DR abroad program back on track

By Kevin Coffey
Assistant News Editor

After a two-year hiatus, undergraduate students will be back in the Dominican Republic to study and perform service. The new Encuentro Dominicano program will begin in fall 2005.

Each semester, 15 students will travel to the Centro De Educacion Para La Salud Integral in the Dominican Republic. In English, that means the Education Center for Integral Health.

During the semester, students will participate in three three-week academic blocks, two two-week immersion blocks, a one-week semester break and a last week that includes a final reflection and retreat. As part of a class, students will perform three hours of service per week.

“ It will be tweaked as it is implemented, but we expect it to offer the same kind of transferable immersion experience as the old Semestre Dominicano, but better curricularly,” said Professor Christine Wiseman, vice president of Academic Affairs.

The old Semestre Dominicano program was suspended and closed in fall 2003.

“ Creighton is known for the program,” said Erica Brock, director of the Office of International Programs. “Students have been checking back in every semester to see when it starts. We hope that there will be even more that come in and say that they’re interested.”

The program is much more flexible now and includes the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business Administration and the School of Nursing. A search is currently underway by Dr. Timothy Austin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. John Cernech, vice president of Student Services, for an academic director and a resident director for the program.

The new program grew out of a committee Wiseman created to investigate restructuring the Semestre Dominicano. The committee said that the curriculum was not accommodating students.

“ It was not flexible and had a rigid schedule,” Wiseman said. “The curriculum had not been examined in 10 years.”

Each student takes 15 credit hours. Students are required to take two courses, but otherwise the course selection can be modified to fit the curricular needs of individual students and depends on the visiting Creighton professors. A Spanish course is required as well as a six credit hour course taught by the executive director of the CESI Center, Radalme Pena. The course involves learning about the history, sociology and economy of the Dominican Republic as well as an ethical analysis and immersion with a Dominican family.

Between the three-week academic sessions, students are immersed in Dominican life by spending two weeks in a family’s home.

“ It is a wonderful immersion experience with flexibility that can be individualized with students,” Wiseman said. “I think this program is as good as it can be.”
Interested students may contact the Office of International Programs.