center now converted into a memorial park, and the General Cemetery, where a number of victims of the dictatorship are buried. Mid-Semester Workshop: The workshop focuses on cultural differences and similarities between Chile and the U.S. in terms of values and belief systems. Students discussed Page 3 of 6

4 this theme based on their experiences with their host families, the Chilean university system and other interactions with Chilean society. Day trip to Viña del Mar: In the same day, after developing the mid-semester workshop, held in the city of Viña del Mar, students could take different free activities in this tourist city. Chilean Cultural Ambassadors CIEE continues to provide Cultural Ambassadors for CIEE students to facilitate their adjustment to Chile and introduce them to Chilean peers. In addition, one of the host institutions has recently begun several initiatives to increase interaction between foreign and Chilean students. These efforts have paid off and students remarked in the past year that they enjoyed these activities and felt that meeting Chilean peers was possible. This is a great improvement compared to past years. Overnight Field Trips CIEE continued to offer the trip to Pucón, in southern Chile, which remains very popular. Students learn about the geographical and historical origins of this volcanically active area, which is also home to the Mapuches, Chile s largest indigenous group. During the remaining time, students spent time doing outdoors activities such as rafting, hiking, horseback riding, and climbing the Volcano Villarica. In response to student feedback from previous semesters, an overnight excursion was added to northern Chile in the areas surrounding San Pedro de Atacama, the most important desert in Chile. During the first day, the group took a three-hour bicycle tour visit the archeological valley of Chile and also visited Moon Valley, where the landscape resembles the moon s surface. On the second day, students visited salt flats and also visited an astronomer and learned about constellations and viewed them through several telescopes. The third day included a visit to a local museum and free time. Housing All participants are housed in Chilean host families and are provided three meals daily. Only continuing year students may opt for independent living in an apartment in their second semester. In the spring 2009 semester, four students chose this option. The program continued giving students both mid-semester housing evaluations and end-of-semester housing evaluations. Overall, students are pleased with their homestay. Resident Director Dr. Hector Cruz-Feliciano successfully directed the Liberal Arts program in Santiago, Chile for six years. In January 2009, he transferred to spearhead the development of a new CIEE Study Center in Managua, Nicaragua. Patricio Varas Guerrero, a native Chilean, was hired as Resident Director in January 2009 and has transitioned well to his new responsibilities. He is well supported by an excellent resident staff team that includes Elsa Maxwell, Briggitta Muñoz and Cintia Ponce. Community Engagement and Integration For-Credit Internship and Community Service Options During the fall semester, students who enrolled in the CIEE course, Poverty and Development: Theory and Practice participated in a for-credit community service placement. Service Page 4 of 6

5 placements and responsibilities were in the area of education, economic development, working with homeless populations and community organizing. This option was not available in spring 2009 because the course, taught by the previous Resident Director, was no longer offered. Not-for-Credit Community Service/Volunteer Project There is a wide range of non-credit volunteer and internship opportunities. The difference between these options is that students must have experience in a field in order for it to count as an internship and that volunteer can be done in a location where students had no previous experience. The volunteer sites include the following: YMCA where students assist students in their English language homework. Open Doors (governmental program to teach English in public Chilean schools), students were English teaching assistants in public schools. COANL, organization dedicating to assisting those with physical and mental disabilities, student assisted with kinesics movements, helping to eat and an English workshop. Hogar de Cristo (NGO assisting marginalized elderly and youth) Student helped accompany elderly people to hospital consultations; another student worked on building educational material for homeless youth; another student worked on supporting preschool kids in classroom tasks. Examples of internship sites are the following: Fundación Salvador Allende (Historical archive and museum belonging to former president Salvador Allende) Student helped to organize books and set up a new institutional file for original primary sources. Ciudad Viva (NGO focusing responsible urban planning) Student worked on a design project of a map for bike urban users in the city of Santiago, and assisted in public campaigns to foster and promote the use of the bicycle. Movimiento Chileno de Minorías Sexuales (NGO dedicated to GLBT rights): Student assisted in the organization of the office library and resources. Gobierno de Chile/Ministerio del Interior (Committee on Regional Development) Student reviewed and studied institutional policy documents about decentralization in Chile and provided written abstracts and summaries of these documents for future use. ACHNU (NGO working with children living in conditions of poverty) Student accompanied other community organizers in gathering census data in certain neighborhoods and led some cultural workshop activities with youth from neighborhood. Finanzas Internacionales para la Mujer (Micro-credit organization for women who run small businesses): Student completed a project of following up on non-payers of credit in order to learn the obstacles preventing repayment. Challenges Academic Although the CIEE courses remain very strong and students cite that they are rewarding, the course on Chilean media would benefit from more organization and the courses on human rights should include more continuous assessment. Page 5 of 6

6 Non-Academic Challenges Students cite that English is often spoken among students during co-curricular activities and that staff occasionally address them in English. Efforts will be made to curb this in the coming academic year. Future Directions Overall, the program is evaluated by students as positive and achieving its goals. In the coming year, the resident staff will focus on the following goals: Ensuring that all communication between staff and students is in English (except for cases of emergencies) and implementing strategies for students to use Spanish among themselves. Considering ways to strengthen the CIEE courses by providing more organization (in the Chilean media course) and allowing for more continuous assessment (in the courses on Human Rights) Page 6 of 6