JanPlan in Verona

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Please note that JanPlans in Dijon and Paris are not offered during the 2009-2010 academic year.

JanPlan in Verona
Italian 153
January Program in Verona, 2010

Director: Professor Pat Brancaccio
E-mail: pbranca@colby.edu
On-Campus Representative: Professor Allison Cooper
Office: Lovejoy 310, Tel: (207) 859-4658, Email: aacooper@colby.edu

The Department of French and Italian's JanPlan in Italy gives students the opportunity to study modern and contemporary Italian literature while living in the beautiful city of Verona. An important cultural and economic center of the Roman Empire, Verona was also the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Two Gentleman of Verona. IT153 (three credits), which is taught in English, introduces students to several preeminent Italian writers of the twentieth century, and is complemented by excursions to relevant sites in nearby cities. The JanPlan program also includes a weekly, noncredit Italian conversation course designed to facilitate students' immersion in Italian culture.

The program's director, Prof. Brancaccio has extensive experience with programs abroad, including the CBB program in London and JanPlans in Verona in 2006 and 2007. 

Fee

Cost of JanPlan (based on enrollment of 25 students): $1,870
Cost of airfare to and from Boston: $930 (subject to change)
Total fee: $2,800 (subject to change)

Please note the following:

    * This is a zero sum budget. Should there be substantial money left in the account after the JanPlan is over, this money will be refunded in equal parts to participating students.

    * This fee covers housing (shared rooms in a residential hotel), a monthly bus pass, two daylong excursions (one trip to Venice and one to another city, TBD), with meals; all museum and monument entry fees, and welcome and farewell dinners in a Verona restaurant. The fee specifically does not cover: books and supplies, most meals, bus fares, taxi fares, and any personal travel. The amount you may spend in addition to the JanPlan fee will vary depending on how often you dine out, how much travel you do, etc.

January Program Schedule

January 4, 2010: Departure from Boston
January 5: Arrival in Venice; coach from Venice to Verona.
January 6: Class begins
January 30: Return to Boston

During most of the week, class will be held in the Colby seminar room, located in the hotel, just outside of Verona's city center. Work will include considerable reading, viewing of films, and participation in a noncredit Italian language class.

Despite the substantial cultural program included in this JanPlan, there will be ample time for relaxation and getting to know Verona on your own.

Weekends and Personal Travel

Students have the choice of staying in Verona on weekends, or of traveling in Italy or to nearby European countries. Travel to Florence and Rome is quick and relatively inexpensive on high-speed trains. Travel to ski stations in the Alps is easy on an overnight train from Verona, and the cost of ski or board rental, lodging and lift tickets in Italy is considerably less than in the US.

Housing, Meals, and Activities

All students will share apartments in the very comfortable Residence all'Adige (information and photographs available online at http://www.residenceadige.it). Located on the banks of the Adige River, only a short walk or bus ride from the historic city center, the residence is well furnished, and each apartment has its own kitchen, dining area, and living/sleeping area, as well as its own terrace, phone, wireless capabilities, and modern bathrooms. The residence provides weekly cleaning and changing of linens, a complete gym, and on-site laundry services. Students are responsible for preparing their own meals, and will find necessary cookware, utensils, etc., in their apartments. Several cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets are within a five-minute walk of the residence.

Because students cook for themselves, most diets can be accommodated in Verona. If you have any dietary restrictions, please contact Professor Brancaccio.

Verona has a very rich cultural life, including theater, opera, concerts of every variety, nightclubs, cinema, and more. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these activities, which usually cost somewhat less than similar events in the US.

How to Enroll (first-year students are eligible!):

To enroll in this JanPlan you should:

    * Attend the informational meeting on Wednesday, September 10, at 7 p.m. in Lovejoy 215.

     * Complete the first two pages of the application (downloadable in PDF format here) by October 2, 2008. The JanPlan has a minimum enrollment of 10, and a maximum enrollment of 25.

    * Give your application to Professor Allison Cooper in Lovejoy 310.

    * Enrollment will be confirmed by October 7. If more students apply than can be enrolled, there may have to be cuts; in the past, priority has been given to Italian Studies minors, English majors, and students who have taken some Italian, in that order. We have, however, usually been able to accommodate at least a few additional students who have none of these prerequisites. Once accepted, you are required to pay to the Colby business office a deposit of $500 by October 10. This deposit, applied to the enrollment fee, is not refundable if you decide at a later date to drop out of the JanPlan.

    * If you are not accepted in this JanPlan, you will be able to enroll in another JanPlan during course selection time in November.

    * If you are accepted in this JanPlan, complete pages 3-4 of the application form (the Student Health Form and Confidential Physician's Report) and return them to Professor Allison Cooper in Lovejoy 310 by Monday, November 3.

    * If, for any reason, the JanPlan is cancelled, full refund will be made of any deposits or fees paid.

Questions

If students or your parents have any questions or concerns, please address them to Professor Allison Cooper, campus representative, or to Professor Brancaccio, JanPlan director.