OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PANEL
REPORT
November, 2009
I.  SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE	
Two new semester programs

A.	New Program	Eff. Term:	Fall 2010
Asia Architecture and Urbanism  (15)
>	Approved for 1 year
ARCH has had a full summer program for undergraduates in Asia (as well as fall and spring programs in Saintes, France and Como, Italy).  They are proposing to add another Asia program, located in different sites, for undergraduates in the fall. Students will take the same courses as in their other semester abroad programs for 15 units:  ARCH 316, 402, 424, 425, 426.  Students will spend about 5.5 weeks in Shanghai, following travel in Japan, Korea, Taipei, Beijing, and 4 weeks in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.  Students will take ARCH 415 as preparation the previous semester.  USC faculty will teach the courses, in conjunction with Asia-based educators.
Chair comment:  The panel looks forward to a very detailed director's report after the first year. The program concept is promising, but our approval is tempered by material previously submitted by ARCH.

B.	New Semester Program	Eff. Term:	Fall 2010
 Barcelona (15)
>	Approved for 3 years
New semester program in Barcelona for undergraduates.  Same curriculum as the new program in Asia (and the other existing semester abroad programs for undergraduates):  15 units, ARCH 316, 402, 424, 425, 426. (Prerequisite to trip:  ARCH 416 Art and Architecture in France.)  Program is 16 weeks and includes approximately 10 day trip to other European capitals (similar to trip taken by students in the Saintes program), and two weeks in other Spanish cities.  Courses taught by USC faculty and Barcelona-based faculty.  Students will live in Melon District Dorms.  
Chair comments:  My advice to Architecture is to revise the syllabi for ARCH 424, 425, 426 before submitting the program for review. The experiential and location-specific context of the course isn't clear. All three syllabi, while reflective of the general course goals, are lacking in details that are site-specific. The location is only mentioned in the syllabi headers, and it's not clear how any readings or projects are related.

III.  COLLEGE OF LETTERS ARTS & SCIENCES	

A.  International Relations
1. “Chair-only” one year review of two International Summer Programs (ISPs)

a.  ISP Brussels (4)					Eff. Term:	Summer 2010
>	Approved
One-year chair review.  Same structure as program in Geneva.  Five-week, 4-unit program in which students take IR 491 Field Study for 4 units.  They intern full-time for the first week and afternoons for the remaining four weeks.  Those four weeks, they take a course on "Contemporary Issues in European Foreign and Security Policy" at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in the morning.  The course was taught by local faculty, with a lead faculty who came to USC to meet with students before the program started.  Students lived in an aparthotel.  There were visits to international organizations.  Eight students attended.  
Chair comments:  Since the program uses non-USC faculty, bringing the Vrije Universiteit Brussel faculty to USC for orientation was a helpful effort.

b.  ISP	Graduate Institute of Geneva (4)		Eff. Term:  Summer 2010
>	Approved
One-year review by chair.  Same structure as program in Brussels.  Students take IR 491 Field Study for 4 units at the Graduate Institute of Geneva.  They intern full-time for the first week and in the afternoon for the remaining five weeks.  They take a course on "International Affairs and Multilateral Governance" in the morning for four weeks.  For 3 weeks they are with graduate students, and the final week they are in a separate course. Grade is based on an exam, paper and participation in class and internship.  Course is taught by professors and practitioners.  Eleven students attended.  They lived in a hotel.  Chair comments:  Proposed program modifications were reasonable.

B.  Spanish and Portuguese 
1.  Revise ISP  	Program	Eff. Term:	Summer 2010
ISP Buenos Aires (4)
>	Approved
Revision of program, which was approved for 2009 but not offered.  Shorten from 7 weeks/8 units to 5 
weeks/4 units.  Students will take SPAN 311 or 466 and, in addition to class meetings, will be required to 
attend one-and-a-half days per week of visits to cultural and historic sites.  An optional trip to Rio de Janiero after the program would be paid for by students.  Program will be directed by a USC faculty member and by a former USC faculty member who is a professor at the U of Belgrano, where classes will be held.  Students will live in homestays.  
Chair comment:  Proposed revisions are reasonable and for the benefit of the students.

2.  Three-year review of ISP	Program	Eff. Term:	Summer 2010
ISP Madrid Summer Program (8)
>	Approved
Three-year review.  Seven week program.  Courses available:  SPAN 266, 311, 341, one culture courses, plus SPAN 490, 590, 790, 499.  In 2009, 20 students took two of four offerings (undergrad only).  One-week trip to Barcelona included.  Students lived in homestays.  Two USC faculty spent four weeks each with students.  They taught a course; courses also taught by local faculty who teach for the USC Madrid program during the year.  Program has moved to Instituto Internacional, and logistical support was provided by Accent and by Sal y Ven (homestays).  
Chair comment:  Problems seemed very fixable. Program has a good history and the confidence of the panel.

IV.  VITERBI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING	Engineering
One-year chair only review, plus addition of new site	Eff. Term: Summer 2010
ISP Rotating European Cities (6-7)
>	Approved
Engineering ISP for undergraduates rotates locations each summer:  Rome, Madrid, Paris, London.  They propose to add Florence.  Essentially same program and courses at all sites.  Seven weeks. Students take two courses from among AME 310, ISE 460, WRIT-340, ENGR 490, HIST 195 (Selected themes and topics). 
One year overdue report on ISP in Rome, summer 2008.  39 students participated.  ACCENT provided housing (in Residence Candia) and support and the instructor for HIST 195. Special topic for HIST 195 in 2008: "The History of Art and Architecture in Engineering".   Several out-of-town trips were included.  USC faculty taught the engineering and WRIT courses (one instructor for first half of session, another for the second).  USC staff provided on-site support.
Madrid 2009:  Same courses were offered.  43 students participated.  Same program structure and 
faculty/staff participation from USC.  ACCENT provided housing in apartments, and excursions.  HIST 195, taught by an ACCENT instructor, was on "The Spanish Masters."  One-week "Spanish Survival" was offered by ACCENT.  
For summer 2010, program will naturally rotate to Paris.  School proposes to add an additional site in Florence for 2010.  This would be the same courses and structure, with support by ACCENT and staff and faculty support, as for the other site in Paris.
Chair report (another OSP member substituting for chair, who is from Engineering):  “Engineering is running a fabulous program, and encouraging the engineering students to have an overseas study experience.  Problems are minimal, and most are associated with living in a foreign country (ie no air conditioning).”