Additional London program to begin in summer of 2001
By KATE NAGENGAST
News Writer
For those students torn between studying abroad and sacrificing opportunities like football season or tied up with major requirements or extracurricular activities, the London Program has a new solution.
Beginning in the summer of 2001, the Summer London Program will welcome approximately 60 students to Notre Dame's campus on Trafalgar Square for four-and-a-half weeks of intensive study and travel.
The concept for this program began 14 months ago when provost Nathan Hatch asked a small committee of various University representatives to evaluate the efficient use of the Suffolk Street academic complex in London. The committee discovered over a month of idle time between the end of spring exams and the arrival of law and engineering students in the summer.
Thomas Swartz, an economics professor who has spent approximately 18 months in London since the original program's beginnings in 1982, was a member of that exploratory committee and now acts as the director of the Summer London Program.
"It's a magnificent building, a fabulous piece of property and immensely expensive, so it stood to reason why one would want to waste the facility," Swartz said. "[And the summer is] a wonderful time to have a program because one could [participate in] that program and still get home in time to do any number of things, like work or volunteer service."
Formed last November, a subcommittee consisting of Swartz; Stacy Gutting, director of the current London Program and Jim Powell, associate dean of graduate school and director of Summer Session developed a report suggesting a "highly intensive" four and one half week program that would provide its participants with six academic credits and a "mini" London experience.
"We wanted to take the best of the current London Program and be creative too," said Swartz.
Utilizing the same facilities and the same British faculty that the current London Program does, the Summer London Program differs only in its timeline. The session lasts from May 17 through June 17 with classes beginning the day after arrival and exams on June 15. Academic time is divided into a pair of seven-day segments separated by an intensive, five-day inter-program course for one hour of credit. While a majority of the courses will be held Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the one-credit inter-program courses involve weekend travel to one of four sites — Stratford, Scotland, Paris or London.
"The [inter-program course] is a structured break," said Swartz. "We don't let you off the hook. [Students] will want to travel so rather than have their travel experience be as tours, we want to take that energy for travel and turn it into an academic experience … we'll use what the British call a coach, or the bus, as a classroom.
"It's not for the faint of heart," he said.
The program is currently open to students who will be juniors in the fall of 2000 from all majors. There is an early application deadline of May 15. 30 early applicants will be admitted this spring. Another 30 will be admitted next fall after the October 23 regular application deadline. The program's total cost is $5,500, including room, board, tuition, food, transportation costs and inter-program course travel.
"[We are looking for] interesting people," said Swartz. "I would put the highest priority on [those] who could not participate in a regular study abroad program. We also sent a letter inviting students admitted to the current Spring 2001 London Program to stay."
Those denied from the London Program for the fall of 2000 or spring of 2001 were also given the opportunity to reactivate their applications for consideration in the Summer London Program, he said.
Student interest in the program is high.
"I want to be here all four years during the school year to take advantage of everything on campus here," said Carolyn Billick, a current freshman exploring her future possibilities at the program's information session Tuesday. "By [travelling to London] over the summer I could go abroad, but still experience all the opportunities here all four years."
All News Stories for Wednesday, May 3, 2000
