Dr.
Peter Checca, Counselor, Saint Mary's College, Notre
Dame
Dr.
Portia Prebys, Director, Rome Campus
History
Since
1970, when Saint Mary's College opened a campus in the
center of historic Rome, hundreds of students have had
the opportunity to experience another culture in this
unique city, either for the academic year or for one semester.
This memorable, life-changing experience makes a significant
and lasting impact on students' intellectual, spiritual,
and personal growth. Participants bring back not only
a breadth of knowledge and an appreciation for other people
and cultures, but also a greater sense of self-confidence,
maturity, responsibility, and tolerance for others and
other points of view.
With
its 3,000 years of layered history and its 2,000 years
as the center of Christendom, Rome provides a most special
and stimulating educational environment. It holds unparalleled
treasures of ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque
art. The facets of Rome are endlessly varied: the Roman
Forum set against the background of the Colosseum, Saint
Peter's Square viewed from Via della Conciliazione, the
Sistine Chapel in the morning, Piazza Navona in the bright
sunlight, and the domes and spires of four hundred churches
spread below the Terrace of the Pincio.
It
is no wonder, then, that, for over thirty years, returnees
have unfailingly stated that there is no place like Rome.
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Facilities
The
Rome Program is headquartered at the family-owned and
operated Hotel Tiziano, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 110,
00186 Rome, Italy. The Hotel Tiziano, where students are
lodged, and where they take their main meal of the day,
is an historically noteworthy edifice located in the heart
of old Rome, on the traditional route that runs from the
Campidoglio and Saint Peter's, and has been the home of
the Rome Program since its founding. Every room has its
own bathroom and shower and is equipped with a study desk
and limited storage space for clothing, and students are
provided weekly with blankets, sheets, pillowcases and
towels.
Classrooms,
faculty offices, a chapel, and a twelve-thousand-volume
library are located in nearby and adjacent buildings situated
close to the Hotel Tiziano in the central Largo Argentina,
within walking distance of the Pantheon, the Forum, Saint
Peter's, the Tiber River, Piazza Navona, and the Trevi
Fountain.
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Students
fly to Rome in September as a group, and are taken to
Assisi for a five-day orientation session. Assisi, the
birthplace of Saint Francis, is a picturesque and tranquil
town and a most appropriate intermediary stop before going
to Rome. In this relaxed and stress-free environment,
students get to know one another better, get to experience
Italian life, are introduced to Italian culture, and visit
local sights.
During
both semesters, students continue to experience Italian
culture though a series of lectures and tours, including
a five-day trip to southern Italy (Naples, Cuma, Pompei,
Paestum, and Capri) in the fall, and a five-day tour to
northern Italy (Ferrara, Ravenna, Mantua, Parma, and Bologna)
in the spring.
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Curriculum
Designed
primarily for sophomores, the Rome Program meets the traditional
requirements for the humanities, the arts, and the social
sciences. Juniors and seniors who can adapt the program
to their own academic sequence may also participate. Since,
with some exceptions, a major is not declared until the
junior year, sophomores with a variety of academic interests
enroll in the Rome Program. For some, the primary objective
is a broad orientation in the humanities; for others it
is competence in Italian.
The
Rome Program offers courses in the core curriculum including
Italian art history, classical archaeology, monument drawing,
history of music, mythology, literature, history, international
business, journalism, political science, philosophy, and
Italian language and literature. All students are required
to take an Italian language course and are encouraged
to take elective courses in Italian literature and the
sociological and historical developments of modern Rome.
Credits
are earned through Saint Mary's College. The academic
regulations are the same as those on the home campus.
Saint Mary's College reserves the right to modify or cancel
any aspect of the program should conditions warrant it.
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Calendar
The
academic year is divided into two semesters: the first
starts shortly after the middle of September and continues
until a few days before Christmas; the second begins in
the middle of January and continues until early May. Students
leave the United States for Rome as a group, but return
on an individual basis. Thus, students are free to choose
between further travel during the summer or immediate
return after final examinations.
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Expenses
Basic
costs are kept to a minimum. Fees cover tuition, room,
the main meal five days a week, breakfast and a light
lunch at a local cafe five days a week, the long weekend
tours to southern Italy in the fall and to northern Italy
in the spring, as well as one-day bus tours, and museum
entrance fees for on-site-class lectures. It does not
cover other travel, registration, passport fees, roundtrip
airfare, required health and accident insurance, books,
expenditures of a personal nature, or weekend meals. After
acceptance, or upon request, students receive a fee-structure
sheet listing the payment schedule. In the past, most
students have spent approximately $3,000 for travel and
personal expenses.
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Financial
Aid
Participants
from Saint Mary's College are eligible for financial assistance.
The amount of financial aid received is determined by
the usual methods and is applied for through the Office
of Financial Aid on the home campus. Participants from
other institutions are encouraged to contact their respective
student offices for financial assistance in the form of
grants and loans. Many federal and state forms of assistance
can be transferred to the Rome Program since it is directly
affiliated with an institution in the United States. Several
positions are available on the Rome campus that offer
ten hours of paid service a week.
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Eligibility
The
Rome Program is open to undergraduates from all accredited
institutions. Eligibility is based on academic record,
personal recommendations, and the assurance of readiness
for living and studying overseas.
To
be eligible for consideration, the student must have satisfactorily
completed a year of college-level introductory Italian
or its equivalent and must have a cumulative grade point
average of at least 2.5 on the 4.0 system.
Students
from instituations other than Saint Mary's College are
encouraged to apply, even if they have not taken Italian
either because their institution does not offer it or
because they were not aware of this requirement.
Participants
must be in good health as attested by a doctor.
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Each
student accepted into the program is required to have
health and accident insurance. Health facilities in the
city of Rome are very adequate, and a hospital with an
English-speaking staff is available. The director of the
Rome Program keeps a list of dentists, physicians, and
specialists.
Saint
Mary's College exercises every possible care in the arrangements
made for its students. The College, however, is not responsible
for any loss, damage, or injury to person or property,
nor does it accept responsibility in connection with the
service of any means of transportation. It is wise to
have insurance on personal baggage and possessions.
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Application
Saint
Mary's College students can obtain applications from the
Rome Program Office on campus. Students from other institutions
may contact the Rome Program Office. Applications, which
are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, should
be completed preferably by January 1, and no later than
April 1, for the fall semester or academic year, and October
15 for the spring semester. A nonrefundable fee of $25
must accompany the application. Four recommendations are
required. Students wishing to apply credits toward graduation
at institutions other than Saint Mary's College are urged
to discuss their program with their academic dean before
applying.
Application
materials can be requested from:
Rome Program Office
145A Regina Hall
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Phone: 574-284-4586
Fax: 574-284-4716
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