J-Term 2021
Travel Seminars

Students interested in registering for a J-term travel seminar should begin the process by submitting an application at the Terra Dotta web site. More J-term travel seminar registration information is available on the Office of the Registrar J-Term travel registration web site.

TRAVEL SEMINARS

COUN 145/COUN 245 (CRN 1578/1579): UNDERSTANDING DIVERSE POPULATIONS: HAWAII

EDUC 189 (CRN 2180): SPAIN AND MOROCCO:EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF ETHICS AND CULTURE

EDUC 199/299 (CRN 1708/1709): PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION FROM FINLAND

EDUC 199/299/HONR194 (CRN 2114/2115/2059): KOSOVO: REPAIRING AND REBUILDING

ENSS 111/HONR 111 (CRN 2185/2165): DEVELOPMENT, CONSERVATION, AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS IN BELIZE

HSCI 147 (CRN 1682): INTERNATIONAL HEALTH TOPICS: INDIA

HSCI 150 (2166): COMPREHENSIVE PATIENT ASSESSMENT & INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION: AUSTRIA

LIBR 66 (CRN 1869): RESEARCHING THAILAND: RESEARCH, EXPLORATION & REFLECTION

LPS 135 (CRN 2019): FORKS & FARMS IN ITALY: FOOD SECURITY & SUSTAINABILITY

POLS 119 (CRN 2173): INSIDE WASHINGTON: THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION

REL 151/HONR 152 (CRN 2038/2170): RELIGIONS OF AFRICA

STEM 112 (CRN 2113)– PLACE BASED INTEGRATED SCIENCE (PANAMA)

THEA 120T (CRN 1725): THEATRE HISTORY IN LONDON

COUN 145/COUN 245 (CRN 1578/1579): UNDERSTANDING DIVERSE POPULATIONS:  HAWAII
Matt  Bruinekool, Wade Leuwerke
Credits 3
Attribute: Community Engaged Learning and Global and Cultural Understand and Historical Foundations and J-Term Travel Seminar and International & Multicultural and Service Learning

Course Description: The course will introduce students to the Clubhouse Model for individuals with mental illnesses. They will learn about the clubhouse, how it functions, and the standards that each clubhouse must follow. They will then spend time working in a clubhouse in Des Moines, learning about working with people with mental illness in Iowa and learn about how the clubhouse here is meeting all of the international standards. The class then will travel to Kapaa, Hawaii (on Kauai). First they will learn about the Hawaiian culture, and then they will spend a week at the clubhouse there working with individuals with disabilities. They will learn how mental illness is viewed within the Hawaiian culture and how the clubhouse there meets the same international standards as the clubhouse in Des Moines. This course is cross-listed with COUN 245 (crn 1579), which is a graduate-only course. However, the COUN 145 version of the class is open to advanced undergraduates.

EDUC 189 (CRN 2180): SPAIN AND MOROCCO:EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF ETHICS AND CULTURE
Cris Wildermuth/Amy Pfeifer
Credits3
Attribute: Global and Cultural Understanding,Values and Ethics

Course Description: The main goals of this interdisciplinary course are to expose students to the complexity of culture, with a special focus on the challenges and opportunities inherent to intercultural and value differences. Students will articulate their ethical framework, contrast their personal framework with those of their peers, connect ethics and cultural values, and apply cultural and ethical concepts learned to a current global challenge.

In the 2021 version of the course, we will focus on immigration. Students will contrast American perceptions of immigration with those of Spanish and Moroccan citizens. Ultimately, we expect students to gain awareness of their own stage of intercultural competence[1], identify threats to rational thinking in ethics, and develop a plan for   continuing development. The course involves three phases: Pre-departure preparation, travel seminar, and post-arrival integration. During the pre-departure preparation, we will introduce students to the challenges inherent to intercultural relations and to intersections between ethics and culture. Topics in this portion of the program include the importance of personal codes of ethics, ethnocentrism, threats to ethical reasoning, and Bennett’s model of intercultural development. We will further discuss the meaning of culture, cultural dimensions, and the impact of personality on intercultural relations. Next, we will travel to Spain and Morocco. During our trip, we will meet with representatives from organizations working with immigrant groups, interact with both immigrants and native-born citizens of the countries visited, exchange cultural information (i.e., students will both hear about the two countries we are visiting as well as present information about American cultures), visit historical and cultural sites, and engage in in-depth facilitated discussions with the professors. Finally, once we are back in the United States, students will be expected to integrate their lessons learned and discoveries in a final presentation. 

EDUC 199/299 (CRN 1708/1709): PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION FROM FINLAND
Trent Grundmeyer/Lindsay Woodward
Credits3
Attribute: Global & Cultural Understanding

Course Description: The course is designed to facilitate Drake’s goal of educating its students as global citizens who are prepared to operate in a global economy.  It will take students from Drake to Finland, that is in many ways distinctly different culturally, politically, ethnically, and economically from the U.S. It will take students into classrooms of the most highly regarded country related to student achievement in the world.  Students will be immersed in the structure, classroom pedagogy, and standardized testing in Finland.  To accomplish these outcomes, visits to elementary, middle, and high schools will be set up as well as meetings with students, teachers, and school leaders.  Special attention will be directed towards critically analyzing the practices and policies that could benefit the American system of public education.  As students study these issues, they will also learn of cultural and world view differences that exist in Finland.

EDUC 199/299/HONR194 (CRN 2114/2115/2059): KOSOVO: REPAIRING AND REBUILDING
Tonia Land/Jen Thoma
Credits 3
Attribute:Historical Foundations,Global and Cultural Understanding

Course Description: Kosovo is a new country that declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, and was formally recognized by the United Nations in 2017. Its geographic location—a land-locked region of mildly rolling valleys of farmland surrounded by mountains—meant that it has been both isolated and invaded throughout its history. That location has been a highway for various empire-builders for centuries, as a link between Europe and the Middle East. As a result, within an area the size of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa, there are 12 countries containing 10 different languages, three different main religions (Easter Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Islam). Centuries of intercultural influences have infused the region with a mélange of cultural, historical, and artistic traditions. It has also been the site of much conflict over those same centuries. The travel seminar will involve Kosovar professors, students, and community members and may also include support from host institution students as cultural liaisons for formal and informal visits and experiences. Course content will be of particular interest for students interested in art, linguistics, conflict resolution, cultural studies, education, global security, sociology, anthropology, history, international studies, and political science.

ENSS 111/HONR 111 (CRN 2185/2165): DEVELOPMENT, CONSERVATION, AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS IN BELIZE
David Courard-Hauri/Renee Cramer
Credits 3
Attribute: Engaged Citizen

Course Description: In this course, we will investigate how economic development, indigenous rights, and conservation intersect in rural southern Belize. The course will involve service learning projects working both with people and nature to allow us to get a better sense of some of the issues that people wrestle with in the area. This seminar is designed as an immersive experience, helping students to appreciate the complexity and importance of environmental and social issues in Central America.

HSCI 147 (CRN 1682): INTERNATIONAL HEALTH TOPICS: INDIA
Pramod Mahajan
Credits 3
Attribute: Global and Cultural Understand and J-Term Travel Seminar

Registration Eligibility Criteria: Open to BCMB and Health Sciences students. Permission from the instructor.

Course Description: This special topics course combines international internship and service learning experiences with pre and post readings, discussions, and reflections in order to maximize student learning, increase student awareness of cultural issues, and increase personal growth related to working in a developing country.  Student will build skills in life-long learning, values and ethics, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.

HSCI 150 (2166): COMPREHENSIVE PATIENT ASSESSMENT & INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION: AUSTRIA
Alisa Drapeaux & Michelle Bottenberg, Instructors
Credits 3
Attribute: Pending - Global & Cultural Understanding

Course Description: Patient assessment is a core skill of all health care professionals. Health Sciences students enrolled will acquire a basic foundation of knowledge and skills regarding patient assessment in order to: 1. Monitor a patient’s vitals 2. Demonstrate effective communication skills for future interactions with patients and healthcare professionals. 3. Complete an appropriate patient history. 4. Document findings 5. Communicate appropriately in regards to patient evaluation, care, and referral. 6. Conduct basic wellness screenings 7. Become aware of various equipment used in healthcare and basic set up of the equipment 8. Become aware of pharmacy protocols for treatment of common Europe medical diagnosis 9. Outline the primary differences in the United States versus German healthcare systems (Guest Lecturer) 10. Discuss several medical cases within groups and determine individualized treatment approach based on profession (IPE) During this course, the student will be introduced to basic techniques and skills used in order to obtain a complete and problem-focused patient/client history, physical examination, and appropriate documentation of such assessments. The laboratory sessions will provide the student with an opportunity to practice these skills and to enhance their critical thinking. Note: This is intended to be an introductory and basic skills class.

LIBR 66 (CRN 1869): RESEARCHING THAILAND: RESEARCH, EXPLORATION & REFLECTION
Bart Schmidt
Credits 3
Attribute: Information Literacy and J-Term Travel Seminar

Course Description: This course is an exploration of Thailand and Thai culture and satisfies the Information Literacy AOI. Students will be exposed to a variety of academic and cultural experiences in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, Thailand. Students will have many opportunities to discover new and interesting aspects of Thai culture and the many different influences that have helped shape it. Once back on campus, students will research their topic in greater depth and prepare an annotated bibliography and brief presentation. They will integrate information and perspectives from their bibliography into their presentations. 

LPS 135 (CRN 2019): FORKS & FARMS IN ITALY: FOOD SECURITY & SUSTAINABILITY
Matthew Canfield, Jennie Zwagerman & Ellen Yee
Credits 3
Attribute: PENDING: Critical Thinking,Engaged Citizen,Global and Cultural Understanding

Course Description: Food insecurity and malnutrition are critical issues both in the United States and across the world.  It is a product not of a lack of food, but rather our current systems of food production and provisioning. This course offers a transnational and comparative perspective on food systems and food security. We will travel to Italy where we will meet with experts, officials, and country representatives in the United Nations’ specialized agencies of food and agriculture. There we will consider how food systems are shaped by systems of global food governance. After the course will take a comparative focus on Italian food systems and policies, through an immersive experience with small-scale Italian food producers in Southern Italy. Students will be asked to compare those experiences with American agriculture and assess the challenges of food security and sustainability for themselves.

POLS 119 (CRN 2173): INSIDE WASHINGTON: THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
Rachel Paine Caufield and Jill VanWyke
Credits 3
Travel seminar
Attribute: Engaged Citizen

Course description: Be there as the President of the United States takes the Oath of Office! Following four days of online classwork, students will spend two weeks in Washington, D.C. for an intensive, hands-on experience. What can a new president expect, and how do our current political dynamics shape the real and perceived successes and failures of the president? How does the modern presidency reflect public understandings of government and policy? As citizens, what should we expect? During our time in Washington, we will combine a series of academic sessions with The Washington Center, site visits, small group sessions, and an impressive array of guest speakers, including current and former elected officials, party leaders, media personalities, and prominent interest group representatives from all ideological perspectives. You'll network with Drake alumni, participate in VIP tours of government buildings, and have a chance to meet and question people who make the decisions that affect our national policy. Prerequisite: POLS 001. Estimated cost: $2600-2700; air fare purchased by student.

REL 151/HONR 152 (CRN 2038/2170): RELIGIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA
Timothy Knepper/ Herbert Moyo
Credits 3
Attribute:Global and Cultural Understanding

Course Description: This course serves both as an introduction to religion in South Africa and as means of developing a collaborative photo-narrative project about religion in South Africa with Drake’s international partner, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). In the way of introduction, we will learn the history of (religion in) South Africa, especially in encounter with colonial powers and Christian missionaries. In the way of the photo-narrative project, we will work with faculty and students at UKZN to begin identifying and learning about religious sites in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, especially as they relate to an environmentally themed book.

STEM 112(CRN 2113) - PLACE-BASED INTEGRATED SCIENCE(PANAMA)
Jerrid Kruse/Shelby Kruse
Credits 3
Attribute:Scientific Literacy

Course Description: Through direct observation and investigation of the natural world, this course will use place-based pedagogies to help students gain greater understanding of physical, earth, and life science concepts. Additionally, the course will explore the history of scientific ideas and the interactions of science, technology, and society.

THEA 120T (CRN 1725): THEATRE HISTORY IN LONDON
John Graham, Josie Poppen
Credits 3
Attribute: Artistic Experience,Historical Foundations

Registration Eligibility Criteria: Students interested in this course should wait-list themselves for the course. During the week of April 18, eligible wait-listed students will be moved from the wait list to the roster based on seat availability.

Course Description: In this course we will look at the history and literature of the theatre from the point of view of the society in which they operated. We will examine how theatre reflects the assumptions of a culture and how theatre artists use their medium to express their belief of disbelief in those systems. Through an immersion in the theatre culture of London, and the historical sites we will visit (ancient and modern), we will be able to get a full understanding of the role theatre has played and continues to play in our culture and society.