Arcadia Scotland

This is to remind all of you about the Co-Curricular Learning Certificate opportunity that we offer to our students. The deadline for submissions will be Friday 15 July 2016.

Co-Curricular Learning Certificate

The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University offers each student the opportunity to be recognized for undertaking enhanced experiential learning, particularly through 'learning outside the classroom'. This recognition takes the form of a non-credit bearing Co-Curricular Learning Certificate (CLC).

The CLC offers you an opportunity to thoughtfully reflect on your experience abroad and share these insights. It will help you frame your time abroad in a substantive manner that will help shape your memories and your identity as you have grown as an individual through the challenges and diverse experiences you have encountered while studying abroad.

Requirements

Students need to demonstrate active engagement with Scottish culture and to connect multiple or sustained experiences abroad for a deeper understanding of the wider cultural framework. This will typically involve at least 15 hours of engagement accompanied by purposeful reflection upon the impact on your development. Each semester, the Edinburgh Center will offer two events for each of the CLC themes which you are welcome to use towards your CLC. In this case, attendance to no more than two Arcadia-led events (including homestay), as well as additional experiences initiated by you, can serve as the basis for your reflection to obtain the CLC. Note: You do not need to have participated in any Arcadia events to be eligible to submit for the CLC.

You need to articulate your involvement in various activities, convey how your experiences provided deeper insight into the cultural environment and express how your participation in these activities informed or changed your attitudes and behavior. A successful certificate will deeply explore one theme (see below), culminating in a final synthesis piece. Certificates will not be awarded to those who simply recount the details of their activities.

Co-Curricular Themes

Active Scotland: Scotland offers landscapes that have inspired people to embrace the outdoors. This theme will allow you to explore what sports and recreation mean in Scotland, their relationship to the Scottish landscapes, and what the state of play is in the field of public health in Scotland. Students may participate in activities encompassing sport, recreation, outdoors, landscapes, sociology, economics, public health or politics.

Examples:

Football in Glasgow: an historical and cultural perspective

Hiking in the Highlands

Traditional Scottish dancing

Artistic Scotland: Scotland has been for centuries the home of artists from a wide range of disciplines, from literature to painting, photography, sculpture and film. This theme will allow you to explore interesting features of any artistic masterpieces or movements in Scotland. Students may draw inspiration from literature, art and fine art, performing arts, cuisine and architecture.

Examples:

The Edinburgh literary tradition

The regional variation of Scottish folk music

The Glasgow Boys

Creating Scotland: Scotland has a strong identity within the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe and the world, based on its past history, present politics and future prospects. This theme will allow you to explore the dynamic factors that shape this identity. Students may explore issues of Scottish history, devolution and politics, Scotland in Europe and the European Union, Scotland and the rest of the world, immigration and emigration.

Examples:

People of the North: Scotland before Scotland

The Viking invasion and its impact

Union or Independence: the upcoming Referendum

Nature & Invention in Scotland: Since the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century, Scotland has been on the forefront of scientific research, thanks in part to the natural resources and landscapes Scotland provides. This theme will allow you to explore historical and contemporary achievements of Scottish scientists and inventors as well as the natural world that has influenced them. Students may explore topics including science, engineering, technology, natural resources, conservation, ecology, zoology, geology.

Examples:

City of Light: Edinburgh in the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution

The building of the Forth Bridge

Marine or bird watching off the Scottish coast

Scotlands: Scotland is a very diverse nation, which has strong regional specificities from north to south and east to west. This theme will allow you to explore the differences you observe in the various parts of Scotland you will visit throughout your stay here. Students may reflect upon: Scottish landscapes, economics, politics, foods and drinks, customs and way of life, language, archaeology and geology.

Examples:

Life in the Isles

The catholic population of Glasgow

English as a second language: the Gaelic community

Other: Students may construct their own theme. Please contact Dr Hamish Thompson to discuss potential themes for approval.

Submission

The final submission should take the form of a 3-5 page paper or alternative format such as scrapbook, blogs, presentation or multimedia artwork. If you have photos that relate to your chosen activities, please be sure to include these in your submission.

Your completed work should be submitted to Dr Hamish Thompson via email at thompsoh@arcadia.edu.

Your submission will be assessed and, if approved, you will be awarded a formal certificate which will be issued alongside your official Arcadia transcript. In addition, the strongest submissions may be published in The College of Global Studies magazine Impact.

We hope that many of you will take the time to send through a submission for the CLC. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.