I do not want to take this situation lightly, but I'm considering ways to keep myself from touching my face... and discouraging others from doing so as well!

Stay well. Don't panic. Wait and see.

Who is this Blog for?

This group is designed for all participants or potential participants in the Contra Costa College District's STUDY ABROAD program in London during Fall semester, 2020. Use to find out more about London, the program or just to ask questions. Welcome aboard! We depart in SEVEN MONTHS!

Why Study Abroad?

Three months. Travel. Culture. Art. Music. Theatre. Museums. Transferable GE courses tailored to get the most out of the city. What's not to like? Read on to get to know more about the program (and me!)

Why study abroad? Because your world is as big as what you know of it. Think of all the stuff you know... you can speak, read and write your language, where you live and how to get from there to work or school, where you like to shop, see a movie or get gas for your car. You know you're an American and that we live in the "best damn country in the world." Fine. No one's arguing. If that's enough, then we're done.

But, if you have the curiosity to break out of what you know and seek to understand rather than simply inhabit this world; if you have the courage to experience "otherness" for the first time in your life and simultaneously change that life forever, then, studying abroad will offer you that opportunity. It's up to you to take it. Change your life… DO IT NOW!

Why England?

As Shakespeare wrote in his history/tragedy, Richard II:

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less-happier lands, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England!

England is one of the U.K.'s "united kingdoms." It is a remarkable country of fantastic geological and geographical diversity with high mountains, deep valleys, bleak moors, rugged coastal cliffs, rivers, lakes, and deep forests, none of which is further than 70 miles from the sea! The whole country is crisscrossed by miles and miles of railways, facilitating ease of travel in this relatively small nation. It has 46 "Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty", hiking trails and numerous castles, stately homes and cathedrals.

Why London?

London is one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities with people, culture and cuisine from around the world! From its beginning as Roman Londinium to its stint as the center of the Empire upon which the sun never set, is there any city in the world more associated with the history of the past 20 centuries?

History isn't something you read in a book. Here, it's in every step you take and every stone you touch. William the Conqueror, Prince John, Geoffrey Chaucer, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Queen Victoria, Charles Darwin, and Winston Churchill? Not dead at all... they're your neighbors!

What will you study?

This is a copy Shakespeare's "First Folio" of Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. While you might study his Histories in my course HUMAN 024: "Shakespeare's English Kings,"your copy will be easier to read! You will earn 12 transferable GE college units. A minimum of six units must be selected from my DVC/LMC offerings, including SOCSC 162: Italian Life and Culture and one of the following: ART 007: Medieval and Renaissance Art;  or ART 008: Early Modern Art History, all tweaked to reference a predominantly British focus. The remaining six units may be selected from offerings from the other colleges.

The San Mateo Community College District offers courses in Film; Los Rios Community College District offers courses in Biology; and Santa Rosa Junior College offers courses in Literature. (See these college websites for specific course numbers and descriptions.)

What will I pay?

I know what you're thinking... ARE YOU CRAZY? In times like these? Well, yes, the cost might seem high at the moment, but you should consider the following. First of all, the trip is, as of this writing months away. If you adjust your priorities (Say to yourself, “Well, I could order my lunch from Door Dash, OR, I could eat in London!” Believe me, you could not live in the U.K., much less London, for three months for that kind of money. Remember, you’ll be taking the same type of GE, transferable courses you would be taking on your home campus, but you’ll be doing it in London! Seriously, for the amount of money you’ll spend, for the program, the air travel, food and discretionary travel, you’ll gain far more in terms of changing your life than simple dollars can measure.

How safe will I be in London?

As this is important to you, important to your parents and important to your instructors and AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study, which provides all non-academic student services), you’ll be reassured to know that London, even after dark and even – parents, stop reading here – very late. The students, faculty and AIFS support staff are a kind of community that bonds for the duration of your stay in London.

AIFS offers programs that make your student's safety and health the highest priority. We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of our program participants. This "peace of mind" commitment includes the following features – all standard on AIFS programs:

• 24-hour emergency service in the U.S. and abroad

• On-site Resident Directors and local support staff to provide guidance and assistance

• Comprehensive insurance/assistance package that includes medical coverage abroad, program cancellation/interruption insurance and baggage coverage

• Financial security – a unique policy that protects every student's payment and guarantees he or she will receive the services included in the program

AIFS employs a staff of professional, full-time Residential Directors, the majority of whom are native to the area, who are intimately familiar with AIFS study abroad locations. The networks that the Resident Directors have established with local authorities, U.S. Consulate and Embassy personnel and local resources helps to ensure the highest level of care and the ability to respond to unexpected events should they arise.

Lectures and seminars on safety and security have been held on every AIFS campus to inform students and to keep them up to date on all issues. Current news items and bulletins are disseminated to all students as needed.

Safety Resources

U.S. Embassies - Listing of every U.S. embassy in the world with links to each website

U.S State Department - International travel information including current travel warnings and consulate information

Tips for Traveling Abroad - Detailed information to ensure a safe trip from the U.S. State Department

Safety Contact

If you have questions or concerns, please contact AIFS' main office in Stamford, Connecticut at (800) 727-2437 (from 8:30am to 5:00pm ET)

If the call is an emergency, please follow the system prompts in the main menu to reach our 24-hour emergency service.

Orientation/Informational meetings have begun!

We have had four meetings so far. One each at LMC and DVC in December and two more in February. I was very pleased with the turnout, with over 50 students in attendance altogether!. Additional meetings will be scheduled at LMC, DVC, CCC, SRC the Brentwood Center. The next orientation is scheduled at CCC, March 4, from 10:00–11:00 a.m. in Room SAB-107. Stay tuned for further announcements. 

Click on the link to see a Powerpoint from AIFS

https://bit.ly/2SAaJUf

Click the link to access important facts and how to apply:

CCCD Study Abroad in London Website

Meet your Professor!

First, I go by Ken, Professor Ken, Professor Alexander, or Mr. Alexander (in order of preference.) While you'll have other professors from other colleges in the program from the San Mateo, Los Rios and Santa Rosa Community College Districts, I will represent your home campus (DVC, LMC, or CCC) and teach at minimum, three of your courses. I would like to introduce myself to you by including a personal statement as to why I wanted to be your instructor.

Quite frankly, I am much better qualified to teach abroad now than I was in 1999 and even in 2010, both semesters I taught in Florence. My professional and personal experience in the time since has allowed me to mature in all the roles I play and the Study Abroad Program provides me with the best venue to offer my present and future students the benefit of that experience.

While I am fully an American in identity, I feel “at home” in Europe in general and the U.K. in particular. I have traveled there extensively, completing over 1200 miles of hiking its National Trail network, making two circuits of the island by car and 100s of miles traveling by train to almost all its major cities, museums, castles, and cathedrals.

As an Art Historian, Humanities, and Art Studio professor, artist, and designer, the U.K. has rewarded me richly in all of these areas. I feel a particular affinity with Renaissance Humanist faith in the transformative power of education. I should like to share, and I hope inspire, that kind of feeling in my students. The courses you take from me will reflect these values.

Lastly, I simply want to see and experience London again as a long-term resident, not just as a place to "bookend" my long-distance walking trips. My learning curve will be very short. I know where to shop (and where not to!) I know the rhythms and rigors of day-to-day life in the city, where things are, how to get there, and mostly, I know how things work. I am really glad to be going back! I hope you'll join me.kalexander@losmedanos.edu.)