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Frequently asked questions and answers about the MediterraneanStudyTour:
When is it?
June 9-25 (17 days) in summer school session II
Where do we go?
Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Key cities and sites include Istanbul,Troy, Ephesus,Smyrna, Athens, Mycenae, Corinth,Delphi, Pompeii, Naples, and Rome.
What is the cost?
The package cost is $4200 – this includes all fees/tuition for 7 credit hours of Lee course work, all transportation, all lodging, all breakfasts, about ½ of the evening meals, all guides, most site admissions, all taxes and fees related to the above and a few other things. It excludes about ½ the dinners, all lunches, the cost of your own passport, and some site admissions (this is still being negotiated). Of course, souvenirs and gifts you might want to buy are your own responsibility.
What courses are offered?
You need to register for 7 credit hours for courses in summer II just as you would register for regular classes. The courses you need to select are:
GST 251 (1 credit hour) – this is the required core “cross-cultural experience” You must take GST 200 before going on the trip and taking the GST 251 cross culture experience.
HUM 201 or HIS 480 (3 credit hours) – although these are not exactly the same course, they are similar enough that you may take only one or the other. The HUM 201 course is the required core course “Foundations of Western Culture.” If you have taken it already or prefer to get HIS credit for whatever reason, you need to take HIS 480 “History and Archaeology of the Greco-Roman World”.
ANT 490/HIS 490 (3 credit hours) – The Islamic World. You can take this course for either history credit or Anthropology credit (or perhaps ISP credit – this is pending). You can attend without taking any courses but the price is the same. If you take courses, you must sign up for 7 hours selected from the course above and you can take GST 251 more than once. The other two course can not be repeats. In other words, if you have had HUM 201, then you would sign up for HIS 480, and if you have had ANT 490, you would need to take HIS 490.
Who will teach the courses and what are the requirements?
Dr. Hoffman would be the listed teacher in each case but the Islamic World course will mostly be taught by Dr. John Wineland, a professor of history and religion at KentuckyChristianCollege, who will be going on the trip with us. He is and expert in archaeology, history, and religion and has been to nearly ever site that we will be visiting. We will also have local guides to explain sites and help in any way necessary. You will be required to keep a daily journal – this is the main requirement of the GST course which is graded on a pass/fail basis – and the same journal will part of the requirements for the other courses. Whichever other courses you select will also require text reading and answering a detailed worksheet related to sites we visit and some things from the text, and a research paper due about a month after we return. Attendance at some trip meetings prior to leaving (2 or 3) is also expected.
Will financial aid be available to help with the cost of the trip?
Although you should check with the business and financial aid office directly, aid has usually been available in the past for trips such as this. In essence in the past whatever aid you might be able to get for 7 hours of course credits in summer school taken at the Lee campus will be available for you for the trip.
How many students can go and how are they selected?
We will take 26 students and they are selected on a “first come, first accepted” basis. Any major and any classification (sophomore, junior, etc.) can go.
Is a deposit required?
Yes, a $500 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is required to secure your place on the trip. The business office will start taking deposits Friday, November 22. Just give them your name and check and the first 26 who sign up will be the ones who go. It is possible that the trip will fill up quickly and so if you want to go and can’t pay $500 on Nov. 22, please see me.
Why is the deposit non-refundable?
The reason that the deposit is non-refundable (after Dec. 11) is that a deposit will be sent at that time to hold your seat on the airlines and your rooms in the hotels. Thus, Lee will not be able to refund the money since it will not be “on hand”. In addition, by making a deposit, you make a commitment to go on the trip and to pay the whole $4200. Thus, if you need to cancel after making the deposit, you must inform Dr. Hoffman and the business office right away. Unless we hear otherwise, after getting the deposit will assume that you are intending to go on the trip, and by the middle of April of 2003, the whole $4200 will be due. Thus, unless you tell us you have had to drop out, you will be liable for the whole $4200 after mid-April whether you end up going on the trip or not.
When are payments due?
The $500 deposit will be accepted starting Nov. 22 and the first 26 students who make a deposit will go. If you can commit to go, but just can’t make a deposit as early as the 22nd, please see me. We can work it out -- depending on demand and when you do think you will be able to make a deposit. Please don’t just drop out now because you don’t have $500. If you can get it by the end of the semester, and will be able to pay for the whole trip by mid-April, we can work it out for you to go. I will have a payment schedule for 4 more payments (after the deposit) of $925 each with suggested payment in the 2nd week of Jan, Feb., March, and April. But the key things are first the deposit then the whole trip paid for by mid-April.
Is this a “missions trip” (i.e. can we ask for donations from our church or others based on doing evangelism or missions work)?
No, it is not a missions trip. I hope we will be examples of good Christians wherever we go, and we can certainly tell folks about Jesus at various points on the trip, but it is mostly a historical, cultural, and social learning experience for us – not the time for extended missions work.
Do I need a passport and/or visas?
Yes, you need a passport valid through at least August of 2003. You can get a passport by filling out an application (including providing two pictures of your self) at a US post office. You also need a drivers license and (I think) a birth certificate. The fee is about $75 and the pictures cost an extra $10 or so. The passport is good for 10 years. You should apply RIGHT AWAY if you are planning on going on this trip as the wait is several months once you have filled out the application. You do not need to get individual visas. We will get group visas for you (included in trip price) if they are needed.
You are welcome to see me, BSS 103, or call me, ext. 8351, if you can’t make the meeting.
Thanks for your interest in the trip. It will be great and I hope you can go!
Dr. Daniel Hoffman
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