Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland is New Zealand's largest city with a population of 1.8 million and is the country’s main economic and commercial center. Sometimes called the “City of Sails”, Auckland is the home port of more boats per capita than any other city in the world. Spread out across an isthmus outlined by the Pacific Ocean, Waitemata and Manukua Harbours, Auckland is very much defined by its neighborhoods, each with a distinctive character and tempo.
With large Polynesian and Asian populations, Auckland is also a multicultural showpiece. Kiwis (New Zealanders) are blessed with a land rich in natural beauty, and although Auckland is the largest city in the archipelago, it still offers easy access to nature, be it the forests that circle the city or the many islands in the surrounding waters.
About the Program
Hobart and William Smith Colleges offer a program in Auckland, New Zealand in cooperation with the University of Auckland. The program typically alternates between a focus on Education in odd-numbered years and a "special topics" focus (depending on the expertise and interests of the faculty director) in even-numbered years. The Education program is designed to be of particular relevance to students interested in the field of education and will offer the opportunity for those students needing a practice teaching assignment as part of their education studies to pursue a field placement in a local school.
Students participating in this program will take two courses taught by University of Auckland faculty, a Faculty Director’s Seminar taught by the HWS Faculty Director, and will complete an internship/school placement.
Director's Seminar: Education and Diversity in the US and New Zealand (1 credit)
Using a comparative approach, the course will examine the nature of education, schools, curriculum, and schooling in New Zealand compared to the United States and other countries. Themes will include educational policy, funding, technology integration, literacy, and diversity. An understanding of the social, political, economic, scientific, and ethical considerations that shape education policies and practices will be explored. This course substantially fulfills the goals "A Critical Understanding of Social Inequalities" and "An Intellectual Foundation for Ethical Judgments as a Basis for Socially Responsible Action". It partially fulfills the goal "A Critical Understanding of Cultural Difference".
Maori Life and Culture (1 credit)
The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Students in this course receive a broad overview of contemporary Maori society, an introduction to history that informs current issues, basic Maori language skills, and first-hand experience with the marae as a special place. This course partially fulfills the goals "A Critical Understanding of Social Inequalities" and "A Critical Understanding of Cultural Difference".
School Internship: Course Equivalency (1 credit)
All students are placed in an internship in area schools for two days each week as a course equivalency. A limited number of placements are available in selected human service agencies for interested students who are not participants in the Teacher Education Program. Students will reflect on their experiences in weekly seminar sessions led by the Faculty Director and will complete a final project.
Elective Course (1 credit)
Students will choose from among a range of courses offered during the J-term Session at the University of Auckland. Course options vary from year to year, but course titles in recent years have included "Cinema of Aotearoa New Zealand", "Environment and Society", "Advanced Field Geological Skills and Methods", "Te Ao Maori: The Maori World", "Understanding Organizations", "Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand", and others.
ACADEMIC FOCUS
This program is of particular interest to students in Education, who can fulfill their practice teaching requirement in a local school in Auckland. It will also appeal to students in Social Justice Studies, Anthropology/Sociology, and those in other disciplines interested in issues of multiculturalism and ethnic minorities.
This program is open to all sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic and social standing with a minimum GPA of 2.8, but is of particular interest to education students, especially those who wish to take advantage of the school placement as noted above. Students either must have taken an education course or participated in the Education Certification Program. Due to the challenging nature of study abroad, student academic and disciplinary records will be carefully screened.
Students will live in a university residence hall for the first four weeks of the program and then be placed in homestays for the remainder of the program in Auckland, arranged through the University of Auckland. Students will stay in a variety of accommodation types while on excursions, including student hostels, hotels, or cabins.
The program includes a variety of excursions integrated with the academic coursework. In addition to sites in and around Auckland, excursion destinations may include Rotorua and the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Wellington, and various locations on the South Island.
Students will be charged standard HWS tuition and fees, room fees, a 2/3 board fee, and a $600 administrative fee. This will cover tuition for a four-course semester, health insurance, housing with partial board, and program-related activities and excursions. Students should plan to bring the remaining 1/3 board fee (about $1200) to cover meals not included.
Additional expenses not covered include airfare, books, and personal expenses (laundry, entertainment, ground transportation, and independent travel). We estimate airfare for this program at $1800 from the East Coast and books at $250. It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of personal expenses because student spending habits differ considerably. We would suggest a minimum of $1500 above and beyond meal expenses. However, students on a tight budget should be able to manage with less. If you are concerned about finances we strongly encourage you to talk to the CGE staff who can offer information and advice based on your specific situation.
HWS students must complete all components of the Global Education application in order to be considered for admission to this program.
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The Auckland program is offered every Spring semester. Typically, in even years the academic focus will vary depending upon the expertise of the faculty director while in odd years the program focus will be Education.
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All components of the application must be submitted online by the published deadline. Specific deadline dates are set each semester and will be in late September/early October (for Fall programs) and late February/early March (for Spring programs).
Program Handbook
IMPORTANT: The handbook(s) below is/are the most recent handbook(s) published for this program. A new version, with updated information, will be made available each semester. Program participants will receive their updated handbook approximately 2-3 months prior to their program’s start date.
SPRING HANDBOOK
Please DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS until you have received final confirmation of the program start/finish dates for the specific semester you are attending. Dates included in versions of the program handbook intended for previous semesters do not necessarily apply to future programs.
NOTE: The information above is subject to change. Please see the CGE for more information.
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