Wroxton, England

Dec. 30, 2008 - Jan. 13, 2009
RSP 300H: England and the Humanities (3 credits) and
RSP 305J: The Interaction of Culture & Politics (3 credits)

The program to Wroxton, England offers students the opportunity to study humanities in the heart of England. Two team-taught interdisciplinary courses integrate English literature, history, art, religion, politics and government. While this program is co-sponsored by The Russell Scholars Program at USM, it is open to all students who meet the prerequisites.

In addition to time spent in London visiting some of London's historic attractions, educational trips are planned to Banbury, Warwick Castle, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Wroxton College is located in the quintessential English village of Wroxton in the rural heart of England north west of London. The college is housed in an exceptionally beautiful, completely modernized 17th century manor house once home to Henry James. Wroxton College is an overseas campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University.

The following two integrated courses are taken together for 6 credits. Additional class time will be scheduled prior to the departure to England and after the return.

RSP 300H (3 credits): England and the Humanities

This course will examine the interrelationships among English literature, history, art, politics, and religion. Students will read and discuss the prose, poetry, and drama from several English periods. Wroxton's convenient proximity to Shakespeare's Stratford-on-Avon will allow students to visit Royal Shakespeare Theater, as well as other significant sites of England's literary history such as Oxford, Bath, and London.

RSP 305J (3 credits): The Interaction of Culture & Politics

This course is part of a special inter-disciplinary program intended as a helpful companion to finding oneself not only in a foreign country, but also in a foreign culture. It has been specially designed to introduce learning community students to the cultural life-style and political environment of contemporary Britain, and to set these in their necessary context.

Faculty

Stephen Romanoff, Ph.D., Director of the Russell Scholars Program at USM and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, has studied and traveled in England extensively over the last thirty years. Dr. Romanoff brings a deep interest in English literature, art, and history to his teaching of the humanities.

Nicholas Baldwin, Ph.D., Dean of Wroxton College, Oxfordshire, England is a noted British political scientist and lecturer on the intricacies of British government. Dr. Baldwin's enthusiasm for teaching and his commitment to students is one of the great strengths of the Wroxton experience.

Tuition

The program fee for the Wroxton program is $2935 plus six credits of tuition and fees at the in-state rate. The program fee includes accommodation, roundtrip airfare from Boston, scheduled in-country travel, site visits, field trips, and all meals at Wroxton College.

Not included in the program fee is the cost of tuition, fees, books, academic supplies, lunches and dinners in London, or other personal expenses. Six credits of undergraduate tuition is $1308 plus $144 in fees.

Short-term travel programs have special tuition rates for out-of-state students. The out-of-state tuition rate is equal to the in-state tuition rate. For more information please contact the Winter Session Office.

Application

A complete application includes all of the following and is due to the Office of International Programs by November 3, 2009. Special consideration will be given to Russell Scholars who apply by September 22.

* Signed, completed application form *
* $200 non-refundable deposit (applied to the program cost)
* Typed 200-word essay
* A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or academic advisor
* Proof of Medical Insurance **
* Official copies of all academic transcripts

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. You will be notified by e-mail of your application status. If your application is not accepted, the nonrefundable deposit will be returned. If the program is canceled for any reason by the USM, all deposits will be returned.

* If you are having trouble downloading the application, please contact us at (207) 780-4959 or e-mail the webmaster and we will send you one. You may also want to try upgrading to the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

** Medical insurance is required for all travel programs. A photocopy of your insurance provider ID card is sufficient documentation. Students without medical insurance may be granted provisional acceptance, with a requirement that they purchase short term medical insurance. Please call the Office of International Programs at 780-4959 for more information.

Admissions Requirements

Short-term travel programs are open to any student who meets the academic prerequisites of the course and has at least 15 credit hours of university instruction. You must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to participate in any travel abroad program or carry the permission of the instructor. All participants require final approval by the faculty member. The University of Southern Maine also reserves the right to review conduct records as part of our application process and student conduct records are taken into account when making the determination on an applicant. Individual programs may have specific academic requirements not listed here.

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid and loans are available to matriculated students who participate in travel programs. In order to receive the benefit of financial aid, students must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credits during the summer. Please apply as early as possible. If you have questions about financial aid, please contact the financial aid office at (207) 780-4166. If you are not a matriculated student at USM, please check with the financial aid office at your institution.

Scholarships

There currently are no USM scholarships for winter session programs in English-speaking countries. Students may seek scholarships through external sources. The following two organizations have study abroad scholarship databases: IIE Passport: Study Abroad Scholarship Database and Transitions Abroad: Study Abroad Funding Web Sites

Pre-Departure Orientation

Short-term international study programs have a mandatory pre-departure orientation to help prepare you for your program. The pre-departure meeting will be scheduled in the fall and cover issues including travel tips, student safety, conduct, and medical concerns.You may download the pre-departure orientation in PowerPoint. Be sure to view it in "Notes" format for more information.

All accepted students also receive a copy of our pre-departure manual.

Program Policies

Student Conduct

Participants in short-term travel programs are expected to conduct themselves in a mature and responsible fashion. Any violation of the University of Maine System Student Conduct Code may be sufficient grounds for dismissal from the program. If dismissed, a participant forfeits all payments and deposits and is responsible for his or her own return as well as other fees associated with their dismissal. USM does consider prior student conduct records when making acceptance decisions.

Cancellation Policy

USM reserves the right to cancel the program due to low enrollment, changing political or economic factors, unusual circumstances or any other event which would dramatically impact the nature of the course or the ability of the faculty to conduct such a course. If USM cancels the course due to low enrollment, the non-refundable deposit and any payments made toward the program will be refunded to the student. Other costs incurred by the student will not be subject to refunds.

Medical Insurance

Medical insurance is required for all travel programs. Students without medical insurance may be granted provisional acceptance, with a requirement that they purchase short term medical insurance. Please call the Office of International Programs at (207) 780-4959 for more information.