ISSUE 31, FEBRUARY 1993 Alternative Academic Environments: Study Abroad and Study Off Campus From at least the time of Herodotus, the lure of places far and near has been a vital element in the study of history. While his contemporaries accepted Herodotus' descriptions and stories with no chance to visit them on their own, modern students of history have the opportunity to study the past in a variety of environments, not just the classroom or library. College campuses across the continent have extended their borders, encouraging students to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of the world and its component parts. This issue samples some of these off campus experiences and offers suggestions for departments contemplating initiating new programs or evaluating existing ones. The first two essays, contributed by Professors J. Milton Grimes of Murray State University and Thomas W. Davis of Virginia Military Institute, describe longstanding consortia in Kentucky and Virginia. Both include mixtures of colleges and provide useful, though distinct, philosophies about the establishment, governance, and maintenance of programs. The Kentucky Institute relies on faculty from its member institutions; the Virginia one employs English faculty and attempts to recreate a tutorial setting. Both have been highly successful over the years. The essays from Professors Bruce O'Brien and Richard Warner of Mary Washington College and Will Benedicks of Tallahassee Community College chart new ground for study abroad experiences. O'Brien and Warner detail a unique research course designed especially for undergraduates in which students define scholarly projects requiring the use of British archives in the London area, then spend their time conducting guided original research supported by informal evening tutorial sessions. Will Benedicks discusses a joint program between Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College, focusing particularly on the complexities involved in creating a program abroad. Changing the context from study abroad to off campus classes in this country, Professor Clive Hallman of James Madison University discusses his creative summer course in Williamsburg. This program will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary next summer and still attracts a wide and enthusiastic following. The same is also true of Joseph Ryan's, "The Living History Experience." This energetic individual has provided students, teachers, and enthusiasts with a unique and lively contact with the historic past for more than a decade. Each program offers new challenges to students and faculty and each has ideas which may be applied to various campuses. Please contact any contributor for additional information or suggestions. Michael J. Galgano James Madison University The Kentucky Institute for International Studies: A Consortium Approach to Study Abroad When considering the matter of offering courses abroad, whether in languages, history or other disciplines, several important concerns arise which for the most part are not problematic in the context of our home campuses. As a matter of fact, almost every major aspect of the educational program, ranging from physical concerns such as classroom facilities and housing to educational concerns such as textbook selection and teaching methodologies, must be considered anew when planning or teaching in a study abroad program. The formats and overall goals of study abroad programs vary greatly. They can be individually run, with one professor taking a group of students overseas on a onetime or even on a regular basis. Other programs are more institutionally based and are operated by a more central unit such as a division or an office of international programs. The formal consortium, in which colleges and universities bring together talents and resources, is also a rather common approach. Programs can be more traditionally academic, they may be travel oriented, or they may be oriented more toward experiential education and include, for example, community service. The internship and the combination of academic and work experiences are also becoming more common. Each format and set of objectives has its own advantages but also its own drawbacks or hurdles. These include, among others, the questions of program stability and continuity, academic standards and accountability, and institutional needs and resources. I fear that the most common version of study abroad begins and ends with an energetic professor who takes it upon her or himself to conceive of, develop, organize, administer, account for, evaluate and usually teach in (sometimes with a faithful colleague) a study abroad program. However personally rewarding, this extremely common approach to international education is a tremendous drain on the energies of the faculty involved, is often viewed by fellow colleagues and administrators alike as a junket, and is thus ignored in the merit structure, and is frequently unpaid. Even the most persevering individuals, and I know many, give in to exhaustion -- or sometimes to the growing fear of litigation -- and quit. In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, educators have more and more taken the consortium approach to study abroad. The Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) is a statewide consortium of ten colleges and universities. It includes small private liberal arts colleges, a Catholic college, the regional universities, and also the "flagship" institution in the state. The KIIS (still pronounced "keys" based on its former title) offers seven separate programs abroad, six in Europe and one in Mexico. Until the present time, it had offered only short-term or summer study-abroad programs, but discussion is presently underway to extend the programs to semester- and year-long programs. Approximately 70% of the students are drawn from the consortium member institutions. Non-traditional students make up 5% of the enrollment, with the remainder coming from a wide variety of institutions nationwide. The KIIS regularly attracts students from the Ivy League schools, major state universities, and small liberal arts colleges, representing virtually every geographic region in the country. In recent years enrollments have been around two hundred, although the Gulf War and the recession have kept the number somewhat below that mark in 1992 and 1993. Although now one of the larger consortia in the U.S. the KIIS began from the kind of individual faculty efforts mentioned above and still does depend on the talents and energies of such efforts, but all of the administrative functions have been assumed by a central office located at Murray State University, so that the individual faculty and program directors can devote their time and expertise to program planning and to the operation overseas. The KIIS began nearly 20 years ago through the cooperation of two foreign language faculty members at two different universities. The first non-language courses added to the curriculum were in history, which has since become part of the core offering in at least one of the programs. Over the years a wide variety of disciplines has been represented, ranging from history to geology and from environmental studies to art history. As the interest of the faculty grew and the reputation of the KIIS began to become well known to students, more programs were added, usually by faculty who had previously taught in a program but felt the needs of their discipline could be served better at another location. Such was the case, for example, when a program in Salzburg was developed to meet the specific needs of music students. Programs are added only when programmatic needs at several consortia member schools can be demonstrated and we are able to find a capable director who is willing to make a commitment to lead the effort. It usually takes two or more years of discussion and investigation before a new program is actually developed. In general, the KIIS benefits from a flexible structure that is able to accommodate the varying needs of the member institutions, the faculty, and the students. Although there is a core academic offering in each program (usually language courses), virtually any discipline can be taught. There are three overriding principles that guide all activities of the KIIS: 1. The academic credibility of the program must be sound. Although we recognize that the experience alone of being abroad is perhaps the greatest benefit to the students, we are convinced that the courses offered must maintain an academic standard comparable to that of on-campus courses, including the number of formal contact hours. All courses and faculty are evaluated. 2. The costs are kept at a minimum. The typical student attending college in Kentucky cannot easily afford to study abroad and must save and borrow money to do so. We are committed to reducing costs by making all ground and transportation arrangements ourselves (thereby eliminating agency and middlemen profits), by keeping overhead at a minimum, and by depending on the dedication of directors and faculty. In addition, Murray State University, which serves as the fiscal agent for KIIS, has also agreed not to view KIIS programs as revenue-generating and permits the investment of all fees into the operation of the programs. 3. The KIIS programs must provide faculty development opportunities. One of the major rationales for the KIIS is that faculty as well as students should have the opportunity to be abroad, improving their knowledge of their academic fields. Many of our history professors, for example, either have never traveled abroad or have not done so since their graduate school days. Consequently, a course, say, in contemporary German history, might neglect the most recent developments or possibly deemphasize the impact which historical events may have had on the present. Teaching abroad and learning to use the cultural context for course work has had an extremely positive effect on the teaching of courses after the professors have returned to the home campus. This has repeatedly been borne out in program evaluations by faculty. The administration of the KIIS consortium is carried out by a board of directors consisting of three members appointed by each member institution. I have always urged that at least two regular faculty be appointed who have demonstrated the greatest interest (and who have usually been instrumental in convincing the institution to join the consortium in the first place). The board meets twice annually and must approve all policies relating to the operation of the programs, including budgets, faculty selection, admissions, and evaluation. The board also appoints the executive director, who is responsible for carrying out the policies of the board and for the overall operation and management of the KIIS. Each individual program has a director, who is responsible for program development, for recommending faculty, for orienting both faculty and students, and for all aspects of the operation overseas. One of the most crucial responsibilities we have is faculty selection, for it is the quality and involvement of the faculty that, more than anything else, determines the success of the program. Faculty participate by submitting applications which include detailed course proposals, explanations of how the cultural context will be integrated into the courses, statements of language ability and the intent to improve language ability before departure, and a description of recruiting strategies. Each faculty applicant is interviewed by a KIIS campus representative who seeks to determine to what extent the faculty has the support of his or her department and how the proposed courses would serve the students in that academic area. We are convinced of the importance of linking whenever possible the international experience of both the faculty and the student with the overall educational programs and objectives at the home campuses. After being accepted, faculty members attend a two day orientation where both general as well as program-specific sessions are held in which their courses and pedagogical approaches are discussed, special needs are clarified, excursions and guest lectures abroad are proposed and scheduled, and other more routine matters are handled. Faculty also attend the orientation sessions for students held at various locations throughout the state. Before departure from the United States, students are given extensive orientation materials and orientation sessions are also held. Immediately after arrival, a more extensive orientation program takes place at the same time that initial class sessions are held. In all programs students attend regular classes taught by consortium faculty. The classes are usually in the morning four days per week, leaving afternoons and long weekends for excursions or independent travel. In addition to attending regular classes and going on frequent excursions, students are expected to attend some guest lectures which are usually held in the afternoon. These guest lectures are either related to the orientation program or to topics being covered in the classroom. Because our classes are taught by U.S. faculty, we think that it is very important to expose our students, as much as possible, to the local people and their viewpoints. The living arrangements for the students vary greatly from program to program, but, wherever possible, we are moving more and more to the homestay. In addition to homestays, we also employ small family-run pensiones, university dormitories, and privately rented facilities. Possibly the weakest part of all international programs is what happens to students after they return to their home campus, and here we are not too much different from most other programs. We do very little. Each year two hundred students return from a once-in-a-lifetime experience, often with their eyes opened to the world for the first time in their lives. Yet, we allow them to return without capturing and actively integrating this experience into their overall educational program. This aspect of the students' experience is particularly problematic since they have not had time to digest what the study abroad experience has meant to them, and it is very difficult for them to articulate its meaning to other students and faculty. We are all convinced that the experience can be more actively integrated into the educational program on campus, but we have yet to work out an appropriate format. The consortium approach to international education and to study abroad has been very effective in Kentucky. Each individual institution recognizes that it simply cannot offer a wide variety of programs on a regular basis. Financial resources are not available to do so, and student interest in particular programs fluctuates widely from year to year. In the consortium each institution contributes some financial support and is able to offer its students and faculty a wider variety of programs on a consistent basis. Over the entire history of the KIIS, we have never had to cancel a program because of insufficient enrollment. In addition to the many characteristics which I have discussed above, I think that the success of the KIIS consortium depends on several important factors: 1. Each member institution retains a sense of ownership in the KIIS through its participation on the Board of Directors. 2. Regular faculty members are at the core of all administrative and academic decision making. 3. Each institution agrees not to sponsor additional programs which overlap with consortium programs. 4. Institutions participate in the KIIS as equal partners, thereby eliminating all feelings of competitiveness and territorialism. Despite the complex nature of a consortium, I can recommend it highly to any group of faculty members, departments, or institutions. The only essential ingredients in initiating a program are the desire to integrate study abroad into the students' academic program and the dedication to see it through. J. Milton Grimes Murray State University For additional information about KIIS, please contact Professor J. Milton Grimes, Director, Kentucky Institute for International Studies, Murray State University, 1 Murray Street, Murray, KY 42071-3311. The Virginia Program at Oxford As chairman of my college's foreign study committee, I get involved with scores of students who travel abroad to earn academic credits, in places ranging from Singapore to Sweden to Salamanca. I think there are a number of jewels in our foreign study crown, but the brightest for me during the past ten years has been the Virginia Program at Oxford (VPO). VPO began as a joint six-week summer program between Davidson College and Mary Baldwin college about twenty years ago. From the beginning, the organizers agreed to a few basic principles that still distinguish the venture today, e.g., American students would live in St. Anne's College, take their meals in the dining hall and have access to tea in the common room, have some time to sample the delights of the town and university, listen to distinguished British academics, and, most importantly, prepare each week for the rigors of Friday tutorials offered by some of the brightest young minds Oxford has to offer. Davidson set up its own separate program in Britain twelve years ago, which led Mary Baldwin's Ethel Smeak (Professor of English) to invite other Virginia institutions to join and reconstitute the organization, known henceforth as the Virginia Program at Oxford. She soon received acceptances from five other colleges, all of which continue their membership today: Hampden- Sydney College, Washington and Lee University, the Virginia Military Institute, Roanoke College, and Sweet Briar College. The governing body of VPO consists of six faculty members, one from each institution; they meet twice a year, rotating from campus to campus, once in the fall to review the previous summer's program and budget and to adjust policies, and once each spring to review applications for the summer ahead. From October to February, the faculty representatives advertise and promote the program through a variety of means; I, for instance, always target the Dean's List students and send each of them a written personal invitation. My hunch, however, is that our best recruiters are alumni who have returned with glowing reports about their own fabulous summer at Oxford, thereby evoking the interest of others. Primary attention in the spring goes to filling the thirty-six openings with the best students possible, paying attention to academic qualities and commitment rather than filling an arbitrary quota of six applicants from each of the six colleges. We would rather send just thirty students we deem qualified than an additional six with questionable credentials simply to fill the available positions. We also work closely with the American director each spring; that person, chosen on a rotating basis from among the six faculty representatives, will accompany the group and live in the college, serving a number of roles including administrator, banker, guide, and academic/personal adviser -- but not formally that of a teacher. While the recruiting and selection process is going on in Virginia, important work is taking place in Britain too. The vital cog in the VPO machine is David Blair, who teaches literature at the University of Kent in Canterbury and for the past ten years has served as English director of our summer program; before that he was a VPO tutor. During the winter, he is busy posting early bookings for theatre tickets, engaging the services of tutors, and communicating with the bursar at St. Anne's on a host of issues, e.g., would the bursar please ask the college librarian to purchase a few additional copies of Lawrence Stone's latest work on the Civil War, or would the bursar please ask the chef to re-think the lunch menus for the next summer. Here's my strong recommendation to anyone contemplating a similar program: have an English director such as David on the scene; trying to do everything from this side of the Atlantic before the summer would be too burdensome and ineffective. One of the English directors's fringe benefits is his annual visit to Virginia each spring, at VPO expense, to meet at each campus with the students who will soon be going to Oxford. We have always considered this an important and useful facet of the program. First, students see and meet the person who will be with them daily for six weeks -- the one who'll see them at breakfast and also at the Bodleian. Second, he explains eloquently what goes on in a tutorial -- what's expected of students and how different these sessions are compared to American lectures or seminars; my favorite phrase, in this regard, is his description of how tutorials "open up a subject" rather than "close it in." Finally, he assures students that their academic major is of little importance to success at Oxford -- willingness to engage the subject matter, the quality of their thinking, and their ability to assert and defend a position (even if it's wrong!). The academic heart of VPO has remained constant: students have always been asked to study closely the history and literature of England from Queen Elizabeth I's reign through the Civil War -- England from 1558 to 1660. Successful completion of the course leads to six semester hours of credit, three hours in English and three in history, which transfers back to the home institutions. David Blair knows the lecturers, and they seem to enjoy returning each summer to a program that enjoys a high academic reputation in Oxford. Over the years we've attracted such "stars" as Conrad Russell, Penry Williams, Christopher Hill, Robert Ashton, Jennifer Loach, Keith Thomas, Christopher Ricks, Julia Briggs, and the editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. We've enjoyed relative stability with our tutors too, many of whom begin with VPO as fairly recent D.Phil.'s from Oxford; they return to us in the summer even after accepting an academic position elsewhere during the regular term and even when tempted by attractive salaries offered by competing summer programs. Again, our English director does the essential work of establishing and maintaining contact with our lecturers and tutors. For readers interested in cost, let me comment briefly on the subject of money. Students going to Oxford this summer will pay a fee of $3,500; that figure has just about doubled in the past ten years, but compared to similar programs and for the value received, we think it's still a bargain. Covered by this fee are all tuition costs, room and board for six weeks (three meals a day, seven days a week), theatre tickets, two coach excursions, a reader's ticket for the Bodleian, use of the St. Anne's library, wine parties with the tutors and lecturers, and the final banquet. Students must arrange and pay for their own airplane travel to and from England and cover their out-of-pocket expenses, meaning a sum of $4,500 is closer to the actual cost per student. Fortunately, through careful financial management and favorable exchange rates, we have been able to establish a surplus over the years and, consequently, to provide nearly one full scholarship ($3,350 in 1993) to each of the six VPO colleges. Now, what's a typical summer like for the students? They arrive at St. Anne's on the last Monday in June and spend the first day getting unpacked and exploring the college grounds. They meet their tutors for the first time during tea that afternoon and receive specific assignments for Friday's tutorials. After supper, on one of those long, golden summer evenings, David Blair often invites a group to stroll across Port Meadow to The Perch. On Tuesday, students attend their first formal lecture, usually one that sets the Elizabethan historical scene, followed by coffee and conversation in the common room. David then leads the group down Woodstock Road, passing St. John's College and Martyrs' Memorial in St. Giles, along Broad Street to Blackwell's bookshop, and over to the Bodleian, where they meet with an assistant librarian who explains the history of collection and leads them through the ritual of registration, including the oath that each reader pledges not "to kindle a flame therein." By this time, most students are duly impressed and inspired about the academic task ahead. Then comes three days of frantic preparation for their first tutorials, which they all manage to survive. To celebrate the end of week one, the students board a coach at noon on Saturday for a drive into London, stopping first for a two hour visit to the gardens and public rooms at Hampton Court Palace, then moving on to the city to view a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican; in 1985 we had the best seats in the house to see Kenneth Brannagh's stunning performance as Henry V. Weeks two through six follow a similar pattern. Lectures each morning, Monday through Thursday, are followed by relatively unstructured days in which students soon learn to combine the pleasures of seeing Oxford with the rigorous preparation for the two tutorials scheduled each Friday. Three students compose each tutorial group, and they stay together for their English and history sessions. Each person writes one discussion paper per week, so by summer's end each student has a set of six papers (three in English, three in history). Students quickly learn that the best papers don't comprehensively cover the subject, e.g., Elizabeth's relationship with the House of Commons, but instead reveal wide reading and thinking during the previous week on the set subject and reach conclusions and make assertions that warrant defending during lively tutorial discussions. Three highlights of the program feature the long weekend, the day trip to Stratford, and the final party at the close of week six. The first of these highlights presents a four-day weekend to the students, who scatter in all directions from Oxford after their Thursday tutorials; their only obligation is to return in time for Tuesday morning's lecture. In the week that follows, they share their travel adventures and impress the American and English directors with how much they packed into four days, often in a hired car driven throughout the Scottish Highlands and over to the Isle of Skye. The journey to Stratford is part of the program and ideally consists of seeing one of the Bard's plays that they've just finished studying; prior to the evening's performance, there's time to visit Shakespeare's birthplace, Anne Hathaway's cottage, and Holy Trinity Church. At the final party, St. Anne's staff prepares an elaborate banquet, oftentimes featuring grilled salmon and the farewell speeches and "roasts" of the tutors last long into the evening. Students and directors carry home their own special memories of the Virginia Program at Oxford, ranging from concerts in the Sheldonian Theatre to seeing King Alfred's jewel in the Ashmolean, from seeing the dodo bird in the University Museum to late night walks along the Cherwell and across Magdalen Bridge. One of my students said it all rather simply, when he penned a postcard to me, stating, "I'm having the best summer of my life." I would recommend the VPO model to all my colleagues who might be considering the start of such a program, especially those at small to medium-sized colleges. There are benefits to a consortium. Insist on academic rigor and high standards in the program and that teaching be done by the British, not by American professors in summer. Try to find an Oxford college that is not inundated with summer programs, and negotiate the best terms possible and full access to college facilities. Finally, aim to provide, as much as possible, a British academic experience. T.W. Davis Virginia Military Institute Additional information about the VPO may be secured from Professor Thomas W. Davis, General Edwin Cox Distinguished Professorial Chair in History and Economics, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia 24450. Research Group/London: A Program in International Research at Mary Washington College The relationship between scholarship and teaching is a perennial issue of academic life. When resources are scarce, administrators of "research" institutions seek economies and frequently question their commitment to scholarly activity. At "teaching" institutions scholarship is often regarded as incompatible with the mission of education. Mary Washington College is an institution of the second type which is in the process of modifying its mission. This has been accomplished by encouraging professors to engage in research through faculty development grants and by inviting research professors to include students as participants in the scholarly activity of their disciplines. On a practical level the college provides funds for undergraduate research grants. The laboratory sciences have been at the forefront of this activity, but they have recently been joined by a very original program in history, Research Group/London. The development of the Research Group/London program at Mary Washington coincided with a college initiative to enlarge opportunities for international study for its students. In its first year, the college provided a grant to defray expenses for setting up the program in London, and now the directors have built a small administrative fee into the costs. What is most unique and attractive about the program from the perspective of international study is that it is not the usual travel-study program so frequently developed for American students during the summer months. Students are required to spend their five-week summer term in research in London, working primarily at the Public Record Office and the British Library, as well as the Bodleian and Cambridge University Library. Indeed, because the students have a purpose for being there, they feel more a part of the city and that they legitimately belong there. They thereby are able to experience London from within as participants rather than as outsiders, as tourists. This experience helps to build their perspective and their confidence and influences their commitment and academic performance. Expectations are high and the students rise to them when given the opportunity. The program was developed by Professors Bruce O'Brien and Richard Warner, both recipients of faculty development grants to engage in their own research. O'Brien is a medievalist specializing in Anglo-Norman legal history and has worked extensively in the British Library and numerous private, university, and local archives, including the Bodleian, Cambridge University, the John Rylands Library in Manchester, and the BibliolthŠque Nationale in Paris, researching a work on the Leges Edwardi Confessoris and other legal apocrypha and forgeries. Warner's interest is eighteenth-century naval and maritime history and this has led him to the Public Record Office, the National Maritime Museum, and Russian Naval Archives in St. Petersburg, researching the transfer of naval technology from Britain to Russia in the era of Peter the Great. In the summer of 1991, while engaged in their own research, they acted as mentors for a student, Liam Cleaver, who independently conducted research in London for his senior research project. Cleaver examined the correspondence between Sir Julian Corbett and Admiral John Fisher to write a paper entitled "The Pen Behind the Fleet." In England he visited the Historical Manuscripts Commission, the Public Record Office, Cambridge University Library, and the National Maritime Museum. His paper won the Almont Lindsey Award, the annual history prize at Mary Washington for the best senior research paper. Impressed by Cleaver's experience, O'Brien and Warner fashioned Research Group/London to bring students into the archives with greater regularity. Students who participate in the program take History 496: Historical Research Abroad, one of the two capstone research courses required for all history majors. In order to be considered for the program, students must begin preparations in the spring term, taking trips to the Library of Congress and the University of Virginia's Alderman Library in Charlottesville to generate ideas and locate records for research projects. They must submit formal proposals and an application for Research Group/London in late March or early April. The proposal requires a detailed description of the project, a bibliography, and description of archival sources available. The application requires two letters of reference from other faculty. The program is open to students from other institutions and in its first year drew a student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It has also served students from allied disciplines, notably English and geography. Warner took the first group to London in the summer of 1992. The whole group stayed at Madison House, James Madison University's international study center in London, which is ideally located in Bloomsbury near the British Library. It features dormitory living in a bed and breakfast setting and access to computers and reference materials. Students were required to spend five days per week in full-time research in the archives and to attend weekly dinner lectures by archivists and historians, who included such persons as Geraldine Beech and David Crook from the Public Record Office, Dr. Peter Barber from the British Library Map Collection, and Dr. N. A. M. Rodger, a noted naval historian. All were supportive and enthusiastic about the program; Barber lamented that British Universities do not have similar programs even for their own students. The costs of the program are quite reasonable. Students pay for their own air transportation to Britain and schedule their flights themselves, though they are advised on how to find the cheapest fares. They also pay Madison House directly for bed and breakfast, currently œ15 per night. Students may also prepare their own meals and launder their clothes at Madison House. Each student pays a tuition fee for three credit hours directly for the first summer session. A $200 administrative fee will go into effect in 1993. In 1993 Mary Washington students are eligible to apply for international scholarship awards of $1000 each, which are specifically designed for summer study abroad. In 1992 each student received undergraduate research awards of $100, ear-marked for commuting costs to the archives and visits to relevant sites in England. The total cost for a student was under $2500. In its first summer, Research Group/London enrolled ten students. The co-directors are interested in maintaining an enrollment of 8-10 students, and believe that it must be kept small in order to maintain personal contact. Warner discovered that living with the students, he was constantly available to provide assistance in a way quite different from the usual adviser role on campus. Advice was sought and given over meals in the evening and while traveling about the city to visit various archives. Warner conducted research himself for a paper he read at a conference in Finland later in the summer. He felt that it was essential to research and write "by example as well as by instruction." This shared activity sustained a serious atmosphere and rapport which can not be duplicated in the professorial office back at the campus. Student projects were varied. Senior history major Selena Chon studied the relationship between Adler Christianson and Sir Roger Casement before the Easter Rebellion in Ireland, using materials recently declassified at the Public Record Office. Cheryl Roberts, who worked on the sale of Laird Rams to the Confederacy, read deeply into the papers of Lord Russell at the PRO and had the satisfaction of discovering materials unused by previous scholars of the subject. Other students had similar experiences, while researching such topics as the mysterious Victorian feminist E. M. King, Lancastrian propaganda during the War of the Roses, and the propaganda produced by the Ministry of Information in the aftermath of Dunkirk. Professor O'Brien is preparing this year's program, which will run from May 26 to June 24. The program has generated a great deal of interest on the Mary Washington campus and other institutions are also showing support. The co-directors of this program believe that they have developed something unique in international education and have discussed the program with several neighboring institutions. They have detected a particular interest among graduate departments, which might make use of Research Group/London for a three-month summer period to introduce master's level students to archival research. They are exploring possibilities of affiliation with a graduate program interested in awarding credit. Both contend that they are not interested in the growth, but in adding to the selectivity and diversity of the program through participation by students from other institutions. They are most pleased by the fact that this program reinforces the notion that research and teaching are compatible and essential components of academic life. Both are highly visible in Research Group/London, for student have been "invited inside" to do what scholars do and they have risen to the challenge remarkably well. Bruce O'Brien Mary Washington College Richard H. Warner Professors Bruce O'Brien and Richard H. Warner are in the History Department at Mary Washington College. For information and applications for Research Group/London write: Research Group/London, Department of History, Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Building Better Bridges Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College, in a joint venture, are offering a study abroad program for the summer of 1993. Designed to give college students of all ranks and majors the opportunity to study business, history, and literature in the culturally rich city of London, the program is the result of a collaborative effort by both institutions. The foundation for the program was bolstered by Florida's common course numbering and excellent articulation agreements between the State's nine universities and twenty-eight community colleges. Florida State University (FSU) and Tallahassee Community College (TCC), physically within a few miles of one another and for the most part sharing a common calendar, add to their relationship in a number of ways. Florida State's large number of graduate students form an available pool of adjunct instructors for the community college and, in fact, a number of TCC full-time faculty hold their degrees from FSU. Another factor is the existence of Florida State's study abroad programs in London and Florence. In the past, the university has recruited TCC faculty, usually for the Florence program. All of the above serve to promote positive relationships between the institutions. Collectively, these relationships provide a solid support for the cooperative summer study abroad experience. Despite the close working relationship between the institutions, there have been some fascinating challenges in establishing the program. The idea for the program began when TCC noticed that FSU was not offering classes in the London program during summer term "B", (June 24 - August 5). A suggestion was made by TCC to try and work out an arrangement for using the London facilities in the summer. Both institutions were receptive and positive to the idea and from that original inquiry the present program developed. The FSU facilities in London are especially significant because they meet ADA standards for classroom and living space. Florida State's experience with overseas studies helped to eliminate some of the initial questions intrinsic to any new study abroad program: on admissions, housing, deposits, travel, orientation, guided tours, guest lectures, insurance, and student travel cards. Advertising would be a joint effort with the involved faculty and institutions responsible for maximizing the promotional campaign. There would be no advanced class meetings, orientation would begin in London prior to the start of classes. The course offerings however, were selected to complement each other and satisfy core requirements while reflecting the reality of a different academic environment. Scheduling focused on maximizing the opportunity for students to explore. Classes would meet three days a week: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Wednesday is set aside for field trips and Friday for extended travel, research, or free time. Housing would be provided as part of the program price, but transportation and meals were intentionally left out to reduce costs to participants, limit program overhead charges, and encourage students to experience the rich diversity of the city on their own. Other questions, with more difficult ramifications, took longer to resolve. The two most notable were the deadline for student applications and estimating the cost of the package. The later the deadline date, the greater the probability that students would sign up; however, if the date was set too late, the resulting uncertainty could destroy the program. Uncertainty means that faculty cannot make travel or housing arrangements in advance for fear of losing non-refundable deposits. If the program does make at the last moment, then there is the unenviable, and very expensive, task of booking last-minute travel and finding housing, both at the height of the "season"; a definite Catch 22. In estimating the cost of the program to the students, it is better to err on the side of fiscal conservatism. The cost of tuition is approximately the same for both schools and was thus not a problem. More complicated in estimating program cost was pay for the faculty. What quickly became apparent were some institutional problems that were much harder, though not impossible, to overcome. Central to these difficulties was faculty pay and how it related to tuition. Florida State faculty are on twelve-month contracts and therefore, their salaries did not influence total program cost. Tallahassee Community College faculty, on the other hand, are on nine-month contracts and their summer pay is based upon student loads and tuition. This problem had first come up when TCC faculty were recruited to teach at the Florence program. Never really resolved, it was dealt with on an individual basis with no long-term policy developed. At times in that program, the issue of salary could not be resolved and the TCC faculty member, although willing, could not be employed. (When TCC faculty were first approached for the Florence program during the regular academic year another set of problems arose regarding which institution would pay the faculty salary and get the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) credit, but that is another story.) For the summer program, the issue has been temporarily resolved. Any student who wants to take a course taught by a TCC professor must pay TCC tuition. This cost is above and beyond the program price. If students choose a course taught by FSU faculty, the program price includes tuition. This is not a fair settlement because it places the TCC courses at a distinct financial disadvantage; nonetheless, it was the best immediate solution to the impasse. The solution left the TCC faculty wondering about their summer pay and whether their courses would make -- which leads back to the uncertainty of the entire effort coming to fruition with its consequent problems of travel and acceptable housing. Summer pay is a major consideration for the TCC staff because it is based on student load and the present study abroad formula is biased away from large class enrollments. Smaller classes and less pay add another factor to the dilemma of ventures between institutions. At what point does it become economically viable for TCC faculty to teach in the London program? For the most part, faculty will take part for the experience and opportunity to lay the foundation for the future, not as a way to supplement income. This is an important point to consider when asking for volunteers to staff the program and would seem to be a more universal concern. Much has come from the efforts already begun and the remaining problems are receiving last-minute attention from both institutions. If things do not operate smoothly in the first go round, our experiences will help guide us in the future. Ways to improve student enrollment through raffles at information sessions (sponsored perhaps by institutionally related travel agencies), reduced application fees and financial assistance (from financial aid -- which may vary considerably by institution and student) are currently under serious consideration. The TCC Foundation has also been approached in an effort to help underwrite faculty expenses related to the program. The latter would parallel the current practice of the FSU Foundation. Creativity and flexibility remain key to overcoming these, and no doubt, other difficulties. I would be remiss if I did not point out that, despite all of the difficulties encountered, both institutions remain hopeful about the future of the program. Throughout all of the meetings, discussions and planning negotiations, the administration and faculty at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College maintained a positive attitude. If anything, the working relationship between the departments and individuals involved was strengthened and avenues paved for broader articulation in the years to come. Even if the joint effort study abroad program does not materialize for the coming summer session, both Florida State and Tallahassee Community College will have accomplished much in the way of articulation and "building better bridges." With this foundation, there is always next year. Will Benedicks Jr. Tallahassee Community College If you have questions about this cooperative venture between FSU and TCC, please contact Professor Will Benedicks, Jr., Department of Social Sciences, Tallahassee Community College, 444 Appleyard Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32304-2895. The Living History Experience Sometimes it takes more than a 2 by 4 to get their attention! We have all heard the old saying, "Hit 'em with a 2 by 4 to get their attention." Well most of us who teach graduate school sometimes wish we carried a two by four especially for those night classes. You know the situation: it's a Monday night course 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and your class consists of people who have worked hard all day. Not only are your adult learners tired, but they are a different "breed of cat." There are plenty of studies on the needs of adult learners which can be explored but not in this article. The truth is that as the clock ticks into the evening so does your students' attention. So time now for the good old trusty 2 by 4? Wrong! Maybe the 2 by 4 has been used too often. Maybe it is so common that it no longer grabs your students' attention. Maybe your students are reflecting the results of abuse? The two by four I speak of is the two covers of the book and the four walls of the classroom. I have been in "the trenches" for twenty-five years teaching 7th and 8th grade social studies and, for the past ten years, adjunct professor at the College of New Rochelle Graduate School of Education. This experience has demonstrated to me that 2 by 4s are not the only way to go. Fortunately, my career at the middle school level (Blue Mountain Middle School, one of the first schools to receive the Excellence in Education Award) allowed me to develop a Living History Program. This program, which is based on the Team of Teaching approach, has received national recognition (NBC "The Truth About Teachers," hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, the Outstanding Teacher of American History Award, plus the Freedoms Foundation Valley Forge Teachers Medal). The troops (7th and 8th graders - 100+ students) each year recreate either Revolutionary War or Civil War regiments, make uniforms and equipment, drill, research, parade and spend at least one night participating in an overnight encampment at an appropriate historic site -- Gettysburg, PA, Lexington, MA, Ft. Stanwix, Iona Island, etc. This year will find the troops at Fort Ticonderoga for three days and two nights. The upshot of all these experiences is that if it works with 7th and 8th graders (a federally funded study demonstrated this), then why not graduate students, especially teachers? The state of New York has a well developed system of teachers' centers which has offered me, over the past 10 years, the chance to apply Living History at the graduate level. The teachers centers combined with the vision and flexibility of the College of New Rochelle (Lewis Lyman and Ann Fitzpatrick, in particular) have given me an opportunity to develop over ten graduate courses with a Living History theme. These courses range from a total immersion in Colonial Williamsburg, to a Wagon Train across the plains of Nebraska, to a Revolutionary War camp at Saratoga, to garrisoning Fort Stanwix, or riding across the Gettysburg battlefield with a fully uniformed cavalryman or sleeping on a three-masted vessel at South Street Seaport in New York City as an immigrant. As you can well see, this is not your average class, but to be fair, these are not your average students. Most are educators of at least ten-years experience and working beyond their Masters Degrees. These are students who are looking beyond the 2 by 4. So, Ryan, it all sounds great and definitely fun. Yes, fun! Learning and teaching can be fun, but how do you do it? How much work is involved? How will I maintain control? What will my colleagues say? Do I know enough to pull it off? What if my students find out that I don't know it all? I got started with a Local History course which used local, state and federal historic sites in the lower Hudson Valley. You would be amazed at the talented pool of people you will find. The interpreter, site manager and educational coordinator will work with you to get the most out of their site. I incorporated a Revolutionary War style overnight encampment on the Stony Point battlefield site and utilized a local historic tour boat, "The Commander", to take advantage of the historic Hudson River area. Needless to say, it worked! After this I was ready to try a travel course. Colonial Williamsburg has always been one of my favorite sites, and I knew they had an educational division. A phone call put me in touch with Cynthia Burns, the result of which has been a ten-year friendly, professional relationship. The Colonial Williamsburg course has been offered successfully during the last decade a number of times. Imagine going "behind the scenes" at Colonial Williamsburg, visiting the costume shop, observing in the restoration lab with a million dollar chair being worked on, discussing "Granny's remains" (Hume's find at Martin's Hundred) in the archaeology lab, debating revolutionary points of view in the House of Burgesses, taking a candlelight tour, sitting behind the slave quarters and getting some of the human side of history, etc. Mary Conway, our personal guide, made sure we did not stand on lines or miss the gardens or the archaeological "dig". How about a walk around the original Jamestown with an extensive search of Carter's Grove? This is all done in a first class manner which includes a Lincoln Towncar, excellent food, and comfortable accommodations near the restored area. The final banquet is held at one of the historic taverns with appropriate food, drink and toasts. Heading back to the Norfolk Airport, we stop for a personal tour of Yorktown Battlefield. I participated as a re-enactor at the Bicentennial Celebration at Yorktown. Looking back, the class had covered a lot of territory in five days and four nights (8 a.m. until 10 p.m.), but they had touched their country's heritage. "Riders Up, Wagons Ho"! Across the prairie the horses and mules strain at the harnesses, the cavalry escort checks their army colts, and the pioneers begin to walk or ride along the Oregon Trail. Up ahead is chimney rock and the base camp nestled on the banks of the North Platte River. Cabins and hot showers, grilled steaks and cold beer and a last evening campfire await. Then back to the twentieth century. Can it really be ending? Did we really make it over Howard Pass after almost losing a team and wagon in the canyon? Boy! Food still tastes good even when cooked on cow chips. How did that red-shirted Pony Express rider have a letter addressed to me? What a loud noise a Colt 44 makes as it drives away a raiding party of Locota Sioux! Now I have seen "the elephant" during the last eight days as a pilgrim on the Oregon Trail. Okay, Ryan, enough stories from the "old ranger", this is graduate school. Get serious. How do you do it? First, you have to put the 2 by 4 away and find a chairman or department head who thinks like an eagle. Avoid ducks, all they do is quack, quack, quack. Second, start locally. If you don't have a good historic site, create one. It is easier if you have a site to tap into. Pick your period of history. Do some homework. Find a re- enactment group to visit with. Get daring. Join one! Read Time Machines by Jay Anderson or Living History Source Book by the same author. Check America's Living Past by John Bowen. While on vacation, visit a site you always wanted to see and use it as a tax write off! Uncle Sam will love you! There are people out there eager to help you. Don't worry that you don't know it all. What's wrong with learning with your students? As Tom Lehrer said, "Don't let anyone's work evade your eyes". Everyone has a story and certainly will tell it if given the opportunity. The National Parks Service is terrific. Local and state sites want students to use them. Places like Williamsburg, South St. Seaport, and the Historic Hudson Valley are wonderful and their staffs terrific. For distant sites, a good travel agent is essential. Make planning and executing the trip part of the course. Students are more committed when they are active and responsible in making it happen. You don't have to be the Lone Ranger. Get a colleague to work with you. John Svibruck and I developed the Immigration course together. It is fun to team teach, and it eases the load (or the blame!) It's okay to get beyond the classroom walls. An added benefit is positive press for the school and a terrific opportunity for a professional article. Plus what a chance for your own professional growth, and the positive feedback doesn't hurt either. Relax and enjoy the experience. It's a lot easier than lugging a two by four! Joseph J. Ryan Blue Mountain Middle School College of New Rochelle Joseph J. Ryan teaches at Blue Mountain Middle School and is an Adjunct Professor at the College of New Rochelle Graduate School of Education. He may be contacted at 86 Edgewood Road, Ossining, NY 10562. Colonial Williamsburg and Off Campus Learning In the late 1960s the History Department needed an upper level course for the three-week term between the spring semester and the regular summer school. Colonial Williamsburg provided the answer. Their department of educational services announced a new program for college students. In June of 1969 James Madison University's History Department offered its first off campus class and the program has enjoyed enormous success ever since. The course was a comparison of life during the golden age of Virginia and Massachusetts -- 1730 to 1750. Students studied Massachusetts in a traditional format, by using films, readings, and lectures. Colonial Williamsburg provided the Virginia segment. Interest has exceeded expectations and every May since 1969 the course has been offered. By 1990 requests were so numerous that a June section was added. Over the years the class evolved from comparing colonial Virginia and Massachusetts to topics on colonial Virginia. The time spent in Colonial Williamsburg was also lengthened from a long weekend to five full days. Topics recently investigated include material culture, slavery, architecture, religion, the enlightenment in Virginia, consumerism, and the refining of society. Perhaps the most significant change was replacing the traditional lecture, reinforced with an occasional film or video tape, with an outside the classroom approach to learning. The study of slavery will serve as an example of how the course is conducted. In 1990, at the suggestion of Colonial Williamsburg's Department of African-American Studies, slavery was the focus. Before journeying to Williamsburg, students read Mechal Sobel's The World They Made Together, Allan Kulikoff's Tobacco and Slaves, Gerald Mullin's Flight and Rebellion, "The Negro Road" from Darrett and Anita Rutman's A Place in Time, and Jean Lee's article "The Problem of Slave Community in the Eighteenth Century Chesapeake." (William and Mary Quarterly, 3 ser. 43 July 1986.) The class divided into three groups. One group examined Hening's Statutes at Large, the Journals of the House of Burgesses, and the Executive and Legislative Journals of Council to see what laws were passed between 1619 and 1776 that changed the status of Africans. By interpreting changes in the laws they also were able to understand changes in Virginia's society. From this research they discovered the custom of passing laws to legalize conditions that already existed. The group also learned that with every new monarch laws were reenacted and that this custom afforded the legislature an opportunity to revise the laws. Another group used advertisements in the Virginia Gazette to discover the number of runaway slaves, to determine reasons for escaping, and examine how the sheriff and his deputies treated captured fugitive slaves. They estimated the number of slaves that ran away, learned where they went, and how successful they were in avoiding capture. They also found ways slaves resisted unreasonable demands from their masters or from the overseer. The third group used papers of the Bray Associates, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and letters from clergymen to the Bishop of London to ascertain what position the established church took toward the institution of slavery. This group also explored the views and influence of religious dissenters on the slavery debate. The week in Colonial Williamsburg began with a lecture on the West African experience by Dr. Robert Watson, the Director of African-American Studies. Later in the week an architectural historian presented a slide lecture on research his department did in preparation for restoring the slave quarters at Carter's Grove. We then visited the archaeology laboratory and examined artifacts found at the Carter's Grove dig. Throughout the week students met character actors who interpreted different personalities of slaves. One actress portrayed Kate, a house slave of the Powells. Kate was resentful, surly, and belligerent. Another character was Nan, a slave from Carter's Grove. Nan's owners allowed her to sell poultry in Williamsburg and keep the money. During our conversation with her she demonstrated a knowledge of mathematics and writing. We later met Gowan Pamphlet, a black minister, and Felix Waterford, a free black. Through demonstrations of slave music, dance, and storytelling the students learned how African traditions were preserved as well as what slaves did in their quarters at night. Character interpreters portraying members of the upper class discussed their beliefs about slavery and the relations between master and slave. A middle class artisan presented his opinion about the institution which differed from that of the upper class. And an actor who played an Anglican priest and a Professor of Moral Philosophy at the College of William and Mary defended the church's ambivalence on the issue. Back on campus, the last week of the course was spent drawing conclusions from the research done the first week and information gathered in Williamsburg. The books, articles, and material students kept in their journals were discussed and evaluated. Each group prepared an oral presentation and wrote a paper on the results of their research. Following class discussions of the oral and written presentations, group papers were merged into a final seminar volume. The last day was used to evaluate student work and to evaluate the course. Student evaluations over the years have been uniformly positive. They especially like working with primary documents, "hands on experience," as they phrase it. They universally praise Colonial Williamsburg's role particularly the first person interpretations and the use of materials in the Colonial Williamsburg research library and laboratories. The latter has been an ongoing requirement of the class. Students describe the course as one of their most memorable learning experiences. For some, their interest in history was strengthened and they sought careers in museum work, historical interpretation, or in local history. The group research has also been significant, preparing students for later careers. Often research begun in this class was pursued in other history classes or at the thesis level. Another positive result was the lasting friendships that developed during the course of three weeks. Frequently, alumni hold reunions and when former students return for a visit to the department they inquire of friends from one of the May Session classes. One group, the class of 1975, has a reunion every year at Homecoming. History Departments interested in offering a similar course should, once the theme is determined, contact the Department of Educational Services at Colonial Williamsburg. Experience has taught us that careful planning and coordination with Colonial Williamsburg was necessary when developing and sustaining the course. Time was needed for the staff to research the topic, train the interpreters, and plan the schedule so that the class was not constantly encountering lines of tourists. When possible, activities were scheduled for buildings or areas that were closed to the general public that day. The effort Colonial Williamsburg put into a college visit was remarkable. For example, when we studied religion in colonial Virginia and requested that we devote one day to visiting existing eighteenth-century churches the historical interpreter contacted the rectors of the churches, obtained permission to visit, scheduled the time, and then visited all the sites to determine travel time and the importance of visiting the church building. When planning for the course, limit the enrollment to around fifteen students. The quality of work is better and students tend to contribute more in small groups rather than in large ones. Also, the class is easier to manage and does not overcrowd museum facilities. For over twenty years this course has served James Madison's history students well. It has instilled in students a genuine interest in the discipline and developed a loyalty to the department that has endured. Clive R. Hallman James Madison University Professor Clive R. Hallman, Department of History, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 may be contacted directly for more specific information about this off campus course. Announcements The National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Fellowships and Seminars, has changed the deadline for applications for two of its programs this year. May 1, 1993 is the new deadline for Fellowships for University Teachers and Fellowships for College Teachers and Independent Scholars. If you have not yet returned your Council of Chairs questionnaire, please remember to do so by 1 June. The response so far has been extremely gratifying.