Academics

The Dijon Study Group was established by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures in 1966 with the specific purpose of giving students the opportunity to develop proficiency in the French language and to acquire a thorough knowledge of French culture in the broadest sense of the term through extended residence and study in France.

These departmental goals are in harmony with Colgate’s liberal arts philosophy and curriculum, which stress second language literacy and the need for knowledge of cultures other than one’s own.

Academic program

The academic program is similar to a semester at Colgate in that students are required to carry a four-course load. These include three required courses and three electives.  All four courses taken in Dijon count toward graduation, however only two of the four courses count toward the major. Students may not take a fifth course for credit, although they are encouraged to audit a course offered at the University of Burgundy.  Students may not do independent studies for credit.

Required courses

French 440-Contemporary Civilization and Culture
Taught by Professor Jacques Ciosmak, with occasional guest speakers.  The course focuses on recent French history; the political system; the place of France in the European community; the place of women and of minorities in contemporary France; the family; the Social Security system.  This course does not count toward the major. 

French 401 - Stylistics
The course has three components: translation from French into English (thème); from English into French (version); problems of translation and aspects of contemporary French. Does not count toward the major, except for students doing teaching internships.  Teaching interns may count the course toward the major, but not toward a category requirement.

French 452 - 19th Century French Poetry 
Taught by the director.  A close study of representative texts by Victor Hugo, Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, and Paul Verlaine.  Counts toward the major (category 2).

Elective courses

Students may choose among several electives: 1) French 469 (Topics in French Literature). Taught by faculty from Dijon, in two modalities: a) an examination of the representation of Paris in French Literature from the 17th to the 20th Century; b) theater and theatrical presentations in contemporary France. This course requires students to write a number of papers and to make an oral presentation in French. The course counts toward the major (category will depend on the year the course is taught); 2) French 292 (Stage). A teaching internship where students are teaching assistants in English at a lycée or collège (junior high school). The course does not count toward the major; 3) Courses at the University of Burgundy which are all humanities oriented (Literature, Philosophy, Art History, etc.). Such elective courses will not count toward the major. 

Dijon Study Group credit information 

Special features

One of the most important components of the program is an obligatory January period, devoted to orientation, acculturation and intensive language study. It is designed to prepare the student to function well within both the social and academic context. It is comprised of two parts: first, a two-day stay in the town of Troyes before arrival in Dijon, where the students get a chance to recover from their trip and get accustomed to life in a French town. Second, a week-long program in Dijon, organized and taught by staff at the University of Burgundy, and which includes, but is not limited to, an introduction to the French educational system and the Dijon campus, conversation practice, and visits to places of local interest.

The program includes three mandatory field trips which are part of the Culture and Civilization course and usually three day-excursions in which students are required to participate. The mandatory field trips include a weekend in Paris, a trip to the Loire Valley to visit some of the most important chateaux of the Renaissance, and a trip to the South of France to visit the Roman ruins of Nimes and Arles as well as the Popes’ palace in Avignon. The day trips may include Vézelay, the Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, the Château of Bussy-Rabutin, some of the most important Romanesque cathedrals in the area, notably Tournus and Autun, as well as a tour of the city of Beaune with visits to the Hospices, the Wine Museum, and a local winery.

Living arrangements

All students are housed with families, many of whom have been welcoming Colgate students for several years. This aspect of the program is at least as important as the academic program and perhaps more so in terms of linguistic progress and cultural awareness. Students may not live together in apartments.  Families provide students with breakfast and two other meals per week. 

Estimated extra costs

Costs above Colgate’s tuition include room and board, visa fees, airfare, chartered bus from Paris to Dijon, and necessary out-of-pocket expenses. On the average students can expect to spend $5,000-$6,000 more than a semester on campus. These increased costs are used in calculating the aid packages of students who receive financial aid, provided this is their first study group experience. Students who are planning extensive personal travel will need to increase their budget accordingly

Prerequisites and selection criteria

All students who wish to participate must satisfactorily complete (B- or better) French 361 (Advanced Grammar and Composition), and at least one 400-level literature course.

The Study Group is open to juniors, and very exceptionally to seniors. Other exceptions, though not impossible, have rarely been made. Preference is given to French majors, minors and French/IR majors. In practice, however, we customarily accept all well-qualified students regardless of the major. Although the Department does not require a specific cumulative G.P.A. to be eligible for participation in the Group, it is reluctant to consider anyone whose G.P.A. is below 2.5. Although no letters of recommendation are required, references that can attest to the student’s flexibility, adaptability, and emotional maturity must be included in the application.