Program provides out of country experience

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Posted: 4/15/09

Between July 31 and August 11, 2009, the PfalzAkademie in Lambrecht, Germany will offer Francis Marion University students the opportunity to study in a two-week program entitled "This is Our Moment: History and Democracy in German-American Relations." In the summer of 2008, four FMU students participated in a similar program that led to three credit hours in political science. This year's topic is offering credit for History 318: The Historical Focus: History and Democracy in German-American Relations. This portion of the program will include students from the US and Germany.

The program will begin at the PfalzAkademie, a modern conference/hotel complex in Lambrecht, Germany, located in Rheinland-Pfalz, a sister state with South Carolina. The second week will be held in Berlin, Germany, the capital of modern Germany. In addition to American and German students, there will also be participants in a wider international program, which will constitute a portion of the seminar. These students will come from Poland, Hungary and Northern Ireland. Dr. George E. Harding, Professor of German and Coordinator of the German program, will personally lead the group and will serve as an active member of the on-site faculty in Germany for the entire program. Although the program is geared towards majors in history and political science, it is open to all FMU students, regardless of major, and anyone successfully completing the course will receive credit. This program has been approved by Provost Richard Chapman, Dr. Larry Nelson, Chair of the History Dept. and by Dr. Duane Myers, Director of International Programs. The conference language is English.

The participants will take part in discussions, workshops, activities, travel, excursions and social events. Speaking, writing, reading and coordinating scholarly activities will be required of all participants from all nations. The FMU students will write daily journals and will be monitored on participation by Dr. Harding while in Germany. Upon their return, a member of the FMU Department of History will also evaluate their experiences while in Germany. A compilation of the evaluations will determine the grade for the transfer credit.

The costs for the trip are reasonable. Round-trip airfare from Florence to Frankfurt and returning from Berlin to Florence is approximately $1013 (USAirways). The program costs 250 Euros (approximately $350), but US participants will receive a payment of 400 Euros (approximately $550) from program sponsors through the PfalzAkademie. Therefore, participants will have 150 Euros (approximately $200) after paying for the course to spend as they wish. With the "extra" $150, a reasonable estimate for the trip would be about $1500.

The course costs include all housing in Germany (Lambrecht and Berlin) beginning July 29 through August 10, all excursions included in the program, three meals a day while at the PfalzAkademie in Lambrecht, breakfast daily in Berlin, and transfer from Lambrecht to Berlin. Participants will pay for passports, overnight stays not included in the program dates, international travel, transfers to and from airports in Germany, lunch and supper while in Berlin, an international student ID (which carries important safeguards such as insurance), and personals purchases.

Students interested in participation should contact either Dr. Harding (113A CEMC, gharding@fmarion.edu, [843] 661-1603) or Dr. Jeannette Myers, Assist. Professor of Astronomy (LSF 103F, jmyers@fmarion.edu, [843] 661-1441).