Nomadic Thoughts

Location

After one initial week of meetings on the USF main campus in Tampa, we will travel as a group to Guatemala and spend the first week in beautiful Antigua. This colonial town, ringed by three volcanoes, thrives today as a meeting ground for indigenous and non-indigenous Guatemalans, international students and travelers from every corner of the world, and intellectuals from all over the Americas. Amongst the colorfully painted houses, which line cobble-stoned streets, are nearly thirty ruined and reconstructed churches, many of which date to the 17th and 18th centuries, when this was a colonial stronghold in New Spain.

We then move to Lake Atitlán, located in the western highlands of Guatemala, for two weeks. Bordered to the south by four volcanoes, Aldous Huxley called this "the most beautiful lake in the world." Fourteen indigenous towns surround the lake and this region has become one of the most politically active areas in all of Guatemala, due in part to the efforts of indigenous activists to reclaim their identity and further erase the colonial legacies of racism and discrimination, which continue to plague the Mayas today.

Eligibility

Prior knowledge of Spanish, although recommended, is not required for participation. Classes will be held in English. Both USF and non-USF students are welcome and the program is open to those 18 and older with an interest in anthropology, history, political science, comparative literature, cultural studies, plant biology, and public health (to name a few).

Program Inclusions

Pre-departure orientation and class sessions at USF
6 credits (undergraduate or graduate)
LAS 3002 (6 credits) Undergraduate
LAS 6936 (6 credits) Graduate
Hotel accommodations (double occupancy) for four weeks
Three meals per day for four weeks
Group breakfast and allowance for lunch and dinner
Entrance fees for tourist sites
Group transportation throughout Guatemala
Field trips to neighboring cities
Three-day excursion at end of course
Group airport pickup and return
USF Group Insurance

Not Included
Airfare
Personal expenditures
Beverages, bottled water

Program Fees

$2,400 Undergraduates (total of all fees)
$2,970 Graduates (total of all fees)

$1,529.00 In-Country Program Fee
$540.00 USF instructional fees (6 undergraduate credits)
Or
$1,110.00 USF instructional fees (6 graduate credits)
Plus
$300 USF Study Abroad Administrative Fee

Payment Schedule

To the Study Abroad Office:

A $500 deposit is required at the time of application, no later than March 30, 2006 (payable to the USF Study Abroad Office). The remainder of the program fee is due to the Study Abroad Office by May 15, 2006.

To the Cashier's Office:

A separate $300 USF Study Abroad Administrative Fee for six credit hours is due before the program, payable to the USF Cashier's Office. Tuition fees of $540 (ndergraduate) or $1,110 (Graduate), payable to USF Cashier's Office

About the USF Instructor

Timothy J. Smith, Ph.D., is Associate Director of the Institute for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean at the University of South Florida. Dr. Smith's research covers the anthropology of politics, ethnicity, democracy, and social movements in Latin America, specifically Guatemala and Mexico. In addition to holding visiting appointments in anthropology at Harvard University and Columbia University, he has taught social anthropology, humanities, Latin American studies, and linguistics at the University of South Florida, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University at Albany, SUNY.

For general enrollment information, registration and payment questions, contact:
Julie Hale
Study Abroad Office
International Affairs
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CPR 107 (CPR 468)
Tampa, FL 33620
Telephone: (813) 974-3933
E-mail: jhale@iac.usf.edu

For program specific, academic, or course-related questions, contact:
Dr. Timothy J. Smith
Institute for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CPR 107 (office located in CPR 474)
Tampa, FL 33620
Telephone:(813) 974-2962
Email: smith@iac.usf.edu

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If a student cancels once the deposit is paid, $200 of the deposit is refundable; the remaining $300 is non-refundable. If notice of cancellation is received after final payment is due, all monies paid may be withheld and are refundable only as recoverable from providers of service. If USF must cancel a program, all monies paid are refundable.

Note

All participants are responsible for carefully reviewing the USF General Study Abroad Information document. This provides important information on your responsibilities with regard to study abroad, including terms and conditions of participation, insurance, financial aid, and cancellation/refund policies.

Access the USF Study Abroad website: http://web.usf.edu/iac/studyabroad or request a printed version of this document from the Study Abroad Office.