Australia Study Group University of Wollongong

Director Fall 2013: Professor Ellen Kraly, Department of Geography

The University of Wollongong, located on the coast of New South Wales, approximately 50 miles south of Sydney, is the study site for the Australia Study Group. This study-abroad program is designed for students who have demonstrated a strong affinity for broad-based, interdisciplinary exploration of environmental studies. The academic offerings and extensive resources of the University of Wollongong, as well as the opportunity to live and study with Australian as well as other international students, allow study-group participants a unique means to broaden and deepen their understanding of the historical, cultural and biological diversity of Australia and the environmental issues in which Australians, including indigenous Australians are engaged.

The overall goal of this study group experience is to acquaint students with the historical, geographic and environmental processes that have shaped the modern state of Australia. This experience will immerse students in a strikingly multicultural society which both reaches to the West and also to the East - Asia, and also to the oldest continuous civilization in the world, Australia Aborigines, exposing Colgate student to contrasting ways of thinking about and configuring the world. This study group experience will encourage students to reconsider the relationships between society and environment, the role of diversity in these relationships, challenges for the future and the ways in which individuals, communities and the state can and should meet these challenges in Australia and elsewhere.

Courses

Course Approval Form
University of Wollongong Course/Credit Information Sheet

All participants are required to enroll in and complete four courses during the fall term at the University of Wollongong. Students elect two courses, and enroll in one course in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and in the course described below.

ENST 309 Australian Environmental Issues: Population and Environment Interactions
Professor Ellen Percy Kraly

The 2013 Director’s seminar will engage students in the population dynamics in both historical and contemporary Australia, and the impact of human settlement and colonialization on the Australian environment. Contrasts between the environmental impact of settler societies and indigenous populations will be made, and the environmental implications of contemporary patterns of population mobility and land use will be underscored. Debates on population policy and sustainability at the federal, state and local levels will be discussed, providing a platform for engaging the Colgate students in the vibrant scene of Australian politics. Several case studies of population and environmental issues will be considered in detail and will be explored through field trips and the excursion to central Australia. Cases will include population growth, immigration, and sustainability; urban growth and land use change; climate change and cultural heritage; population control and Aboriginal affairs; the case of the Stolen Generations; amenity migration, eco-tourism and environmental impact.

The critical analysis of both the broad historical and geographic context of population processes and the case studies will be conducted on a foundation of introductory knowledge of demographic data, methods and analysis. The study will also engage the expression of issues pertaining the control of Aboriginal populations through the creative arts. Trips within New South Wales include: Canberra, Batesman’s Bay, Jervis Bay, the Nan Tien Temple, Budderroo National Park and Minnamurra Rainforest, Sydney and a day of environmental service in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales. An additional five day trip takes the group to the Northern Territory's Central Desert to visit Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock and the Olgas), Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon), Alice Springs and the Hermannsburg Mission.

Three Course Electives (University of Wollongong Faculty)

The remaining three courses are electives that will be chosen by the student in consultation with the program director and the student's academic advisor at Colgate University. At least one of the three courses must be selected from a list of approved courses in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Students are urged whenever practical to select electives that resonate with one or both of the required courses (ENST 309). This procedure underscores the environmental emphasis of the Australia Study Group, including its fundamental interdisciplinary nature.

Cultural Orientation

Australian History Seminar (John McQuilton, University of Wollongong)

This mini-course is a four-day seminar held during Thursday-Friday of orientation week and Saturday-Sunday during a subsequent weekend. The first two days includes lecture and discussion of the history, politics, and culture of Australia. We will take a field trip to Canberra to visit the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery, and Parliament House.

Prerequisites

Students from any department or program are eligible to participate in the Australia Study Group, but preference will be given to individuals with a major or minor in ENST or GEOG. Relevant coursework includes introductory courses in either geography (for example, GEOG111, 121, 131), in Environmental Studies (ENST202 or 232), or in the Environmental Studies affiliated programs (Biology, Economics, and Geology). In addition, the University of Wollongong requires a grade point average of 3.0 or better for matriculation in the international student Study Abroad Program.

Living Arrangements

Students may live in one of several residence halls of the University of Wollongong (e.g. Campus East, Weerona College, International House, Keiraville Accommodation). Amenities vary with housing selection. Dining facilities, computers and internet access are available. Colgate students have access to the social, athletic, recreational, computer, and library facilities of the University of Wollongong. Some of these require payment of a separate fee.

Calendar and Deadlines

The deadline for applications for all Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 study groups has already passed.

The Study Group will depart for Australia around July 19, 2013. The academic calendar for the spring session at the University of Wollongong runs for 14 weeks (classes start on July 29) with a scheduled one-week recess between Sept. 28 and Oct. 6. The group will be traveling together in the Central Desert of the Northern Territories during the beginning of the recess (Sept. 28-Oct 3). Final examinations are scheduled for November 9-21.

Passports and Visas

You must confirm that your passport is valid through February 2014. With participation on this study group comes the responsibility of understanding and complying with the Australian government’s visa requirements. If you will not be traveling on a U.S. passport it is imperative that you contact an adviser in Off-Campus Study/International Programs, 101 Lathrop, and International Student Services, 103C Lathrop, to learn as much as you can about the visa requirements. For all students there are significant requirements to be met that take time, advance planning, and incur extra costs.

Program Dates

Australia Study Group program approximate dates: July 19 - November 22, 2013

Informational Sessions:

All information sessions for this program have already passed.

More Information:

For more information contact Ellen Percy Kraly in 327 Ho Science Center (315-228-7423) or ekraly@colgate.edu; or check the University of Wollongong's web site for international students at www.uow.edu.au