KANSAN.COM
ARTS & CULTURE
GETTING CLASSES APPROVED FOR STUDY ABROAD
By Andy Larkin
Many students assume that studying abroad means "taking a semester off," but the truth is that students who study abroad are twice as likely to graduate in four years than students who do not study abroad!
Students take classes toward their degree when they study abroad, but it does require planning. You should choose a program that has the courses you need and get your classes pre-approved during the application process. Here are some tips to get you started:
The first step in choosing a program is making sure that all the classes that you need to take during your time abroad are offered for you at the host institution. To find a program that might work, you should stop by the Study Abroad Info Center in Lippincott 105 or check out the Program Search at studyabroad. ku.edu. The program search
allows you to search for programs by academic discipline and language of instruction—so you can search for psychology classes taught in English or biology classes taught in Spanish. Once you find a program that interests you, you can look for classes that you will need. You can go about this in two ways.
The first way is to utilize the course equivalency sheets provided by the Office of Study Abroad and available on our website. You will find classes that previous students have taken, along with the KU credit that the students received. Usually, once a course has been approved, it will be approved for you the same way—the only exception would be if the class syllabus changed, or if the class is no longer offered.
If need courses that are not listed on the course equivalency sheet, don't worry! That does not
mean that the class you're looking for isn't offered; it just means that a KU student has never taken it before. If that is the case, there is normally a link on the program page to the course catalog at the host institution. This website works just like classes.ku.edu does for KU students.
During the course approval process, you may have to either present the description of the class that is on the institution's website, or request a syllabus so that the instructor approving the class can see that the classes match up in material.
Once you have the classes down that you want to take as equivalents for KU credit, you must get them approved by a KU faculty approver for study abroad. That list is available on our website or in our office.
After the faculty member approves the classes, all you need
to do is hand in the paperwork to the front office in 108 Lippincott, and you're all set! After you study abroad, your transcript will be sent to the Office of Study Abroad, and we will process your transcript and post your grades. All classes will post on your transcript as KU credit and the grades will be factored in to your KU GPA.
If you have any other questions about the course approval process, feel free to stop in the main office (108 Lippincott), or to swing by the Info Center, located at 105 Lippincott, to speak with a Peer Advisor. We are open for walk-in advising Monday through Friday, 9-5.
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WILLMOTT FROM
many in '44"
After visiting several neighborhoods in Chicago, Willmott said he realized that more development in these neighborhoods would lead to less violence.
"America has a huge problem not investing in black neighborhoods," he said. "If that [investment] would happen, I think you would see a big turnaround with this kind of stuff."
hide and seek.
After he earned his bachelor's
degree in drama from Marymount College in Salina, he participated in activism work. He was a crucial part to the integration of the Junction City Fire Department in the 1970s, which had never had a black firefighter before Willmott and his colleagues launched a protest.
"Chirraq" is a step toward a different kind of activism. The film's title is a nickname for Chicago, which is alludes to its high murder rate.
When Lee announced in April that the film would be shot in Chicago, residents and
I knew you were black, but Dr King's assassination really taught me that being being black had social and political ramifications"
several severely obnoxious
KEVIN WILLMOTT KU Professor and Filmmaker
even the Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel thought the film would exploit the problem, but Willmott said that was not the
case.
"I think the mayor and people in Chicago thought this as another '90s gang movie with a lot of violence, so I think they'll be pleasantly surprised when they see the film that it's got a really positive message," Willmott said.
Wilmott remembers one incident in particular as a catalyst for his future interest in race relations and productions, like "Chiraq," exploring the issue. On April 4, 1968, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, a 10-year-old Willmott sat in front of the
The day after the assassination, Willmott eagerly raised his hand in class to discuss it. His teacher replied, "We won't be talking about that."
television in his family's living room in Junction City.
"That's really when I understood that I was black in a political or social way," Willmott said. "You knew you were black, but Dr. King's assassination really taught me that being black had social and political ramifications."
With "Chiraq" Wilmott hopes to address these issues and, hopefully, reduce them.
but he admits the American society has a long way to go in regards to racism.
Two out of four stars.
"It will always probably be a problem," he said. "It's not very optimistic sounding but because of human nature, you always have to be willing to combat it, fight against it. It always going to be a problem."
Edited by Emma LeGault
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