Classical and Renaissance Italy: The Major Cities and the Places in Between

Faculty: Dr. Michael McInturff 

Travel Dates: Jan. 7-26

Group Size: 15 to 25

Approximate Cost: $6,100

After a series of on-campus meetings early in the term, this three-week travel study experience will visit major cultural and historical sites in Italy. We will examine the world of the ancient romans and Etruscans. We will explore the foundations of modern Europe in medieval and renaissance Italy. We will focus in particular on how art, architecture, and urban life express cultural and intellectual history. We will be based in Rome, Florence, and Venice. We will visit Pompeii, Orvieto, Pisa, Pienza and other areas. Students will research and present and lead discussion three topics each. These topics will be selected in consultation with the faculty leaders.

Moving Up the Food Chain: Vertical Integration in European Agri-business Firms

Faculty: Drs. Bert Morrow and Sara Robicheaux

Travel Dates: Jan. 12-29

Group Size: 10 to 20

Approximate Cost: $5,500

Project open to senior business majors and others by consent.

Students will visit Hungary, Czech Republic and Italy to study agribusiness firms engaged in food production. Particular emphasis will be given to the issues of vertical integration and the extent to which technological innovations have been adopted in a firm's value chain. We will also explore how these firms acquire inputs, access distribution channels, and manage their labor and product markets. Students who plan to receive course credit for BA 499, must present the results of a substantial research project on a topic that has been approved by the faculty leaders. All students must write a reflection paper of at least 12 pages but not more than 20 pages.

The ABCs of European Capitals: Art, Business, and Culture of 5 European Cities

Faculty: Drs. Rick Lester and Treva Lester

Travel Dates: Jan. 8-30

Group Size: 20 minimum

Approximate Cost: $6,500

Is there a geography-based understanding of world events? Does culture impact the world view? What role do commerce and culture play in national identity? To examine these questions, we will travel to five European cities. For 2024, we tentatively plan to visit Madrid, Athens, Vienna, Brussels, and Paris. We will visit some of the most important and exquisite museums of the world. In addition, we will contrast the old with the new by exploring the work of global commerce and media of these important world capitals. We will start with what we know here in Birmingham, where students will give reports on aspects of our itinerary. Then we travel for 21 days. Students will complete a group assignment before we leave and a reflective paper once returning.

Spanish & Service Learning in Peru

Faculty: Dr. Vince Gawronski and Rev. Julie Holly

Travel Dates: Jan. 4-28

Group Size: 8 to 16

Approximate Cost: $6,250

A fascinating three-week immersion in the Spanish language and Peruvian culture, this service-learning project in Cusco, Peru, will engage students in intensive language study and provide a variety of service-learning projects, including a reforestation project. Language training followed by a service-learning component will allow participants to maximize their cultural immersion experience by enhancing connections and fostering intercultural communication and understanding. Prior Spanish is optional. A language proficiency assessment will determine class placement, from beginner’s level to advanced. Máximo Nivel will provide three hours of intensive Spanish daily with ample opportunities for exciting excursions, cultural activities, and social engagement, including local cuisine, markets, city tours, museums, archeological sites, and monuments. Students will stay with Peruvian host families to further deepen their cultural immersion. This project will also include weekend excursions to the famous Inca sites of Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, and Sacsayhuaman.  

Service Learning: Education in Belize

Faculty: Dr. Amelia Spencer

Travel Dates: Jan. 5-24

Group Size: 8 to 16

Approximate Cost: $5,500

Travel to Belize to work alongside teachers in a local school.  Students will teach English through multiple subjects and experience cultural immersion through service.  Students will also experience the culture and natural resources of Belize through meetings with community leaders.  The project will be facilitated by Toucan Education Programs.  Students will prepare for the project by developing lesson plans and reading assigned articles.  Students will be expected to participate fully in the school and group discussions, keep a reflective journal and submit a final reflective essay.  Evaluation will be based on quality of preparation, participation, and the final essay.

Sundance Film Festival and the Independent Film Market

Faculty: Drs. Teddy Champion and Nora Stone

Travel Dates: Jan. 17-28

Group Size: 8 to 14

Approximate Cost: $4,100

Examine the intimate relationship between independent cinema and film festivals, with a focus on the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Film festivals have been central to international and independent cinema since the 1930s. Sundance is the largest independent film festival in the United States and has launched the careers of filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino. During this course, students have the opportunity to study the history of film festivals and the ways in which they have influenced the landscape of contemporary cinema. Students may choose any topic related to the Sundance Film Festival and its location (marketing, event planning, networking, nature, religion, or others). The class will then travel to the Sundance Film Festival and students will have the freedom to choose what they would like to pursue there, such as attending film screenings, panels, and workshops, and interacting with film producers and distributors.