Just like at any bigger school, Salt Lake Community College students will have the opportunity to study abroad in the spring of 2012, but preparations can begin now.
The program begins with an orientation that is actually three credit hour INTL (International) classes. In these classes, students will study the culture and listen to lectures about their chosen destination.
“These are Salt Lake Community College courses,” Sandra Kikuchi, Director of Faculty Services and Study Abroad said.
The countries that students have to choose from are England, Japan, China, and Vietnam. The students will visit these countries for three weeks during spring semester, from May 5 to May 27. The program for traveling to Vietnam is somewhat different, as this class will travel for about two and a half weeks during the month of March. What the students will learn in the country that they visit depends on the syllabus created by the full time faculty member teaching each class.
There has to be a certain number of participants taking these classes and visiting the countries in order for a particular class to be held. For example there has to be a minimum of ten students taking the England study abroad class in order for the class to be held, with a maximum of fifteen students for this class. Depending on the year sometimes the study abroad class will be held with fewer students.
Students must meet certain criteria to enroll in the classes. First, they must be registered as an SLCC student. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average, and any student wanting to go must be registered for the course.
Students will be required to do extensive walking, hill climbing, and deal with stairs. While in these countries the students will go out on excursions to experience the country, and then write a paper, or a reflection, on their experience of the outing.
The reason SLCC has the program is because a huge effort is being made to internationalize the school’s curriculum, and for students to learn cultural competency.
“We want our students to be able to interact with diverse cultures other than our own,” Kikuchi said.
The first things a student needs for this course is a $500 deposit, an application, and then they must come in and show their passport.
Participants in the program must be registered for INTL 2980 Study Abroad in order to go to England. To go to Japan participants must register for INTL 2990. The course number for China for spring 2012 is to be announced, and for the Vietnam trip, students have to be registered in NSG (Nursing) 1990, or NSG 2990.
The reason for the differences with the Vietnam trip in comparison with the others is that this trip is a humanitarian mission. Students will be working in cooperation with the Children of Peace International. The cost for each trip differs depending on where the student will go. England costs $3,500, Japan costs $2,950, China costs $3,300, and Vietnam costs $3,800.
Included in this cost are the round-trip airfare, lodging, and course related expenses. Other non-related expenses such as souvenirs and non-class related travelling expenses are not included in the overall price.
“I have made a huge effort to make the trips as cost effective as possible,” Kikuchi said.
For more information go to http://www.slcc/studyabroad/index.asp or contact Sandra Kikuchi at sandra.kikuchi@slcc.edu or call 801-957-4593. The Study Abroad office is located in CT 258 at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus.
