CORNELL COLLEGE SEMESTER IN BOLIVIA


Cost Course Descriptions FAQ
Location Syllabi Registration Information
Service Learning - Internships Useful Links Weekend Activities

 

Beginning in the fall of 2004 Cornell College will offer a series of four courses in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Course offerings will include Spanish language and literature classes; a history, anthropology, Hispanic culture, or economics class; and a service internship. Students will be housed with Bolivian families. Registration for these courses will take place as part of the regular registration process; however, rather than bidding for this series of classes, students interested in participating will be required to submit a brief written statement that should include the following information:

For the 2004-2005 academic year, this descriptive statement should be submitted to Professor Lacy-Salazar (College Hall 317) or the Registrar's Office by Friday, February 13. Students will be notified by Monday, February 16 if they have been accepted into the program. At that time they can go ahead and complete the normal registration process but need not bid for the classes being offered in Bolivia. Students who miss the February 13 deadline but who are interested in the program may still register for it if there are spaces available; however, their registration card will not be accepted by the Registrar's Office without Professor Lacy-Salazar's signature acknowledging her approval of the student for the program.

The cost of the program with be what a Cornell College student would normally pay for tuition, room, and board at Cornell plus the round-trip airfare between the student's home and Cochabamba, Bolivia. Round-trip airfare between Miami and Cochabamba will be approximately $829. Because we will be departing shortly before classes begin in September and will be returning just as classes are letting out for the winter break, students will be responsible for arranging their own transportation between their home and Miami. We will fly as a group between Miami and Cochabamba.

The tentative date of departure from Miami for Cochabamba is Friday, September 3, and the tentative date of departure from Cochabamba for Miami is Tuesday, December 21.

COURSES OFFERED:

Term 1 (September 6 - 29):

SPA 206/302 -- Intermediate Spanish / Advanced Conversation Abroad

SPA 206: Same as SPA 205 but taught in Bolivia. The final course in the B.A. language requirement offered off-campus. Prerequisite: SPA 103

SPA 302: Designed for students who wish to achieve a higher level of fluency and a comprehensive understanding of life in Bolivia. Prerequisite: SPA 205 or 206

 

Term 2 (October 4 - 27):

SPA 380 -- Service Internship

Colegio Tiquipaga: Teacher's Assistant at a K-12 bi-lingual School

Working at an orphanage run by the Catholic Church

 

Term 3 (November 1 - 24):

SPA 311 / 355 -- Introduction to Textual Analysis / Latin American Short Story and Novel

SPA 311: Development of reading strategies and skills needed for analyzing and understanding literary/cultural texts. Organized around a topic based on a theme, period, or major writer and chosen to meet the needs of students who are just beginning upper-level coursework in Spanish. Special attention given to vocabulary development and to the advanced grammar required for understanding literary/cultural texts.

SPA 355: Representative modern fiction: novel of protest, magical realism, and fantasy in the short story and novel of the "Boom" Authors include Quiroga, Garro, Ocampo, Borges, Cortazar, Rulfo, and García Márquez. Prerequisite: SPA 311.

Term 4 (November 29 - December 21):

SPA 365 -- Advanced Topics Course: A Social, Political & Economic Overview of Bolivia

SPA 365: An overview of the social, political, and economic history of Bolivia. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisite: SPA 205

SPA 302: Designed for students who wish to achieve a higher level of fluency and a comprehensive understanding of life in Bolivia. Prerequisite: SPA 205 or 206

 


LOCATION:

Cochabamba: With a population of approximately 700,000 inhabitants, Cochabamba is the third largest city in Bolivia after La Paz and Santa Cruz. It is located in a fertile valley 25 km. long and 10 km. wide at an elevation of 2570 meters. The dry, sunny climate is similar to that of Southwestern United States or Southern Spain but is not as extreme in temperature, rarely rising above the 80's or sinking below freezing. Often referred to as the bread basket of Bolivia, Cochabamba produces an abundance of fruit, vegetables, and grains, which are sold in the many open-air markets throughout the city.

 


Volunteer Work:

Cornell students, Janis Dickman and Nicole Chilla with orphans  

During Block 3, students will take part in an internship in which they will be able to use the Spanish they have learned by helping care for and interacting with orphans of various ages at one of the many orphanages run by the Catholic Church


WEEKEND & BLOCK BREAK ACTIVITIES

Visits to:

Cultural Centers:

Simon Patiño, the tin baron who became a multi-millionaire through the exploitation and sale of Bolivian tin built two palatial residences for himself, which now serve as a museum (Payrumani) and cultural center (Portales).


Open Air Markets:


A large variety of vegetables and fruit can be found in markets throughout Cochabamba
Ají and other spices for making Bolivian food
Bolivian bread is delicious!


Historic Places:

Tarata: an old colonial town located 30 km. from Cochabamba was the birthplace of four Bolivian presidents: Esteban Arce, Mariano Melgarejo, Rene Barrientos

 

Lake Titicaca / Copacabana
--The highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca straddles the border between Bolivia and Peru and is located at an altitude of 3810 meters. It has a surface area of over 9000 square kms and a depth of 457 meters.

   La Paz:
The political and commercial capital of Bolivia is located in a canyon at almost 4 kms above sea level. The snow-capped peaks of Illimani (6402 meters) provide a dramatic backdrop to the city.

TENTATIVE TRIP BETWEEN BLOCKS 2 & 3: CUZCO & MACHU PICCHU

The Inca fortress, Sacsawamán, outside of Cuzco
A view of the interior of one of the structures at Machu Picchu

A more recent structure with an Incan stonework foundation in Cuzco
An overview of Machu Picchu

 

Useful Links:

--Los Tiempos (Diario de Cochabamba)
--La Razón (Diario nacional)
--Bolivia Hoy (Diario)
--Bolivia Web -- información general
--World Fact Book (CIA) -- Bolivia
--The Lonely Planet -- Destination: Bolivia
--Library of Congress --A Country Study: Bolivia
--Governments on the WWW: Bolivia
--Honorable Congreso Nacional (Bolivia)
--Consular Information Sheet (Bolivia)
--Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto (Bolivia)
--www.geographic.org -- Bolivia
--United Nations Cyber-School Bus
--Cultura boliviana
--Arte boliviano contemporáneo


Syllabi for courses offered in Bolivia:

SPA 206
SPA 302
SPA 311
SPA 355
SPA 322
SPA 302--2008
SPA 365--2008