2006-07 Academic Catalog: Semester abroad and other off-campus programs

The following off-campus programs of study are available to Bluffton students:
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Peace and Conflict Resolution Program in Northern Ireland
This program is offered through University College at Magee College of the University of Ulster in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This 15-week residential program seeks to increase understanding of the complexities of the conflict in Northern Ireland and to use the knowledge gained to analyze and understand conflict in other societies. The program has academic, experiential and service components, including housing with local families; meetings with community leaders, church groups, constitutional political parties, community youth workers and security forces; and cross-community projects.
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Students who successfully complete the Northern Ireland study program will have met their cross-cultural requirement, and HUM 222 Humanities 2 will be waived. It is sometimes possible for the program to meet other major or general education requirements. Students should consult with their advisors and the associate dean.

Below is a listing of courses offered. Contact the director of cross-cultural programs for more information.
LAS 220 Northern Ireland Program Orientation (1)
HIS 271/PCS 271 History of Northern Ireland and Background to the Troubles (3)
LAS 225 Peace Building through Reconciliation (3)
PCS 303 Practical Mediation Skills and Conflict Transformation (3)
LAS 300 Practical Work Placement - Northern Ireland (2)
PCS 301 International Conflict Resolution: Northern Ireland - A Case Study (3)
PLS 260 Government and Politics of Northern Ireland (3)

Courses
LAS 220 Northern Ireland Program Orientation (1)
This required orientation will prepare students for the Ireland experience. The course includes meetings during spring semester before the fall semester of the trip and an intensive two-day session prior to departure for Northern Ireland. Background readings and cultural information are offered to ease "culture shock," facilitate cross-cultural communication and prepare students for study in a different academic system.

LAS 225 Peace Building through Reconciliation (3)
This course covers a general introduction and discussion on the different meanings of reconciliation, defining some important terms, e.g. stereotyping, prejudice, scapegoating, alienation, polarization, conflict and violence, conflict resolution and conciliation. The class includes seminar meetings with speakers from all of the political parties in Northern Ireland, a field trip to meet the security forces and meetings with religious and community leaders. As an example, the 1995 group met with senior politicians from all of the four constitutional parties and speakers from the Sinn Fein and the Loyalist fringe parties to explain their party positions and to discuss their current and future role in Northern Ireland.

PCS 303 Practical Mediation Skills and Conflict Transformation (3)
This course is designed to introduce students to the practical application of mediation skills through a process of experiential learning. The course will look at different models of mediation and the different skills that need to be applied during a mediation session. Students will become familiar with how mediations work in cultural, neighborhood, relationship and commercial disputes, in both local and international conflict situations.

LAS 300 Practical Work Placement - Northern Ireland (2)
Students will be placed in community service agencies involved in community building and conflict resolution in a cross-cultural context. The placement contains elements of observation as well as the student practicing within the agency, under supervision. The overall aim of the placement is to try to help the student identify some of the problems and understand more clearly the difficulties and complexities of living in a society in the midst of violent conflict and to determine the everyday problems of people using the agency and how the violence has an impact on their lives. Criteria for evaluation include: attendance, comprehension of agency goals, successful completion of a range of tasks agreed upon in writing, daily journaling, written reflection of the placement and written evaluation by agency supervisor. Students living in home-stays with Roman Catholic families will be placed in Protestant agencies and vice versa.

Pittsburgh Semester
Pittsburgh Semester is an off-campus program that, beginning in September 2007, will bring juniors and seniors to Pittsburgh for intensive and experiential study of Christian vocation in urban America. Bluffton students will join other students from Christian colleges outside Pittsburgh but within 300 miles of the city. The program will invite students to explore their vocation within the context of Pittsburgh. Such an effort will involve analyzing urban America, examining different understandings of the good life and articulating a vision of Christian vocation.

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Off-campus, interdisciplinary learning opportunities are available to upper-class students at Bluffton University and offer 16 semester hours of credit. For further information, contact the director of cross-cultural programs. All programs offered through the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities meet the cross-cultural service learning experience requirement, except the Los Angeles Film Studies Center, the Contemporary Music Center, the American Studies Program and the Washington Journalism Center.

Australia Studies Centre (ASC)
Since spring 2004, the CCCU has partnered with the Wesley Institute for Ministry and the Arts in Sydney, Australia, to offer the Australian Studies Centre.  Throughout the semester, students examine the many faces of Australia and explore both the myths and identities of Australians by better understanding the indigenous people and their interactions with "White Australia."  Every student is required to take the courses Indigenous History, Culture & Identity and The View from Australia:  Issues in Religion, Politics, Economics & Cultural Values.  Additionally, students choose from electives in theology/ministry, music, drawing/graphic design, dance and/or drama.  Faculty trained and working in the professional performing arts scene in Sydney guide students in their thinking through the Christian's role in culture, whether classical or pop culture.  The ASC utilizes the combination of classroom training at the Wesley Institute and experiential learning in the beautiful Australian context.  Home stays, service learning and travel around Australia are important components of the ASC.  Students observe Australia's beautiful landscape, live in the cosmopolitan melting pot of Sydney, serve the poor of Sydney's multi-cultural ghettos, and engage the political capital Canberra and its power players.  Students also come to know the traditions of Aboriginal people during an Outback excursion and spend the last week of each semester traveling to New Zealand to meet with Maori people, explore the beautiful terrain and compare and contrast the two cultures of their off-campus semester.  ASC students receive 16 semester hours of credit.

American Studies Program (ASP)
Founded in 1976, the American Studies Program has served hundreds of students as a "Washington, D.C., campus." ASP uses Washington as a stimulating educational laboratory where collegians gain hands-on experience with an internship in their chosen field. Internships are tailored to fit the students' talents and aspirations and are available in a wide range of fields. Participants also explore pressing national and international issues in public policy seminars that are issue-oriented, interdisciplinary and led by ASP faculty and Washington professionals. The ASP bridges classroom and marketplace, combining biblical reflection, policy analysis and real-world experience. Students are exposed to on-the-job learning that helps them build for their future and gain perspective on the calling of God for their lives. They are challenged in a rigorous course of study to discover for themselves the meaning of Christ’s lordship in putting their beliefs into practice. The aim of the program is to help Council schools prepare their students to live faithfully in contemporary society as followers of Christ.

China Studies Program (CSP)
The China Studies Program enables students to engage this ancient and intriguing country from the inside. While living in and experiencing Chinese civilization firsthand, students participate in seminar courses on the historical, cultural, religious, geographical and economic realities of this strategic and populous nation. In addition to the study of standard Chinese, students are given opportunities such as assisting Chinese students learning English or working in an orphanage, allowing for one-on-one interaction. Students choose between completing a broad Chinese Studies Concentration or a Business Concentration including an internship in an international business in Shanghai.  The program introduces students to the diversity of China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and Xiamen. This interdisciplinary, cross-cultural program enables students to deal with this increasingly important part of the world in an informed, Christ-centered way.

Contemporary Music Center (CMC)
The Contemporary Music Center provides students the opportunity to live and work in community while seeking to understand how God will have them integrate music, faith and business. Both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in nature, the CMC offers two tracks: the Artist Track and the Executive Track. The Artist Track is tailored to students considering careers as vocalists, musicians, songwriters, recording artists, performers, producers and recording engineers. The Executive Track is designed for business, arts management, marketing, communications and related majors interested in possible careers as artist managers, agents, record company executives, music publishers, concert promoters and entertainment industry entrepreneurs. Both Artist and Executive track students receive instruction, experience and a uniquely Christian perspective on creativity and the marketplace, while working together to create and market a recording of original music. Both tracks include course work, labs, directed study and a practicum.

Latin American Studies Program (LASP)
Students of CCCU colleges have the opportunity to live and learn in Latin America through the Latin American Studies Program based in San Jose, Costa Rica. The program introduces students to a wide range of experiences through the study of the language, literature, culture, politics, history, economics, ecology and religion of the region. Living with a Costa Rican family, students experience and become a part of the day-to-day lives of typical Latin Americans. Students also take part in a service opportunity and travel for three weeks to nearby Central American nations. Students participate in one of four concentrations: Latin American Studies (offered both fall and spring terms); Advanced Language and Literature (designed for Spanish majors and offered both fall and spring terms); International Business: Management and Marketing (offered only in fall terms); and Environmental Science (offered only during spring terms).

Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC)
Founded in 1991, the Los Angeles Film Studies Center is designed to train students to serve in various aspects of the film industry with both professional skill and Christian integrity. Each semester students live, learn and work in LA. The curriculum consists of two required seminars, Hollywood Production Workshop and Theology in Hollywood, focusing on the role of film in culture and the relationship of faith to work in this very influential industry. In addition, students choose one elective course from a variety of offerings in film studies. Internships in various segments of the film industry provide students with hands-on experience. The combination of the internship and seminars allow students to explore the film industry within a Christian context and from a liberal arts perspective.

Middle East Studies Program (MESP)
This program, based in Cairo, Egypt, allows students to explore and interact with the complex and strategic world of the modern Middle East. The interdisciplinary seminars give students the opportunity to explore the diverse religious, social, cultural and political traditions of Middle Eastern peoples.  Students also study the Arabic language and work as volunteers with various organizations in Cairo. Through travel to Israel, Palestine, Lelanon, Jordan, Syria and Turkey, students are exposed to the diversity and dynamism of the region.  At a time of tension and change in the Middle East, MESP encourages and equips students to relate to the Muslim world in an informed, constructive and Christ-centered manner.

Oxford Summer Programme (OSP)
The Oxford Summer Programme (OSP) is a program of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.  The program is designed for students wishing to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between Christianity and the development of the West and who wish to do specialized work under expert Oxford academics in the areas of history, religious studies, political theory, philosophy, English and history of science.  The programme is structured for rising college sophomores, juniors and seniors, graduate and seminary students, non-traditional students, teachers and those enrolled in continuing education programs.

Russian Studies Program (RSP)
RSP students are exposed to the depth and diversity of the culture during a semester spent in Russia’s three largest cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nizhni Novgorod. In addition to three seminar courses, History and Sociology of Religion in Russia; Russian Peoples, Cultures and Literature; and Russia in Transition, students receive instruction in the Russian language, choosing either four or six semester hours of language course work. For those choosing four hours of Russian, a seminar course, International Relations and Business in Russia, is available. RSP strives to give students as wide an experience as possible in this complex nation.  Students spend time in Moscow, the heart of both medieval and modern Russia. Students also spend 12 weeks in Nizhni Novgorod, a strategic city on the Volga River. After six weeks of language instruction, students live with a Russian family for the remainder of their stay in this city. Students also participate in a service opportunity in Nizhni Novgorod. The program concludes with time in the complex and intriguing city of St. Petersburg, the Russian "window to the West."

The Scholars' Semester in Oxford (SSO)
SSO is designed for students interested in doing intensive scholarship in this historic seat of learning. Working with academic tutors, students hone their skills and delve into the areas that interest them most. As Visiting Students of Oxford University and members of Wycliffe Hall, students have the privilege to study and learn in one of the university's historic halls. SSO students enroll in a Primary and Secondary Tutorial, an Integrative Seminar and the course Christianity and Cultures. The SSO is designed for students interested in the fields of Classics, English & literature, theology & religious studies, philosophy, and history, though all majors may apply.  Applicants are generally honors and other very high-achieving students.

Uganda Studies Program (USP)
Winston Churchill is credited with nicknaming Uganda the "Pearl of Africa," and many visitors since his time have come to agree with him.  The USP offers students a very personal encounter with this African success story, which has become an economic and public health model in its region. Another sucess story, Uganda Christian University (UCU), serves as the base of study for students in the USP. Set on the outskirts of the capital city Kampala, this rapidly growing institution brings USP students together with the UCU Honours College. Courses taught by local faculty in the English tutorial tradition will immerse students in a uniquely African education. Classes such as Christianity and Islam in Contemporary Africa, African Literature and East African History will present many insights into African life because of the guidance of faculty who live in and love Uganda and East Africa. Home stays, travel, service learning and daily interaction with Honours College students form the backbone of the USP experience.  In addition to the core experiential course, students will choose from an approved selection of courses from the UCU Honours College. 

Washington Journalism Center (WJC)
The Washington Journalism Center (WJC) is a semester-long study program in Washington, D.C. created for students interested in the field of journalism.  While in Washington, students will take classes focusing on the history and future of the media and how it relates to the public as well as to their personal writing skills.  These classes - Foundations for Media Involvement; Reporting in Washington; and Washington, News and Public Discourse - combined with an internship at a top news publication will help students learn to integrate their faith in a journalism career.  Students will also participate in service learning opportunities as well as live with families in home stays as part of the WJC experience.

Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA)
Brethren Colleges Abroad operates academic study centers in 15 countries for students from U.S. institutions of higher education. BCA Study Centers offer semester and year-long programs in the liberal arts tradition at universities in the following locations: Australia, Belgium, China, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland and Spain. For further information, contact the director of cross-cultural programs.

Central American Study and Service (CASAS), Guatemala
Central American Study and Service, part of the Latin American Anabaptist Seminary (SEMILLA), gives North Americans the opportunity to live, study and volunteer in a Latin American context. The core of the CASAS program is a 12-week cross-cultural study term designed for students interested in studying Spanish while cultivating a broader awareness of the issues facing people in Guatemala. The term begins with eight weeks of intensive study while living with a Guatemalan family in a marginal area of Guatemala City. Students study Spanish (often, in a one-on-one setting) with experienced Guatemalan teachers and participate in visits and lectures with organizations or individuals who are experts on Guatemalan history, culture, politics and religion. During the final four weeks students have the opportunity of working in a voluntary service setting. Students may earn university credit in several areas including Spanish, anthropology and religion. Also available is an intensive Spanish-only program. For further information, contact the director of cross-cultural programs. This program meets the cross-cultural/service learning experience requirement.