Course Catalog 2011-2012

Off-campus study acts as a catalyst in a Denison education. Its purposeful combination of classroom and experiential learning provides students an opportunity to hone the analytical literacy and capacity for informed judgment and constructive social engagement that are associated with a liberal arts education.

Off-campus study also engenders independence and self-confidence. As students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences they develop strategies for effective communication and thoughtful moral/ethical decision-making in contexts of socio-cultural plurality.

Students interested in off-campus study are required to make an appointment with the director of off-campus study. These appointments are available starting in April of the first year and continuing through Thanksgiving break of the sophomore year. This allows students ample time to formulate appropriate learning outcomes for an off-campus study experience, to explore a range of options among the Denison-accepted programs, and to consider carefully issues such as timing of participation and integration with degree requirements.

Denison maintains a list of accepted off-campus programs that address the pedagogical and curricular concerns, as well as the academic standards, associated with a Denison liberal arts education. Since the list of accepted programs is subject to ongoing evaluation and adjustment, it is not printed in the catalog. The current list can be found at http://www.denison.edu/academics/offcampus/.

In rare cases students may propose study on a non-accepted program offering specialized curricular opportunities associated with the student’s major(s) that, after consultation with the director of off-campus study, are not afforded by any of the programs on the accepted list. Approval for such proposals is made on an individual basis and does not set the precedent that study on a given program would be approved in future instances. Students who withdraw to attend a program without Denison’s approval are not eligible to receive transfer credit.

Campus visits by representatives of the accepted programs, as well as individual discussions with returned students and faculty members with relevant expertise, also provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about specific program opportunities.

Second semester sophomores with a well-articulated academic trajectory, juniors, and first semester seniors are eligible to participate in off-campus study. (First semester seniors must petition to have the residency requirements waived in order to receive final approval.) Students may normally seek approval for one semester and/or a summer of off-campus study during their Denison career. While it is possible to seek approval for an academic year of off-campus study, institutional financial aid may only be applied to one semester of study (see Financing Off-Campus Study).

In order to pursue off-campus study for academic credit, students must first obtain Denison approval for such study and then apply for acceptance by the program provider. Approval is granted through the off-campus study proposal process, which starts with an individual advising appointment with the director of off-campus study and culminates with the completion of an off-campus study proposal packet. The student is also responsible for completing an abridged provider application. If the student receives Denison approval, the off-campus study office then forwards her/his proposal materials to the program provider in order to complete the application file and allow for a final admission decision

Denison approval for off-campus study is granted on a rolling basis. The final deadline for consideration for all summer, semester, and academic year programs is at the beginning of spring semester. Late proposals are only considered if there are documented personal, family, or medical emergencies or relevant academic issues.

Denison approval is granted only if the student is adequately prepared both academically and personally for the proposed off-campus program. The Denison evaluation criteria are as follows:

Denison strives to accommodate the off-campus study proposals of all appropriately qualified students. There are, however, three related points. First, in order to facilitate optimal integration into the range of experiential learning contexts and communities associated with off-campus study, Denison has established a limit of ten participants per program. Second, in order to utilize on-campus housing resources as effectively as possible, Denison will seek to split participation as evenly as possible between the fall and spring semesters. Third, given the significant institutional costs associated with off-campus study, Denison reserves the right to limit participation in any given year where the number of proposals exceeds the scope of the projected budget. In such situations, the best-qualified students based on the first two evaluation criteria will be given priority in the approval process.

To determine whether a given program is affordable, students should make certain to consider out-of-pocket expenses as well as the invoiced program fees. A comprehensive cost estimate for any given program on the Denison accepted list is available from the program provider.

In an effort to promote off-campus study, Denison does not require students to pay its tuition or room/board fees during their term off-campus (except in the case of the Justus-Liebig-Universitat exchange). Denison presently charges a nominal administrative fee of $220 for a summer program, $630 for a semester program, and $730 for an academic year program to cover the administrative support associated with off-campus study.

Denison students may pursue one semester of off-campus study with institutional aid eligibility. While Denison does not provide institutional merit-based aid for off-campus study, institutional need-based aid is available for eligible students. A student’s eligibility is based on the estimated cost of participation for the proposed off-campus study program and the estimated family contribution from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal grants, state grants, and Federal loans are the initial sources for meeting financial need for eligible students. If a student’s need is not fully met by those funding sources, limited Denison grant funding is available to assist in meeting a portion of remaining need. Most off-campus study program providers also provide need-based financial aid and, in certain cases, Denison is even able to award such aid directly through partnership grant programs.

In order to be eligible to apply institutional need-based aid and partnership grants to an off-campus study program, students must complete their FAFSA by April 1 and their Denison Financial Aid file by April 15. It is important to note that there are generally very few financial aid resources for summer study and that institutional financial aid does not apply.

Denison requires that students participate fully and responsibly in all academic aspects of the proposed off-campus study program. Failure to do so will result in a grade of U for the off-campus study placeholder course listed on Denison academic record for the term abroad.

Students must enroll for a minimum course-load of twelve transferable U.S. semester credits for each semester of off-campus study. Whatever the final course-load, it must include any and all courses that are mandated by the program curriculum (e.g. language courses, area studies courses, etc.). Students are limited to one course on an S/U grade base per semester, and the arrangements for such a choice must be made through the program provider at the time of final registration.

In order to receive transfer credit for an off-campus study experience, students must seek pre-approval for courses they will pursue on their off campus program. The University has no obligation to transfer coursework or apply transferred coursework toward specific degree requirements unless that coursework has been approved in advance.

In general terms, students wishing to apply a course toward a major, minor, or concentration requirements must receive approval directly from the relevant department/program. Other coursework will be assessed for its relevance to the Denison curriculum through the combined efforts of the Registrar, Off-Campus Study, and, as necessary, departments/programs.

All courses reported on the program provider’s transcript are posted to the Denison academic record with course titles, credits, and grades. This includes any course for which a student receives a failing grade even though credit will not be awarded. While these grades are not factored into the Denison cumulative grade point average, it is important to note that they could be factored into a composite grade point average should a student pursue graduate or professional school after graduating from Denison.

Students may apply for an Educational Enrichment Leave of Absence in order to pursue structured educational opportunities whose coursework is not applicable to a Denison Baccalaureate degree. Examples of opportunities that students may, depending on the educational rationale, pursue as enrichment include the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Outward Bound, Semester at Sea, specialized technical or training programs, religious education, or culinary institutes.

Students wishing to pursue an Educational Enrichment Leave are required to meet with and, ultimately, to submit a written rationale to the Director of Off-Campus Study. The rationale must articulate a clear connection between the student's Denison educational trajectory, broader educational goals, and proposed enrichment program.

Students on an Educational Enrichment Leave retain their Denison enrollment deposit and information services privileges during their leave. However, students are considered withdrawn from Denison during their period of leave for the purposes of financial aid and loan deferment. Educational Enrichment Leaves are usually for one semester, but may extend to an academic year. See the Student Handbook for specific details regarding the processes for registration, housing, and financial aid following a leave. If a student does not enroll at Denison following the Educational Enrichment Leave, the category of leave reverts to a Withdrawal and the enrollment deposit is forfeited.

Denison strongly recommends that all students participating on an international off-campus program carry international medical and evacuation insurance coverage in addition to their domestic health insurance coverage. Denison also recommends that at least one parent/guardian obtain a passport prior to their student studying internationally so that travel will not be unduly delayed in the case of a medical or personal emergency.

Denison strongly recommends that all students avail themselves of the travel information available at the U.S. State Department, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and World Health Organization (WHO) web sites. In particular, students should carefully consider the safety information included in State Department travel advisories for the country in which they are pursuing off-campus study and/or for any other country to which they are planning to travel during their time abroad.

Denison reserves the right to withdraw its approval for study on an off-campus program if a State Department travel warning or a CDC or WHO travel advisory is in place for the program location at the start of the program. Withdrawal of approval for an off-campus study program bars a student from receiving Denison credit for the program and from applying financial aid to the program costs. In order to make certain that a student may make an informed decision regarding participation on a program, the issue of potential loss of Denison approval for an accepted program will be brought to the student’s attention as far in advance of the program start date as is feasible.

In the case of a State Department travel warning or a CDC or WHO travel advisory arising after a program has started, Denison will work closely with the program provider and other informed parties to determine an appropriate course of action. In the case of requiring that a student return home, Denison will pursue reasonable steps with the program provider to mitigate the financial and academic impact of such an action.