Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Academic Catalog 2015-2016 
    
Undergraduate Academic Catalog 2015-2016 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Global Education


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Dean Dr. Cliff Hersey, Associate Dean Dr. John Skillen, Dr. Liesl Smith, Cheryl Deluca, Ruth Clarkin, Program Directors: Magali Coates (Gordon in Aix-France), Matthew Doll (Gordon in Orvieto-Italy), James Taylor and Petra Belkovic Taylor (Balkans Semester)

From the sun-washed European countryside to the lush foliage of South America, from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the deserts of Africa … the vistas are astounding.

But our goal is to expand your worldview … not just the world viewed through a camera lens. Global Education at Gordon means placing your own perspective aside long enough to learn how people view the world on other sides of the tracks, the fence, the ocean.

All Gordon’s semester programs emphasize community engagement and serious commitment to living IN your host community-to accept hospitality but to bring something to the table.

The Global Education Office also provides a place of welcome for the growing number of international students in the Gordon community, welcoming the new perspectives they bring to our global understanding and to our communion with the body of Christ around the globe.

At Gordon, Global Education means engaging the world abroad, around the corner, and on our campus.

Global Education Programs



International Seminars


[Department Prefix] 291 and [Department Prefix] 292 - International Seminar Credits: 2 or 4

Intensive summer- or winter-break travel courses in various disciplines and taught in context of specific culture or region. Regular class meetings supplemented by guest lectures, site visits, cultural events and home visits to provide insight into host culture. Seminars have included British Stage (United Kingdom); *Disability in the Developing World (Honduras/Belize); *Development of Modern China; *History of Ancient and Modern Greek Culture and Religion (Greece); and *Physical Settings of the Bible (Israel).

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

American Studies Program


This interdisciplinary internship/seminar program provided by Best Semester (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities) is based in Washington, D.C. Designed to expose undergraduates to opportunities for involvement in public life, the program also provides students with a general understanding of the public policy dynamics at work in the nation’s capital. The program provides internship opportunities for the diverse majors and career interests of university juniors and seniors. Students live together in campus apartments, work as voluntary interns and participate in a seminar program for which they receive full academic credit. Since the number of participants is limited, the program is highly selective. Contact the Global Education Office.

AU Sable Institute of Environmental Studies


See Department of Biology  for information on this program. Course information available at their website http://ausable.org. Courses may transfer back to Gordon.

Australia Studies Centre


This program provided by Best Semester (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities) is located in Brisbane, Queensland. Offered in partnership with Christian Heritage College (CHC), ASC is designed to integrate firsthand observation and study of Australian culture, history, religion, politics and indigenous cultures together with experiential service learning and disciplinary studies. The program introduces students to the Australian culture, history, and worldview. Students live with Australian families. Program travel introduces students to different aspects of the people and land of Australia. All students take two core units: The View from Australia and Indigenous Cultures in Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand) and two elective units or an internship. (Please note the class Australian Aboriginal Cultures is presently not approved). A list and description of the Christian Heritage College units available can be found at on the ASC website. Elective courses must be approved by departmental advisors.  Semesters run Feb-June (Spring) and July-Nov (Fall). Approved for Business majors. Contact the Global Education Office.

*With COR 210 and COR 211, the program fulfills the core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Balkans Semester


The Balkans Semester for the Study of War and Peace is an interdisciplinary program centered on the themes of war and peace, conflict and reconciliation.  Students study these themes while learning first-hand from people on all sides of recent wars and genocides who are grappling daily with problems of justice and forgiveness, and with navigating a path toward sustainable peace. Croatia, along with Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, serve as the backdrop for studying the relevant historical, literary, philosophical, socio-political and theological texts; for interacting with local and international scholars and practitioners; and for examining the role of religion in local conflicts. Students wrestle with the complexities of peace-making through interreligious dialogue while developing a Christian understanding of peace, both in their personal lives and on a global, social and political scale.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Gordon IN Boston


Gordon IN Boston: Urban Studies with Professional Internship.  This program offers students a semester-long option of urban study and professional internship while living together with other students in Boston’s city center.  With a vision to develop the next generation of urban Christian leaders, the program partners with the Emmanuel Gospel Center, and uses an interdisciplinary approach to student learning, focusing on the multifaceted dimensions of urban life.  A required seminar engages an understanding of the dimensions of urban systems and of the church’s responsibility for addressing the challenges that accrue to the urban setting.  A required professional internship helps students develop job skills and broaden their professional networks for future job placement.  Other urban-themed, core, and urban ministry courses are offered through the program each semester, and students are invited to select one course from a broad list of offerings at other Boston-area colleges and universities for transfer credit.

Students of all majors are welcome to apply to the program. However, it is best suited for those seeking careers of public service or ministry (i.e., healthcare, economic development, education, media, social work, politics, and ministry). Education, social work or urban ministry/youth ministry majors may complete their practicum requirements while participating in the program.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

China Studies Program


This Best Semester Program (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) in Xiamen, China enables students to engage China’s ancient history from an insider’s perspective. While immersed in Chinese culture, students participate in seminar courses on the historical, cultural, religious, geographic and economic realities of this strategic and complex nation. Students choose from a diverse selection of elective courses from Eastern philosophy and religions to international business in China. Both field and business internships are available. Students also study standard Chinese language and apply their skills by serving in an orphanage or tutoring Chinese students in English. The program begins in Hong Kong and introduces the diversity of China with visits to Beijing, Shanghai and Xian.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Contemporary Music Center


This interdisciplinary Best Semester Program (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) is based in Nashville, Tennessee. CMC provides a community for young musicians and aspiring music executives to plumb the depths of their creative souls and test the waters of a career in popular music. Designed as an artists’ community, the program seeks to develop artists and music executives with a Christ-centered vision for music content, production and delivery. The mission of the CMC is to prepare students academically and creatively for potential careers in the music industry. In addition to the required core courses, each student will choose either the Artist Track, the Executive Track or the Technical Track. See Off-Campus Course Programs . Contact the Global Education Office.

Creation Care Studies Program


This program connects Christian faith with urgent global environmental issues of the day. Programs are offered in Central America (Belize) and the South Pacific (New Zealand). In Belize students examine sustainable development and tropical ecology through a Christian lens of creation care and stewardship, utilizing field studies in Belizean villages, tropical rain forests, mountain streams and Caribbean atolls. Interest-specific internship and practicum experiences with Belizean organizations are available. In New Zealand students explore a rich variety of ecosystems. New Zealand, home to about 12 percent of all the earth’s endangered species and a world leading innovator in conservation and environmental management, is an ideal place for studying care of creation in a rigorous academic semester that comprises ecology, theology, environmental literature and sustainable community development. Contact the Global Education Office.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Oregon Extension


On the banks of an old millpond in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon, this fall program brings students together in a rustic setting to focus on contemporary issues, social thought and living faith. Fostering intimate conversation with peers and faculty, the program aims to create a supportive environment for pursuing questions of faith and humanity. Courses transfer from Eastern University. Fall semester only. Contact the Global Education Office.

Gordon IN Orvieto


Students in this arts-oriented semester program in central Italy find new creative inspiration in the artistic traditions of the past while experiencing rhythms of life slower and simpler than the forms of contemporary American life by dining together, enjoying sustained conversation, living more closely to the earth in the midst of vineyards and olive groves. Its workshop environment draws teachers and students into close collaborative learning.  All students take an introductory course that uses drawing to introduce the themes of the entire program. Students then select three among a set of courses offered in the visual arts and humanities. Students with no background in the Italian language take a 2-credit tutorial-based course in Italian Language Studies. Courses occur in a month-long intensive format, typically with three-hour class sessions from Monday through Thursday mornings. The three-day weekends are available for personal travel and course-related excursions.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Latin American Studies Program


Located in San Jose, Costa Rica, this Best Semester Program (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) provides students with the opportunity to study the language, literature, culture, politics, history, economics, ecology and religion of the region while living with a Costa Rican family. Students also participate in a service opportunity and travel for three weeks to surrounding countries. Four specialized academic tracks are available: Latin American Studies, International Business Concentration (fall only), Environmental Concentration (spring only), and Advanced Language and Literature. Contact the Global Education Office.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Los Angeles Film Studies Center


This interdisciplinary Best Semester Program (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) is located in one of the primary film and television production centers in Los Angeles. Providing students with internship and professional experience, the Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC) integrates a Christian worldview with an introductory exploration of the work and workings of mainstream Hollywood entertainment. Contact the Global Education Office.

Middle East Studies Program


Located in Amman, Jordan, this Best Semester Program (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) provides students with the opportunity to study Middle Eastern cultures, history, religions, politics and language from within this diverse and strategic region. Students participate in interdisciplinary seminar classes, receive Arabic language instruction and serve as volunteers with various organizations. Travel component may include Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Turkey, Morocco or Tunisia. Contact the Global Education Office.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Scholars’ Semester in Oxford


This Best Semester Program (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford develops the academic writing and research skills of students who are prepared for rigorous study and writing. Enables students to explore the disciplines and their interests to a high standard. Designed for students interested in fields of art history, classics, English language and literature, history, musicology, philosophy, psychology, theology and religious studies. Students enroll in a primary and secondary tutorial (equivalent to upper-division courses), an integrative seminar (first term), the British Landscape course (both terms) and a thesis (second term). Students group their work in a concentration so that all elements of the program work together. Applicants must have a 3.7 GPA or better. Contact the Global Education Office.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Uganda Studies Program


Located at the Uganda Christian University, this Best Semester Program (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) provides students with both immersion in a local community and broad exposure to a variety of people and places in Uganda and Rwanda. Three emphases are offered: Uganda Studies, Social Work and Intercultural Ministry and Missions. Students in the first two programs share their lives with university students, living primarily on campus at Uganda Christian University. Students in the missions emphasis live with host families within walking distance of UCU. Contact the Global Education Office.

* With COR 210  and COR 211 , the program fulfills core Global Understanding theme. Course fee applies.

Westmont in San Francisco/Urban Studies Program


As the center of a large, diverse metropolitan area, San Francisco offers a unique setting for the study of cultural, economic, political and social aspects of U.S. society. The program provides ready access to the city along with the security and intimacy of a self-determined community. One emphasis of the program is urbanization-its historical process, contemporary problems faced by cities and policy proposals that address these problems. A required urban studies course examines themes such as the nature of cities, how community forms in the urban environment, the ways race and ethnicity shape people’s interactions in the city, the range of understandings of poverty and how best to address it, and the call to Christians in relation to these various issues. The Urban Program emphasizes student responsibility for their learning. The program is experience-based with considerable fieldwork and involvement in the issues and life of San Francisco. Courses transfer from Westmont College. Contact the Global Education Office.

 

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