Academic Program
Rock Creek Bldg. 3, Rm. 223 | 503-614-7152 | FAX: 603-614-7170 | studyabroad@pcc.edu
Courses
Students will take 12 credits of course work from PCC as well as offerings from other colleges participating in the program. Details of all the courses given in the Fall 2008 Florence program will be made available at the Florence information meetings, or you can contact the Study Abroad Office at (503) 614-7152.
The OIEC (Portland Community College, Central Oregon Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Mt. Hood Community College and Rogue Community College) offers this unique program to enable students to study abroad while making normal progress toward their degree objectives, earning 12-15 transferable credits in courses taught by community college faculty and local guest lecturers. This program is offered in conjunction with other community colleges in partnership with the American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS), which provides transportation, living accommodations, and a wide range of student and instructional support services, including an optional pre-program tour of Europe. Credits earned will appear on transcripts from these fully accredited community colleges.
Beginning Fall 2008, PCC will have standard prerequisites of reading, writing and mathematics for general education courses. The standard prerequisites are:
- Successful completion (grade “C” or higher) of WR 115, or placement into WR 121, and
- Successful completion (grade “C” or higher) of RD 115, or equivalent test scores, and
- Successful completion (grade “C” or higher) of MTH 20 or placement into MTH 60
PCC strongly recommends taking care of any missing prerequisites right away, especially to avoid an issues with study abroad registration. Students can meet with an academic advisor at any academic advising office for help in planning classes and getting questions answered about classes taken at another school. For more information go to the Prerequisites Begin Fall 2008 web page.
Course Offerings:
- Students should choose a minimum of 12 credits from among the following course options. Note that Humanities 199 and Italian language are required courses and a full load consists of 12 to 14 credits.
Weekly Class Schedule
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday* 9:00 SP 140
Italian
ART 206
Italian
* There are no classes on Friday. 10:00 11:00 SP 228
ART 206
12:00 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 1:00 SP 228
WS 101
WS 101
Culture
2:00 3:00 ART 102
ART 102
4:00 ENG 105 ENG 105 5:00 6:00
HUM 199 Italian Life and Culture (2 Credits)
Taught by the AIFS faculty in Florence. Two hours per week are either lectures on Italian culture, or, more often, field trips to historic and artistic sites in and around Florence.
First Year Italian (course number still to be arranged)
Taught by the AIFS faculty in Florence. Designed for the beginner. Emphasizes active communication in Italian. Develops students’ basic skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking.
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Elizabeth Bilyeu, Portland Community College, ebilyeu@pcc.edu
Elizabeth has both an M.A. in Art History from Washington University and an M.A. in Feminism and Visual Art from the University of Leeds in Britain. She writes that "my undergraduate semester abroad in Italy has given me an understanding of Italian culture and ways-of-life. I lived and studied in Venice with a group of students in 1989, and I have revisited Italy three times since then. As an Art History instructor at PCC, I have confidence and success in promoting visual literacy, leading students in the classroom and on field trips around Portland each quarter, from architecture tours to the Portland Art Museum and local galleries. In every class, I ask students to venture out of the classroom to apply their skills critiquing art and architecture. My focus on practicing with students the language of art gives them confidence in front of original works of art. It is there face-to-face with the work that they best learn to look at, think about, and discuss art."
ART 206 History of Western Art, Renaissance–Baroque (4 credits)
Examines visual art and architecture as a reflection of human interaction with the socio-political and physical environment. Objectives center on viewing, analyzing and comparing many art forms in an historical context. This course in Florence will integrate close looks at original works of art and architecture related to the periods and cultures addressed. A day trip to Siena will illustrate the bridge between the Medieval Period and the Renaissance. After that, we will tour Florence extensively, as it is the center for Renaissance art and architecture in Italy. Expect architecture tours to include the Florence Cathedral (il Duomo) and Baptistry. Museum tours of the Uffizi and Academia Galleries will solidify your understanding of Renaissance art. Our longer excursion to Rome will include viewing Renaissance art like Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling, and Baroque art and architecture in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.
WS 101 Women’s Studies (4 credits)
Surveys and critically analyzes the position of women in society, in terms of present realities and future possibilities. Provides a framework to connect personal experience with contemporary social and political issues. This course in Florence will address course outcomes through a close look at the art, history, literature, and politics of gender in Italy and comparatively with gender issues in the United States. Field trips will address issues of gender and class through studying Italian women from the Medici family and others as cultural patrons throughout history.
ART 102 Introduction to the Visual Arts (4 credits)
Addresses issues of fine art, particularly painting, sculpture and drawing in terms of experiencing, appreciating and understanding their role in our lives. Provides a foundation in the basic concepts, vocabulary and principles of design, and the materials and processes of the visual arts.
Jon Bouknight, Central Oregon Community College, jbouknight@cocc.edu
Jon earned a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Washington and an M.A. in English from the University of New Mexico. Years ago, he was struck by the mixture of intellect and art in Italian culture when he read Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning Two World Systems—a Florentine work both mathematically challenging and dramatically engaging. Though humbled by the opportunity to teach in the city that is also home to Dante, Machiavelli, and Boccaccio, Jon is eager to participate in these Italian-focused classes. While he acknowledges the importance of the curriculum, he realizes the successful experience of living abroad changes lives. Learning from a 2002 study abroad program in London, Jon plans to prepare himself and his students for the meaningful experience of culture shock.
SP 228 Media, Communication and Society (4 credits)
Students will analyze the social and cultural impact of media, including broadcast, print, film, and computer-mediated communication. Students will also examine careers in selected areas of media. The Florence section allows investigation into both into cross cultural media communication, as well as the growing domination of transnational media corporations both at home and abroad. Recommended Preparation: WR121. Tentative Texts: Peter Bondanella, Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present; Paul Ginsborg, Silvio Berlusconi: Television, Power, and Patrimony.
ENG 105 Introduction to Literature: Drama (4 credits)
Examines drama as literature, through its traditions, imaginative purposes and organizing visions, such as tragedy, comedy and realism. Close reading and interpretation of selected plays with attention to the cultural contexts of their creation and to the literary dimensions of character, dialogue, plot, setting, language and theme. The focus for the Florence section is on Italian drama. Tentative texts: Luigi Pirandello, Six Characters in Search of an Author and Other Plays; Dario Fo, We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! and Other Works.
SP 140 Intercultural Communication (4 credits)
Explores the impact of cultural differences in communication styles and social values and their impact on work, family, legal and economic systems. This course would also amplify themes and topics from the Italian Life and Culture course. Tentative text: Craig Storti, The Art of Crossing Cultures.