Petition Letter
Dr. Jill Atkinson
Associate Dean, (Studies)
Student Services, First Floor Dunning Hall
(613) 533-2470
Dear Dr. Atkinson,
My name is Mackenzie Haughton I am a 3rd year Queen¿¿s history student currently studying at the University of Alberta Cortona Program as a visiting student for the semester. I am completing the second semester of my third year at the University of Alberta for the Winter of 2019 (January-April). The program I will be attending is a program exclusively offered by the University of Alberta. The program takes University of Alberta students to a field school in Italy that is run by UofA. This means that even though I am studying in Italy, I am still attending an accredited Canadian institution, and obtaining Canadian credits. It is essentially UofA¿¿s Italian equivalent of the Bader International Study Centre.
There are a few different reasons I chose to attend this program. First and foremost, I was put on a waitlist for all the programs I applied for through Queen¿¿s exchange and still desperately wanted to study abroad. To fulfill my desire to travel, it was recommended that I seek out independent exchange opportunities not affiliated with the university. After some searching I found University of Alberta Cortona program (a program actually suggested by the Queen¿¿s International Programs Office on their website under the independent exchange heading). I¿¿ve always wanted to study in Italy but had ruled it out because nearly all Italian universities teach in Italian, a language I don¿¿t speak (yet). Since the program is run by the University of Alberta, classes are taught by Canadian and Italian professors in English with the Canadian curriculum. Also the tuition fees are paid directly to the University of Alberta making this ¿¿exchange¿ way cheaper than other independent exchange options since I am not paying the ridiculously high international fees. Cost was a major factor in my quest for a suitable study abroad program, and this program was one of the most cost effective options for me, it doesn¿¿t cost much more than a semester at queen¿¿s would once you factor in living expenses and food (which are included in Cortona¿¿s tuition). The whole reason I stayed at home and attended the University of Guelph in the fall semester was so that I could save money on food and rent while continuing to work in order to save money for my semester abroad where I plan to do some extra travelling. The classes in Cortona only run 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday) because they are encouraging students to travel on the weekends. Residence and meals Monday- Thursdays is included with tuition only leaving me to cover flights and food on the weekends myself plus any additional funds I would need to travel within Europe.
The program itself offers 5 courses (I¿¿m taking all of them) in topics such us art history, history, archaeology, sociology and italian language. Each course includes a weekend trip where we will be able to becoming immersed in the culture we¿¿ve been studying all included in the price of tuition. I¿¿ve attached the syllabus of each course below, but I have also sent the syllabuses to my undergraduate chair who has agreed this program will work for me. As I¿¿ve met most of my Queen¿¿s degree requirements these courses will (hopefully)all count as electives. I will be taking a class online this summer to get my last few lecture credits. I have planned out my fourth year classes based on my degree requirements and am looking to be on track to graduate in the spring of 2020 with my peers.
Sincerely,
Mackenzie Haughton
Associate Dean, (Studies)
Student Services, First Floor Dunning Hall
(613) 533-2470
Dear Dr. Atkinson,
My name is Mackenzie Haughton I am a 3rd year Queen¿¿s history student currently studying at the University of Alberta Cortona Program as a visiting student for the semester. I am completing the second semester of my third year at the University of Alberta for the Winter of 2019 (January-April). The program I will be attending is a program exclusively offered by the University of Alberta. The program takes University of Alberta students to a field school in Italy that is run by UofA. This means that even though I am studying in Italy, I am still attending an accredited Canadian institution, and obtaining Canadian credits. It is essentially UofA¿¿s Italian equivalent of the Bader International Study Centre.
There are a few different reasons I chose to attend this program. First and foremost, I was put on a waitlist for all the programs I applied for through Queen¿¿s exchange and still desperately wanted to study abroad. To fulfill my desire to travel, it was recommended that I seek out independent exchange opportunities not affiliated with the university. After some searching I found University of Alberta Cortona program (a program actually suggested by the Queen¿¿s International Programs Office on their website under the independent exchange heading). I¿¿ve always wanted to study in Italy but had ruled it out because nearly all Italian universities teach in Italian, a language I don¿¿t speak (yet). Since the program is run by the University of Alberta, classes are taught by Canadian and Italian professors in English with the Canadian curriculum. Also the tuition fees are paid directly to the University of Alberta making this ¿¿exchange¿ way cheaper than other independent exchange options since I am not paying the ridiculously high international fees. Cost was a major factor in my quest for a suitable study abroad program, and this program was one of the most cost effective options for me, it doesn¿¿t cost much more than a semester at queen¿¿s would once you factor in living expenses and food (which are included in Cortona¿¿s tuition). The whole reason I stayed at home and attended the University of Guelph in the fall semester was so that I could save money on food and rent while continuing to work in order to save money for my semester abroad where I plan to do some extra travelling. The classes in Cortona only run 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday) because they are encouraging students to travel on the weekends. Residence and meals Monday- Thursdays is included with tuition only leaving me to cover flights and food on the weekends myself plus any additional funds I would need to travel within Europe.
The program itself offers 5 courses (I¿¿m taking all of them) in topics such us art history, history, archaeology, sociology and italian language. Each course includes a weekend trip where we will be able to becoming immersed in the culture we¿¿ve been studying all included in the price of tuition. I¿¿ve attached the syllabus of each course below, but I have also sent the syllabuses to my undergraduate chair who has agreed this program will work for me. As I¿¿ve met most of my Queen¿¿s degree requirements these courses will (hopefully)all count as electives. I will be taking a class online this summer to get my last few lecture credits. I have planned out my fourth year classes based on my degree requirements and am looking to be on track to graduate in the spring of 2020 with my peers.
Sincerely,
Mackenzie Haughton