Humanities and Western Civilization in London, England

Enroll in a specially designated section of Spring 2010 HWC 205, Western Civilization II, and spend spring break in London visiting museums, historic buildings and other locations related to course content. Assignments, examinations, and discussion activities will integrate Western Civilization II readings with London venues such as the Freud House Museum, the Holocaust Exhibit at the Imperial War Museum, governmental London, and the British Museum. There is also a day trip to Oxford to visit one of Oxford’s older colleges, Corpus Christi, founded in 1517, as well as an Oxford walking tour.

Each student will complete a portfolio project over the course of the semester. The portfolio includes responses to Western Civilization course readings and records hands-on experiences in London during Spring Break. Students will be expected to complete analytical writings, travel memoirs and creative essays as part of the project. An introductory essay will tie the portfolio writings together for final submission at the end of the semester.

Itinerary

Students will attend class on campus weekly throughout the semester, just as do other Western Civ II students. However, London spring break students will enroll in a specific section of Western Civ II and the course will be organized with the trip to London in mind. We will leave for London on Friday, March 12 and return on Sunday, March 21.

Upon arrival in London on Saturday, March 13, the group will take an orientation double-decker bus tour to help us learn the city. Each weekday students will meet in the hotel’s lobby. There, the group will prepare for the day’s required events and discuss possibilities for free time.

Each weekday morning the entire class will visit a site relevant to Western Civ II studies. Each afternoon students will disperse on their own to visit other sites in London relevant to their portfolio projects. They will take careful notes and make thoughtful observations that will help them prepare a record of their readings and experiences.

Morning site visits include:

▪ A tour of the Holocaust Exhibit at the Imperial War Museum. The exhibit is widely considered the most comprehensive and authoritative presentation of internment during World War II.

▪ An excursion to Oxford to tour Corpus Christi College, Oxford’s smallest college, but one of it’s best known. Located just off of Oxford’s central High Street, between Christ Church College and Merton College, “Corpus” enjoys a view over Christ Church Meadow and the River Thames. The afternoon includes a “Women of Oxford” walking tour.

▪A walking tour of London’s government district. The tour is led by a guide from “London Walks” an organization dedicated to learning about London by walking through the city. The tour focuses on the Stuart monarchy as John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government addresses the Stuarts’ perceived tyranny.

▪ A visit to the Enlightenment Room at the British Museum. Here students can learn how Britain viewed the world during the Enlightenment. Thousands of objects are divided up into seven sections of the gallery to explore the seven new disciplines of the Enlightenment: Religion, Ethnography, Archaeology, Art History, Classification, Decipherment and Natural History.

Afternoon independent site visits may include, but are not limited to:

▪ Keats House
▪ The British Museum
▪ Handel House Museum
▪ Dr. Johnson’s House
▪ Jewish Museum
▪ Karl Marx Memorial Library
▪ Banqueting House
▪ London Canal Museum
▪ The National Gallery
▪ The National Portrait Gallery
▪ The Tate Art Museum
▪ The Tate Modern
▪ Victoria and Albert Museum
▪ Dickens House Museum
▪ John Soane’s Museum

Students are on their own during evening hours. Activities may include theater and musicals, concerts, art exhibits, jazz, nightclubbing, and more. One evening the group will share a meal together in Bloomsbury.

Courses Offered

HWC 205 Western Civilization II (3). All students enroll in this course for the spring semester. This course is open to all KU students who have successfully completed HWC 204, Western Civilization I. This course is also available for Honors credit as HWC 115.

Accommodations

Students and faculty will stay at the Tavistock Hotel, a Bloomsbury neighborhood hotel. Accommodation is double and triple occupancy. A full English breakfast will be provided at the hotel each day.

Dates

During the Spring Semester

Classes meet weekly on Tuesday & Thursday at 9:30am - 10:45am. Please consult the Spring 2010 timetable of classes.

Spring Break in London

Depart U.S.: Friday, March 12
Arrive London: Saturday, March 13
Depart London: Sunday, March 21

Eligibility

Open to KU students who have completed HWC 114 or HWC 204 (Western Civilization I). Minimum 2.5 GPA.

Cost

Program Fee (2010):Approximately $1,950. The fee includes accommodations, breakfast, one group dinner, excursions and site visits, KU orientation, contribution to additional site visit admission fees, and emergency medical evacuation and repatriation services.

Tuition and Fees: KU Tuition will be included in Spring 2010 enrollment billing.

Additional costs: Airfare, most meals, passport fee, books, and personal expenses.

Note

All dates, costs, and program information are subject to change as necessary due to fluctuations in the exchange rate or other reasons.

Financial Aid

KU students may apply financial aid toward the cost of this program. For more information, contact the Office of Study Abroad. Scholarship funds are available for the program. Please contact the program director Antha Cotten-Spreckelmeyer for details.

Information on the Seaver Study Abroad Award can be found at: http://www2.ku.edu/~hwc/documents/SeaverStudyAbroadAward_000.pdf

Application Procedures

Application Deadline: November 1, 2009

Applications are available in the KU Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the application.

(Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to download an application. If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader you can download it for FREE.)

For more information contact:

Antha Cotten-Spreckelmeyer
Humanities and Western Civilization
308-A Bailey Hall
tel: (785) 864-3012
e-mail: arcs@ku.edu

University of Kansas
Office of Study Abroad
Lippincott Hall
1410 Jayhawk Blvd. Room 108
Lawrence, KS 66045-7515
tel: (785) 864-3742
e-mail: osa@ku.edu