Off-Campus Programs Committee Report: Academic Senate Proposal

March 10, 2015

Description and HistoryThe Westmont in Istanbul program was launched in spring 2012 as a pilot program in a four-year trial period. During that trial period, the program would be offered twice, and a decision would be made as to its continuance as a regular offering in Westmont’s off-campus programs.

The program will be operating in Spring 2016. This report first came to Academic Senate in April 2014. The following was noted in the Academic Senate minutes from that meeting:

Cynthia gave an overview of the recent evaluation of the Istanbul program. The evaluation consisted of Cynthia Toms, Barbara Pointer, Mark Sargent and President Beebe. Cynthia and Barbara aided in the analysis of the leaders and student experiences. President Beebe and Mark completed the on-site visit. The review was done this spring to give the current leaders time to enter into the job market if we decided not to continue the program. 

1

Mark spent time describing his experience reviewing the program on site. He had a very positive experience. He was pleased with the level of engagement our students had with other Turkish students and the community. It was evident that the program leaders had modified the program for their second trip in light of what they learned from their first trip. There was a level of sophistication present in the holistic vision that the leaders had for the program. In the end, he was more positive about the program after his visit than before. Senators wondered what Senates role should be in these discussions. It was decided that Senate’s role was one of evaluating the programs fit for the college not one of evaluating staffing for the program. Senators commented that it seemed difficult to evaluate the program when the report does not focus on the details of the program that would exist without the current staffing. Cynthia will bring back a revised report with more curricular details on the program and allow Senate to vote on the curricular portion of the program only. The program will then be moved to the full faculty for a vote with Senates opinion on the curricular aspects. In general Senate is in favor of the program. They would like to see more details on the curricular aspects of the program but feel good about the direction that the program is going. 

This report represents reflection on the review following a fully developed Off-Campus Program Review protocol approved by Senate in November, 2014.

Attached Documents include:1. Program Overview, including history of inception, choice of location, and rationale

for major program components (e.g., resident component, travel itinerary, community engagement, etc).

2. Program Faculty Self-Report 3. Curriculum and General Education Designation4. Course and Program Evaluation Summaries5. Site Visit Reflections

1. Program Overview:The introduction of the Westmont in Istanbul Program has been met with marked success. Student evaluations and comments demonstrate positive learning outcomes and overall satisfaction in the Spring 2012 program and the Fall 2013 Orientation course. Additionally, administration and faculty colleagues continue to demonstrate enthusiastic support of the program. The program has a stable enrollment and has met budgetary expectations. Furthermore, the program contributes a significant new opportunity for Westmont College to cultivate, “thoughtful scholars, grateful servants and faithful leaders for global engagement with the academy, church and world.

The site for this program was selected by a team of faculty in 2011. Istanbul is replete with remarkable buildings, some of the greatest of their kind on the planet – which is perhaps

2

not surprising for the most important city on earth for a millennium. Group and individual tours are supplemented by research on the substantive subject:

The strategic location – Bosphorus Cruise Sufism -- The Sema (sufi dhikr) Byzantine Politics – Aya Sophia Ottoman Politics – Topkapi Palace Islamic art and architecture – Sulemanya Mosque Trade, economics and business - Grand Bazaar Early Christianity -- Chora Church

The itinerary selected represents considerations for educational pedagogy and risk management:

 Jan 12--fly to Istanbul Jan 14--orientationJan 15-Jan 24: intensive Turkish language studyJan 27-Feb 4: travel to Diyarbakir and Mardin, SE TurkeyFeb 4-Mar 24: Yeditepe (Istanbul)Mar 25-Apr 8: JordanApr 8-Apr 20: Israel/JerusalemApr 20-May 1: BethlehemMay 1: Tel Aviv to LAX

Although a sustainable future will require continued focus, strategic improvements, and continually effective leadership on behalf of program faculty, we are confident that Westmont in Istanbul will continue to respond to the signs of the times by offering distinctive and pioneering opportunities for students. Please accept these recommendations and commendations along with overall suggestions as part of the continuous improvement process.

2. Faculty Self Report

What do you see as the primary strengths of the program and where do you see areas for future improvement?

Strengths:Location: we essentially have a resident program for 3 months in the magnificent city of Istanbul and a month out of country to help students place Turkey within a larger regional context. The spine of the semester is the 7 weeks that students spend at Yeditepe University, where they experience some measure of normalcy of life as a student in a Turkish campus context.

Reinforcement of experiential and academic learning: Students spend three full days a week in classes studying Turkish language, Islam, roots of Christianity, and modern Turkey. A majority of all the inputs are from Turks. In addition we have an extensive program of academic rather than touristic site visits and students are given each weekend free to explore the sites on their own. We also allocate one day each week for

3

community engagement, both as an opportunity for achieving our “benign footprint” goal and as an expression of experiential learning for students.

Future Improvements:We would like to develop our personal and institutional relationships with Yeditepe faculty and administration. We would also like to consider the pros and cons of spending the entire 4 months in Turkey.

What specific ways have the orientation course helped students to better engage the experience in Turkey? Likewise, how does the re-entry course help students apply and continue their learning?

Orientation Classa. It enables us as leaders to articulate the vision and values for the 18 month arc

which orientation/in country/re-entry comprises. We believe students can consider and absorb these more effectively when given the added time to do so and without all the distractions they will encounter once in country.

b. Orientation allows us to introduce many of the key subjects of study and learning such as Islam, Orthodoxy, contemporary politics, recent history, and community engagement.

c. It permits the cohort to form and for leaders and students to get to know each other. The mutual trust thus created is an enormous boost so that the first month in country is not spent getting acquainted.

Re-entry Classa. The focus for re-entry is formation and vocation, recognizing the synergy

between these two. The fourth over arching goal of the program is to enhance the ability of students to contribute positively to their home communities upon their return. The re-entry class is an excellent opportunity for reflecting on and encouraging this. This will include introducing and encouraging spiritual formation practices.

Now that the program has a foothold in Istanbul and you have lived for a time in the region, what do you perceive as the most effective ways of ensuring students’ immersion in the culture?  Feel free to mention specific Turkish organizations and partners that would help create the immersion opportunities for students.

We are looking to facilitate engagement between our students and host nationals throughout our program.While in Istanbul, the principal means of achieving this are:

a. having students resident in university dorms and living on a campus of an English speaking Turkish university;

b. community engagement projects with the Turkish Bible society, IIMP, Hasat theological education by extension, and the Armenian girls’ home;

c. studying Turkish as a complete semester course;d. encouraging students to attend local churches;

4

e. having three of the four semester courses taught by nationals while we as leaders facilitate discussion, debriefing, and carry out all grading and assessment.

3. Site Visit Team consisted of:Academic Representative: Mark SargentExecutive Representative: Gayle BeebeStudent Life representative (Tim Wilson did not travel due to a last minute back injury)

General Assessment

Commendations Efforts made to enhance the learning experience through orientation and re-entry

classes have made a commendable mark on the program. Students are familiar with key subjects of study and learning such as Islam, Orthodoxy, contemporary politics, and history before they enter the community. This is reflected in the learning outcomes by students and the overall evaluations.

The use of student life coordinators (RA’s) has been a visionary and insightful method for student spiritual formation and peer mentorship. This is not only a strategic method for faculty sustainability, the role of the coordinators gives a sense of security while students live in the dorms.

Student evaluations and overall feedback demonstrate that the quality of faculty instruction is strong. Students reported great gains in learning and spiritual formation.

Program faculty have utilized the partnership with Yeditepe University, local faculty, and guest lecturers providing Turkish perspectives.

Program directors demonstrate careful and holistic planning for the overall educational plan, including how the classroom, experiential learning, travel and spiritual formation fit together with coherence with Westmont College’s mission and vision for student development and education.

Community engagement partnerships have been forged to allow students opportunities for service learning. This partnership has been established in conjunction with co-curricular entities (Emmaus Road) at Westmont College. This partnership not only allows students opportunities for community engagement and service, it also enriches the home campus environment and on-going partnership between the Yeditepe community and Westmont College.

Program directors are to be commended for enhancement and improvement the program based on feedback from the first year. This is demonstrated in their ability to network and interact with officials and faculty at the host institution.

5

Recommendations We recommend that the Westmont in Istanbul program continue as a regular

spring offering at Westmont College. The program will be offered every other spring semester, beginning with Spring 2016.

We recommend retaining the current program faculty and staff model.

The Middle East in general and Turkey in particular are part of an ever-evolving social landscape. Given the need to review both Egypt and Southeastern Turkey (Mardin) as a potential travel sites, the college would like to establish a consistent route for future programs to ensure risk management and on-going safety for our students, faculty, and institution.

It is commendable that the program leaders have found ways to make Turkish language study available to students. Creating ways to support students language development pre-trip and post-trip in Turkish or other languages as appropriate should be further explored beyond the EFINST delivery. This includes ways to cover the cost of follow up language study.

o The pre-trip language study (depending on its nature) could serve as a recruiting tool for the program, serve to enhance the student experience while on the program, and possibly serve as an addition to the GE program. There also may be local instructors for the languages that could be hired as adjuncts. Working with key stakeholders, such as the Modern Language Faculty, the Office of Global Education, and the Provosts office will be essential. In 2014 and 2015, financial support for follow up language came from the Office of Global Education. In the future, we recommend that the Westmont in Istanbul budget support this additional language study for at most one semester and/or consider ways to make this opportunity available to other Westmont students through the Provost Office budget.

We recommend removal of program funds for any executive administrative visit. This moves the program in line with other Westmont college programs.

The Off Campus Programs Committee is very appreciative of the efforts that the “Westmont in Istanbul” program directors have made with regards to the development and running of a program that considers the carbon footprint of said program. In truth, this is the ONLY Westmont-sponsored program that has ever intentionally considered its environmental impact and made a direct effort to mitigate its environmental impacts. While the committee commends the program directors for seeking ways to run a more environmentally sustainable program, the question has arisen as to whether carbon offsets are really the best means to mitigating the carbon footprint of this or any Westmont program. The committee thinks that there might be better ways to mitigate the program’s carbon footprint

6

while enhancing directly the students’ understanding of their own responsibility in mitigating the program’s carbon footprint.

For this reason, we recommend removing the funding for carbon credits. We deeply appreciate the program’s effort and awareness toward environmental stewardship. However, the OCP has taken a broader stance on environmental sustainability of all programs. Please see attachment for suggested ways to improve the current program’s carbon footprint.

The review conducted in 2014 did not speak extensively to the curriculum of the orientation or re-entry course for this program. However, the new template adopted by the OCP Committee requires that it be examined carefully. In the near future, the Academic Senate Review Committee will be examining all OCP orientation and re-entry courses along with the OCP Committee. We recommend that the Westmont in Istanbul program consider their courses in light of the student learning objectives developed by the OCP Committee and Academic Senate Committee.

o The OCP committee, in conjunction with the Academic Senate Review Committee will develop criteria for graded versus pass/no credit program courses (orientation and re-entry). This will allow all program directors to choose the structure and requirements for students.

7

Schedule: Review of Westmont in IstanbulFebruary to Current (March 2015)

The Westmont in Istanbul program was launched in spring 2012 as a pilot program in a four-year trial period. During that trial period, the program would be offered twice, and a decision would be made as to its continuance as a regular offering in Westmont’s off-campus programs. Since the program is now in its second iteration, we have chosen to review the program during Spring 2014. Here are the principal features and the general protocol for the review.

Purpose:

To determine if the Westmont in Istanbul program should be continued as a regular offering every other year in Westmont’s portfolio of global education programs.

To offer suggestions for the refinement of the program, should the program be continued.

Stages in the Review:

1. February 15-March 10: The Global Education Office, with the help of Bill Wright, wrote a brief narrative (2-3 pages) about the origins of the program, compile data reflecting the first two semesters, and gather student evaluations of the programs to date (i.e., the 2012 semester and the pre-trip class in fall 2013).

2. February 15-March 10: Heather Keaney and Jim Wright prepared a brief (2 pp. maximum) responses to each of the following questions:

What specific ways have the orientation course helped students to better engage the experience in Turkey? Likewise, how does the re-entry course help students apply and continue their learning?

What do you see as the primary strengths of the program and where do you see areas for future improvement?

Now that the program has a foothold in Istanbul and you have lived for a time in the region, what do you perceive as the most effective ways of ensuring students’ immersion in the culture? Feel free to mention specific Turkish organizations and partners that would help create the immersion opportunities for students.

3. March 14-16: President Beebe and Mark Sargent visited to the program to conduct a site visit. They read the materials in items 1 and 2 above. Their visit included, among other opportunities, the following items:

Attendance at two or three classes. Conversations with current students, both in small groups and one-on-one, about

their academic and co-curricular experience.

8

A guided tour of Istanbul led by students, largely to help us perceive how the city is seen through students’ eyes.

Opportunities to meet with professionals from Yeditepe University (eg., language instructor, risk management advisor) and other Turkish officials and partners.

Substantial time for conversation with Heather and Jim about the program and their hopes and vision for the future.

4. March 30: By March 30, Gayle and Mark prepared a short report of observations about what they learned on site.

5. April, 2014: The Off-Campus Programs Committee had the opportunity to review the written materials in 1, 2, and 4 and determine whether or not to recommend that the program be continued as an academic offering of the college. The recommendation went to the Senate.

6. The Academic Senate Recommended revisiting the OCP review process before considering full approval of the Westmont in Istanbul review

7. October 2014, the Academic Senate approved an official OCP Review Protocol (attached).

8. Nov – Dec 2014 - The Off-Campus Programs Committee rewrote the Westmont in Istanbul Review

9. February 2015 – The Off-Campus Programs Committee Approved the Westmont in Istanbul review and made recommendations to the Academic Senate.

9

Westmont in Istanbul Site VisitMarch 13-17, 2014Dr. Gayle D. BeebePersonal Reflections

General Overview: I departed from LAX on Thursday night, March 13, at 8 p.m. I landed at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul on Friday, March 14, at 5 p.m.Westmont in Istanbul began in spring 2012 with Jim Wright and Dr. Heather Keaney. Jim and Heather met and married while working in Cairo. Rick Pointer and Bill Wright were familiar with their work at the American University of Cairo, where they played various roles in leading and facilitating different parts of the CCCU Middle East Studies program. Heather was also a student of Rick’s. Jim sold a successful international law practice he had built from the ground up to join Heather in pursuing her dream to teach at Westmont. Together, they have built an impressive semester-abroad program.

Students: As we requested, they provided an opportunity for us to join students in groups of three or four as they toured various aspects of the city, demonstrating their proficiency in conversational Turkish and helping us understand what Istanbul offers and what they’ve learned and experienced during this semester-abroad program.

Friday Night: Jarrett Catlin and Alejandro Santana-Vallarta (Hondo for short) picked me up at the airport. We spent three hours together eating dinner and traveling back to campus. Jarrett and I know each other from reading Pascal’s Pensees together. Hondo and I have interacted on campus but not extensively. Jarrett is a mathematics major while Hondo is an art major.

Saturday: We had breakfast with Jim and Heather, set the stage for the conversation about program review on Sunday at 5 p.m., got oriented to our schedule in Istanbul and plunged headlong into two full days of activities.

After breakfast, Branton Nestor, Garrett Gottlob, Katy Brautigam and Madeleine Tappy met us and took us downtown to Hagia Sophia/Aya Sofia. Branton is from Huntington Beach and attended the high school at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. He has distinguished himself as the friendly gadfly who loves to debate and provoke conversation. He is a political science and history double major. Garrett is from Riverside and is a religious studies major. He wants to attend seminary at Duke Divinity School. Madeleine Tappy is from Pittsburgh, developed her own program in Middle Eastern studies and is a fascinating conversationalist, often asking me questions students rarely ask about the meaning of life and why people make choices that influence their destiny. Between the near-death experience on the taxis (sort of joking), riding the MarmaraRay under the Bosphorus, riding the Metro up to Hagia Sophia and dodging the cars, scooters and street vendors everywhere, we were impressed by the ease and comfort with which we moved and got around the city.

Mark and I split up at the end of Hagia Sophia so he could visit the Grand Bazaar with Branton and Katy and I could enjoy a nice lunch with Madeleine and Garrett.

10

Madeline’s father is a professor of Near Eastern studies at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She has grown up on some of the most significant archeological sites in the Middle East. Garrett has grown up in Riverside, and this is his first major trip outside the United States.

After lunch, we met with Chloe Fang, Celestine Jahren, Claire Johnson and Tori Kauffman, who were responsible for taking us through the Blue Mosque. Although the mosque is stunningly beautiful, we didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy its riches and had to hurry to our next group. It would have been interesting to spend some time discussing with the students various aspects of their cross-cultural/interreligious dialogue, including the Five Pillars of Islam and the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet the Conqueror on May 29, 1453, as well as its implications for today including the political unrest that is engulfing PM Erdogan.

Although the visit was brief, it was nice, and we met Tobin Fikes, Grady Goff, Phoebe Castro, Caila Parodi and Berlin Valdez at the Pudding House across from Hagia Sophia. They were responsible for taking us on a two-hour Bosphorus cruise and then getting us back to campus in time for dinner Saturday night with representatives from Yeditepe University.

We enjoyed dinner Saturday night with the vice chancellor of Yeditepe University. Our primary goal was discussing the perceived shared benefits of the program and possible expansions if we continue.

Surprise highlight: Seeing Tugce Canitez, our former basketball star, at our restaurant (Big Chefs) near her home basketball arena.

Sunday: We met David Baldi, Andy Grubbs, Hannah Early, and Kati Paye in the taxi circle

on campus and then proceeded to the bus stop where we began the long trek into the Galata Tower area of Istanbul. Our purpose was to attend church, walk to Taksim Square and Gezi Park and enjoy lunch together. David will graduate this spring with a degree in philosophy, Andy is an economics and business major, Hannah is undecided and Kati is a religious studies major. We traveled to the Syrian Orthodox Church for a service there. It was remarkable to see this believing community, with its various families and its distinct liturgy and worship, on full display. After church we went to coffee and then to lunch at a restaurant near Taksim Square. While we were walking to the restaurant, we passed a small regiment of police officers in riot gear preparing to intervene in a political gathering in front of CHP headquarters, the rival political party to the AKP.

After lunch, we met Ciena Colburn, Brandon Daniels, Shelby Downs and Katy Pluymert who were responsible for taking us to Topkapi Palace and then back to Katikoy in time to meet Jim and Heather before dinner. Ciena and Brandon are both art majors and expressed concern about how hard it is to get graphic design classes if you do a semester abroad and/or compete in an athletic sport. Shelby is a religious studies major and was concerned about limited offerings in Old Testament next year. Katy is a sociology major and intends to pursue a doctorate, but in the immediate future she would like to win a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her areas of interest more fully, especially gender roles in society. Her mother is a

11

professor at Loyola University of Chicago. She was grateful for the role Rachel Winslow has played in her life, particularly as the program has been, in her words, “struggling.” All have been riveted by the political unrest and the various gatherings, including the significant ones on campus at Yeditepe. They appreciate the opportunity to get to the European section of Istanbul relatively easily and didn’t seem particularly distressed by living at Yeditepe.

We made our appointment with Jim and Heather and had an excellent conversation about the development of the program, what we need to be mindful of as we move forward and what would help them settle into the role and responsibility of leading this trip for the long term. Key features of our conversation included:

o The desire on the part of six current WII students to continue taking Turkish classes on campus.

o Discussion of the much higher interest on the part of students as well as the effectiveness of the orientation class this year as opposed to two years ago.

o Best vision for the program going forward is to offer it on an every-other-year basis.

o Question: can they stay longer and travel less? Complicating factors include the maximum allowed time for a student visa of 90 days. Additionally, the travel part of the program has allowed students to study and experience the complexity of issues throughout the Middle East and Turkey.

o Student response to the semester has been very positive. They have enjoyed the mix of assignments, special speakers, travel to various historic sites, travel on their own, anticipation of the week on the eco-farm and what lies ahead as they travel to Jordan and Israel/Palestine, and the positive and constructive role of the community-engagement projects and organizations.

Dinner Sunday Night: We took the entire group to dinner and had a nice time relaxing, sharing several stories and connecting several impressions throughout their semester abroad. We were also able to connect with the students I hadn’t encountered yet, including Haley Berggren, Aubrey Cazabat, Bethany Day (whose uncle and aunt live in the Asian part of Istanbul), Mackenzie Holman, Shallon Knop, Ethan Park, and Meg Wolfgram as well as the program RAs, Joe Bagdanov and Shea Werner, who had been on the inaugural Westmont in Istanbul semester in 2012. Haley is a liberal studies/elementary education major, Aubrey is an economics and business major, Bethany is undecided, I don’t know about Mackenzie, Shallon (although Shallon told me she intends to do something that will allow her to come back to Istanbul to live and teach), Ethan, and Meg.

Monday: Joe Bagdanov picked me up at the taxi circle, and we went to the boat dock where I met Jim and Heather for breakfast before taking the water taxi back to the Ataturk International Airport.

Additional Thoughts from my visit two years ago: Two years ago, I had an opportunity to attend two classes, one on the social life of modern Turkey and the other on the political life of modern Turkey with a special focus on the Kurdish problem. Yeditepe University professors taught these two classes. I found them

12

remarkable and memorable, mostly because of the professors’ ability to connect with our students and the opportunity for our students to hear an issue discussed by the people most affected by the presence of a huge ethnic minority that refuses to be governed by the elected authorities.

Concluding Thoughts and Impressions: To a person, the students have overwhelmingly positive thoughts, feelings and

responses to the program. They were articulate about what they have learned, where they have been

stretched, how the group has come together and gelled, what they have concluded thus far, and what remains a completely open and puzzling question for them.

Being in Istanbul during all the political unrest has electrified the imaginations of several of them.

Many mentioned that they are capturing for the first time a curiosity and interest in living and working overseas.

They have really enjoyed and learned from the community-engagement projects they’ve been involved in each week. Several students expressed their dismay that this coming Wednesday they would have to say goodbye to the people they’ve worked with.

Student Life: The use of Joe and Shea as RAs followed a practice that Jim and Heather established in 2012 where the RAs live with the students on their dorm floors. I think this has been a significant reason the integration piece has gone well. In addition, Jim and Heather meet with each student throughout the semester to help them process all they are seeing, thinking and experiencing. This is also a tremendous benefit for the students. News of one student-life issue emerged while we were there, and we didn’t have time to explore it further, so it will need to be revisited.

Budget: We need to review the budget and reconcile it with actual expenditures, including financial aid. My main question is: How much did we actually generate in real revenue and how much did we net?

Review Process: I appreciate this review process as we finalize decision-making on the long-term prospects for continuing the semester-abroad program in Istanbul. In addition to being helpful as we review and refine the program, it’s a good reminder that we need to establish an ongoing review schedule for all our semester-abroad programs.

“FROM NOTHING TO ONE”*

13

Fall 2013 orientation course for East meets Westmont, Westmont in Istanbul, Spring Semester 2014 (IS 192)

Dr. Heather Keaney hkeaney@westmont.edu Deane Hall 200, x. 7148

Professor Jim Wright Office Hours: by appointmentjwright@westmont.edu Deane Hall 210, x. 6823

GOALSStudents will insha’alla:

1. Be enthused with the semester in the region;2. Commence the intellectual, ethical, spiritual and practical preparation for a semester in

the region; and3. Begin to form a cohort.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMESBy the end of the course, students will be:

aware that they are enculturated; able to recognise and understand some of the key intellectual and spiritual issues arising

out of the course material; and familiar with current events in at least one of the countries to be visited during the

program.

GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTSClass Participation – 25%Group Presentation– 15%Final Exam – 30%Fortnightly Reading Response Paragraphs – 15%Current events journal 15%

All of these criteria are designed not only to be the basis of a grade for this course, but to develop skills that will be of benefit to you in any class or career.Some more detail on the above:-

Class Participation You need to listen carefully to class lectures and discussions and take notes on the

material covered. Learning to listen and take notes at the same time is a valuable skill in any career. If you merely listen, you will not remember a week later, never mind a month later, what was discussed. Studies also show that you retain more information if you are writing notes as well as listening.

No cell phones, computers, or other electronic devices may be used during class. We don’t want to spoil the fun, but who can compete with Facebook?

14

Participation means being in class on time, having done the reading, and being ready to discuss it.

Class will complement rather than repeat the reading so you will need to attend class if you expect to prosper on this course. Note, however, that participation, not merely attendance, is what we are grading.

If you do not understand the reading or are feeling lost in the details PLEASE come talk to one of us – sooner rather than later! It is your responsibility to ask questions in class if something is not clear to you.

If you miss class, you are responsible to find out what material and announcements you missed.

Group Presentation

Istanbul is replete with remarkable buildings, some of the greatest of their kind on the planet – which is perhaps not surprising for the most important city on earth for a millennium. We very much want you to encounter some of those key buildings not as tourists but as students, for whom Istanbul is their classroom. We will therefore not be organising tours and guides to those sites. Instead, each of you will be in a group and these groups will each take one of the subjects and buildings below. The group will do research on the substantive subject, eg the Byzantines, and be prepared to present to us all at the end of this semester the salient points of that subject, so that next semester when we each visit the Aya Sophia we will understand much more about the site than its purely physical spectacle.The site, and the underlying subject which that site exemplifies, for each group is:

The strategic location – Bosphorus Cruise Sufism -- The Sema (sufi dhikr) Byzantine Politics – Aya Sophia Ottoman Politics – Topkapi Palace Islamic art and architecture – Sulemanya Mosque Trade, economics and business - Grand Bazaar Early Christianity -- Chora Church

Final Exam

You will have one final exam consisting of three essays. Preparing for exams requires you to synthesize large amounts of material to determine key themes. The time constraints of an exam also require you to order your arguments and supporting evidence in a hierarchy of priority - a truly valuable skill. Exams will draw on the set texts and class lectures and discussions.

Fortnightly Reading Response Paragraphs

We realise that all of you will be keeping up with the weekly set reading, but just to cheer you on, you will submit each two weeks a short piece (200 - 300 words) in which you reflect on the reading for that period, with marks awarded for the clarity, conciseness and depth of the contributions.

15

Current events journal

It is important for students to be aware of current events in the countries that we will visit, and thereby also become more familiar with some of the current concerns that we will encounter in country. To this end students will each maintain a journal identifying and tracking the key current events in Turkey and submit these journals to us for review in Weeks 5, 10 and 15 of the semester. Please go for the important stuff, and there is no need to write a lengthy screed – 300 words per week will be fine provided it is relevant and gets at the key issues. You must consult with one non-US source – if you wish to consult with more sources that is fine but not required.

Presentation & Papers

Increasingly, it is not just what you know, but your ability to communicate it effectively before an audience – either real or virtual - that sets qualified candidates and employees apart. Organizing your thoughts, contributing confidently and sensitively, and working in a group are valuable life skills. ‘Real life’ begins now, not after you graduate.

CURRENT EVENTS JOURNAL ENTRIES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY IN MICROSOFT WORD FORMAT TO JIM WRIGHT BY THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON THE ASSIGNED DUE DATE. READING RESPONSE PARAGRAPHS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY IN MICROSOFT WORD FORMAT TO JIM WRIGHT BY 9am EACH WEDNESDAY.

Side note on integrity and plagiarism…Plagiarism is claiming another’s work, ideas, or structure as your own. To avoid this you must cite (including page #) where you have acquired any part of your work that is not genuinely your own. Putting everything in quotes is not a solution, but mere intellectual laziness. You can and should use the ideas of other people, but you need to acknowledge such usage in a footnote and ideally summarize the idea or information in your own words (rather than quote it) to indicate that you truly understand the point being made. Plagiarism is stealing intellectual property and is taken very seriously by the academy, this institution, and your professors. To avoid plagiarizing you should familiarize yourself with the Westmont policy statement on the issue http://www.westmont.edu/_offices/provost/plagiarism/plagiarism_policy.html.

Portfolio

You will keep all your work this semester in a portfolio, to be turned in at the end of the semester. This should be an 8.5 x 11-inch three-ring binder, divided into appropriate sections. Please organize your portfolio chronologically, and always include the assignment page prior to your own work. Most of your work will be turned in electronically throughout the semester, read by the professor, and returned to you electronically for printing and inclusion in the portfolio. Nevertheless, you should keep everything you have done for this class in your portfolio, whether turned in or not. We may ask you to reread something you wrote earlier and to reflect upon it, ideally with new eyes. The portfolio will serve as a

16

record or log of your questions, observations, thoughts and reflections and will provide a tangible way of gauging your growth and improvement throughout the semester.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDSStudents who have been diagnosed with a disability (learning, physical or psychological) are strongly encouraged to contact the Disability Services office (Sheri Noble, Coordinator of Disability Services (x6186, snoble@westmont.edu) ) as early as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations for this course. Formal accommodations will only be granted to students whose disabilities have been verified by the Disability Services office. These accommodations may be necessary toensure your full participation and the successful completion of this course.

CALENDAR

Week 1 -- August 28 The Big Picture – looking at the syllabus, setting out the foundations of the orientation and mutual expectations for the semester in the region

Week 2 – Sept 4It sure ain’t Kansas, Toto – an introduction to cross cultural perceptions.

Bernard T. Adeney, Strange Virtues – Ethics in a Multicultural World, (Apollos 1995), Pp 125-141; 251-258

Week 3 – Sept 11The ethical challenge of other religions

Adeney pp 163-191

Week 4 – Sept 18Service

Samuel Wells and Marcia Owen, Living Without Enemies, IVP 2011, Pp 21-47

Week 5 – Sept 25The Other

Office of Life Planning – Myers-Briggs for the group

Week 6 – October 2Introduction to Islam.

James Gelvin, The Modern Middle East, chpt 1 & Colin Chapman, Cross & Crescent, 2nd Ed., pgs 15-19, 57-72

Week 7 - October 9Modernity

James Gelvin: The Modern Middle East, chpts 5,7, 9

17

Week 8 - October 16Making the Modern Middle East

Gelvin, The Modern Middle East, Part III

Week 9 - October 23Byzantium

William Dalrymple, From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium (Flamingo, 1997)

Week 10 - October 30The Church as Other

William Dalrymple, From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium (Flamingo, 1997)

Week 11 - November 6The Arab Spring

The Economist and/or MERIP articles (to be selected for topicality) (Recommended: Gelvin, The Modern Middle East, chpt 15)

Week 12 - November 13Introduction to Turkey Dr. Sakir

(Recommended Gelvin, chpt 12) Contemporary articles from current affairs sources/analysts

Week 13 - November 20 Introduction to Istanbul – Student Presentations

Week 14 - November 27THANKSGIVING

Week 15 - December 4Who moved my cheese?

Mutual expectations for living in community for a semester – dinner 6-9pm, instead of normal class time.

Week 16 - Final Exam: Date TBA

A-List (mandatory) readings1. Bernard T. Adeney, Strange Virtues – Ethics in a Multicultural World 19952. William Dalrymple, From the Holy Mountain3. Articles and chapters listed above

B-List (useful but not mandatory) readingsMiroslav Volf: Exclusion and Embrace Abingdon Press 1996,Elias Chacour, Blood Brothers

18

James Gelvin, The Modern Middle East: A History (unassigned chapters)

Times and datesClasses will meet 3.15pm- 5.05pm each Wednesday in Winter Hall 216*From a Leonard Cohen song

19

Attachment 1:

On the issue of “Carbon Credits” or offsets:Off-Campus Program Committee February 2015

General Concerns and Recommendation from OCP: The Off Campus Programs Committee recommends that programs avoid simply budgeting for the payment of carbon credits/offsets, but rather that students experience direct learning of what it means to travel sustainably; we would like to see students have a direct hands-on learning experience in sustainable travel. Perhaps a more meaningful experience exists for students in learning what it really means to live and travel in a foreign country (which might mean being a bit “inconvenienced,” even as life for native peoples in the country where study is taking place may often not be so easy or convenient). Students may learn far more, in experiencing what life is really like for those in the country being visited by living and traveling as the native people’s have to, rather than the program paying out for carbon offsets. The committee feels that students should actually be involved in direct actions to reduce their environmental footprint while traveling, not just having someone buy carbon offsets, which are increasingly being viewed as a way to avoid the real issue of needing to alter one’s lifestyle in real, and substantial ways.

Context for OCP asking for alternatives to Carbon Credits: The issue of carbon offsets/credits is of particular concern to some members of the Off Campus Programs committee (who are more directly associated with the research and subsequent understanding of the underlying motivations and actual workings of this attempt at mitigating carbon production). Carbon credits were the brainchild of the corporate world, where first concerns were corporate success and corporate earnings (maximum profits), while trying to gain favor with their more-environmentally concerned patrons, thus an attempt to assuage some corporate guilt. The evidence to date shows that carbon markets have actually lost us more than 18 years in the battle against climate change; yet, many continue to plough forward, up-scaling these markets (S. Böhm, Essex Sustainability Institute). We have to wonder why. There is ample evidence to show that carbon markets to date have been inefficient, and at worst, are often running as corrupt enterprises, with very few businesses/individuals making huge windfall profits at the expense of many. To date, it seems that there have been few, if any, measurable reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that can be attributed to these measures. Both the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) and the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the two most important global carbon markets (whose operating principles were established in 1997 as part of the Kyoto Protocol), are considered failures (S. Böhm, Essex Sustainability Institute). New carbon markets based on these failing schemes are being planned in both developed and developing nations. How is this of any real help? Ironically, there has been such a flood of cheap CDM carbon credits that the price of carbon is now so low that it currently is a negligible cost to industry, and more importantly, does not give any incentive for industry to invest in low-carbon technologies (S. Böhm, Essex Sustainability Institute). Thus, many financial institutions have shut down their carbon trading desks and have reduced their stakes in renewable energy funds. The thinking these days is that

20

“climate change is inevitable, why fight it” and Bloomberg is reporting that Wall Street is more inclined to invest in those businesses that will profit as the planet gets hotter. It seems rather unethical that companies would forego carbon mitigation to profit from a hotter planet, and use and/or sell their own carbon credits to keep their companies running along the lines of “business as usual.” In essence, carbon markets have fueled unsustainable practices, with companies selling carbon credits to other companies that are noted for the pollution they generate. Most carbon offset/credit projects have a “total lack of environmental integrity” (EU Climate Action Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard). Where is the carbon offset/credit money that Westmont has paid out actually going? Is there legitimate confirmation that the money is going directly to earth-saving projects? Or is most of the money going to pay for administrative costs, paying for consultants, carbon brokers, project developers, and many others who are actually making a living from these markets, and a very lucrative living at that (here we mean corrupt, getting rich at the expense of the environment)? There is no credible governing body, no democratic oversight of the entire offset/credit system. Is this the sort of attitude that we want any Westmont program to support?

Off Campus Program Committee Recommendations: We must acknowledge that travel, of any kind, is NOT the most environmentally-friendly activity. We need to acknowledge that no one can “buy” a one-stop fix to any carbon footprint, by buying our way out of carbon emissions—in truth, we, faculty, staff and students, have to change our lifestyles—there are no silver bullets, and the students need to learn this by firsthand experience. It would appear that carbon offsets/credits do not wipe away any environmental sin; it simply pays off the guilt. The only true way to reduce any carbon footprint is to live and act in more sustainable ways, not pay someone else to do it for us. We thus come to this final question: are carbon credits worth the money? Not really. It may be that we would be better off using that cash spent on airline offsets to provide opportunities that would directly make a difference in each students’ everyday life while traveling overseas. Cut out the middleman and take the amount that is being spent for carbon offsets by practicing a more sustainable lifestyle while abroad. Badger the airlines to start recycling programs; insist that they stop throwing out all of the in-flight plastic cups, cardboard and soda cans. There are other ways which we believe students can be directly involved in, in attaining a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly travelling lifestyle. Certainly, we would ask the program directors to bear in mind the cultural distinctive of the country and people of Turkey and the city of Istanbul, but to also consider the following:

--Encourage students to pack as light as they can, despite the fact that they will be overseas for several months.--Limit the amount of electronic “gear” that students may take; how much do they REALLY need with them?--Travel “slower”—stay in Istanbul longer, eat locally, use overland means of travel (the most cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly), rather than flying to new locations.--Require students to learn what the limited resources of Istanbul and Turkey are.--Ask students to find out what method of garbage disposal is utilized in Istanbul.

21

--Ask students to explore whether or not Istanbul has any sort of recycling program in place.--Require students to intentionally and severely limit their use of plastics.--Require students to learn what the environmental issues are for the country of Turkey.--Require students to learn about, and participate in, any environmental work that is being undertaken in Istanbul; find opportunities for students to work alongside the Turkish people working to solve their environmental problems.--Ask students to buy and use only products that are locally produced—and organically grown—if possible.--All should drink locally produced beers, ales, wines, etc.; or, practice abstinence.--Encourage students to be very sparing and conservative with water usage, for drinking, washing and bathing.--Ask students to consume no meat; have them stick to fresh fish, fruit, vegetables; the native “staples.”--When buying souvenirs, gifts, etc. ask students to buy only locally, hand- and native-made handcrafts, preferably those which use local resources, and that were made by individuals paid a fair wage, or who will be equitably recompensed for their work.--When shopping for anything, students should always carry and use reusable bags, preferably made from sustainable fibers rather than plastic.--All should rely on local services—borrow books from a local library; spend far less time going to movies, etc.--Students should engage in low-impact sports (those that don’t require a lot of imported and heavy equipment, etc.)--No one should litter, and if students, faculty or staff see it lying in a street, all should make an effort to take the extra time to pick it up, even if they didn’t do the littering, and dispose of it in an environmentally-conscientious manner.--For local travel, encourage students to walk whenever possible. They should use public transportation; buses, perhaps trains, are actually the best option all around, even despite the fact that travel by bus may take longer, may not be as comfortable, etc. This is likely how many native people in Turkey and Istanbul may have to get anywhere daily and it is a part of living in Turkey to travel in the manner that the local people do.--Ask students to practice being well educated—ask them to “think before they do.” Ask students to live in Turkey as good stewards of the natural resources of Turkey.

Westmont programs should be required to consider their environmental impacts, as well, and implement ways to impart the significant importance of travelling with environmental integrity and responsibility to all of the students who chose to participate in these programs. Perhaps this could lead to a “Westmont distinctive” for travelling abroad, a way of conducting our travel programs that would be a model and inspiration to programs offered at other institutions.

22