Macalester College
AC-5: Immersive Experience

1: “Globalization, the Environment, and Society in Cape Town” The Macalester-Pomona-Swarthmore Consortium Program offers participants a new and unique opportunity for focused study on the theme of "Globalization and the Environment." The program has been designed by Environmental Studies faculty of the three participating liberal arts colleges in consultation with the University of Cape Town (UCT). The program's overall educational purpose is to enable participants to experience the lure and durability of a deeper understanding of the natural world and its interconnections with human activity. To do so, students will grapple with the philosophical, scientific, social, aesthetic and ethical dimensions of the program theme. The academic program provides high-quality teaching, discussion, reading, educational excursions, and includes an optional directed study project. The program is based on the understanding of two key concepts, Globalization and Environment. a) Globalization is the dynamic and complex process involving the interplay between the universal laws of science across diverse environments and the particular challenges confronted by local populations as they engage with the natural world. b) Environment investigates the physical and biological systems of the planet and its connection with the human condition. Students will investigate the claims humans make on other species and on the earth's resources and how this has been expressed over time and across cultures, with a specific focus on South Africa. 2: “Botswana: University Immersion in Southern Africa” The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Botswana Program is expressly designed for students with interests in politics, political economy, economic and social development, public health, and environmental studies. The program offers students first-hand experience of African society and culture in the heart of Southern Africa through independent research and direct enrollment in an African university staffed by leading faculty from around the continent. The program enables students to develop broad understanding of an African society and inter-cultural literacy through cultural immersion both within and beyond the University, and to deepen knowledge of African development, environmental, and cultural issues through direct enrollment at the University of Botswana. 3: “Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, & Humanities” The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Costa Rica Program provides students first-hand experience with field study and develops the skills for successful research and inquiry. The program takes full advantage of the resources and scholars of the Universidad de Costa Rica, while reaching out to local and international NGOs and investigators throughout the country to facilitate student research in science and the humanities. The program enables students to develop skills in designing and carrying out independent, in-depth research in Costa Rica in their major fields, whether the natural or social sciences or the humanities, and to develop understanding of the Costa Rican cultural norms and their impact on both day-to-day interactions and research practices.

2) http://www.acm.edu/programs/1/botswana/index.html 3) http://www.acm.edu/programs/4/fieldresearch/index.html