A few comments about the Belgium courses before departure:
First, an electronic coursepak of readings will be available to students before June 1st. Each flat will have wifi, so if you’d like to read the electronic version, you’re all set. However, none of the flats have a printer. So, if you’d like a printed version, please go ahead and print the coursepak before we leave.
Second, you will be expected to keep a journal of our visits and your activities while we’re abroad. Preferably, these journals will be electronic documents, but you can keep a notebook instead if you prefer. Note that, though computers will be available in the flats, the keyboards are Belgian, which take a while to accustom yourself. If you don’t have a laptop, notebook, or iPad, you may want to bring a notebook for the journal entries. No book purchases are required for the program.
Third, the courses in the program are dedicated to experiential learning, and, thus, we will be visiting all the major organs of the European Union, NATO, the US Mission to the EU, and at least one non-governmental organization. You should dress appropriately–no tennis shoes, long pants and/or business skirts only, realizing that European dress is more modest than some American trends. Our class meetings, which will be about a 15-minute walk away, you can dress more casually.
Last, there will be an in-class final exam for both courses. The exams will ask you to apply the program and your experiences to the course material in some way, while also asking for analysis of the readings. More details on these as the courses start.
Weblog for the University of Alabama Summer Program in Belgium 