Ohio-Leipzig European Center (OLEC)
Leipzig, Germany
OLEC is the Ohio-Leipzig European Center, an exciting opportunity for undergraduate students to live in and learn about the New Europe while receiving direct Ohio University credit towards their degree. It gives students the chance to acquire first-hand knowledge about the newest political, economic, social, and technological changes in the European Community. Each group of students is accompanied by Ohio University faculty.
"It was one of the best decisions I've made since coming to Ohio University. I learned more about life, culture and myself in that quarter than in my entire life."
Tyler Sprau, former OLEC student
OLEC Programs:
Who is eligible for OLEC?
The OLEC program is open to students in all majors and all academic years. Any enrolled Ohio University student in good standing (minimum 2.8 GPA or permission from instructor) may apply for the program. No German language skills are required to participate. OLEC also welcomes students from other universities who wish to participate in the program.
How to Apply
To apply to the OLEC program, please visit our online application system at: http://eais.admsrv.ohio.edu/eais/student/.
Unique living and learning experience
This program offers a unique international experience for undergraduate students. Courses are taught by Ohio and Leipzig faculty members. In addition, Ohio and Leipzig students live together in a residence hall in single rooms with jointly shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Excursions
Students and faculty will investigate locations centered in and around Leipzig, including Berlin.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Participants may be eligible for the Arts and Sciences Study Abroad Grant. Financial Aid and scholarships may be applied to porgram costs; further information available on the funding page of our website and from the Office of Student Financial Aid. Cost is subject to change.
OLEC Spring 2010: Arts, Discourse and Culture
When does the program take place?
OLEC Spring Program will take place from Mar. 27 - June 11, 2010.
Spring 2010 Courses and Credits
Participants will enroll in the following courses:
- German at appropriate level - 8 credits
- Field Studies in Germany - 2-4 credits
- Language of Women and Men (Language and Gender) - 4 credits
Students must choose one of the following:
- Art and Morality - 4 credits
- Writing in the Arts - 4 credits
- Intro. in the Arts: Arts in Context - 4 credits
TIER III T355 464F - ART AND MORALITY
The course exames the relation between artworks and moral values, through diverging theories and philosophical perspecitives. We shall analyze the works of specific artists from various historical periods, with emphasis on recent and contemporary developments. The theme of the course is whether aesthetic and ethical values are mutually reconcilable. Moral thought has always grappled with artistic expression and artists have always provoked moralists. From Plato's demand that poetry serve the interests of the state to Oscar Wilde's claim that all art is quite useless, philosophers, artists and politicians have tried to reconcile artistic freedom with moral imperavites. These issues have especial resonance in a place like Leipzig where so many trajectories of artistic, religious, and political history interject. From Protestant Reformation to the reunification of Germany, Leipzig provides a rich and evocative settings for seeking an answer to the haunting question of art and morality.
IART 360J WRITING IN THE ARTS
The objective of the course is to improve students’ writing skills through the study of the arts of architecture, painting, literature, and music. We shall draw on the rich resources and opportunities that Leipzig and the region offer in terms of world-class musical performances, a wide variety of architectural monuments, and art galleries both classical and contemporary. A combination of readings, lectures, excursions, and discussions will provide students with stimulating information and ideas for their writings exercises and essays.
IART 117 INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTS: ARTS IN CONTEXTS
The purpose of the course is to develop and increase the understanding of the relation between the arts and society through an examination of subject matter, form, and content in each art by means of a critical method of analysis. Students will be introduced to the arts of architecture, painting, literature, and music. These goals will be accomplished through lectures, technical demonstrations, field trips, and group discussions.
Students in these three courses will have readings and assignments that will be specific to their respective course, as well as partially shared readings and joint sessions. In terms of content, all three courses will be adapted to the opportunities offered by the city of Leipzig, Thuringia, and Germany, as well as the European context, broadly speaking.
LING 390 Language of Women & Men (Language & Gender)
In this course, we shall explore the historical and theoretical background for the study of language and gender drawing on research in sociolinguistics and anthropological linguistics. We shall address the following questions: What linguistic behaviors are salient in creating gender? Do women and men talk differently and why? Does the language we use to speak about women also differ from that used to speak about men? What are the implications of differences in language use for social relations and how are our gender identities constructed and negotiated within these relations? In pursuing these questions, we shall also examine how gender influences the ways people communicate in different cultures. Germany and New Europe more broadly will provide cross-linguistic and cross-cultural learning sites for students to explore how people shape their personal, cultural and gender identities, and how language resources are used to perform desirable versions of these identities.
Spring Directors
Vladimir L. Marchenkov
Associate Professor of Aesthetics, School of Interdisciplinary Arts. Professor Marchenkovteaches graduate seminars in the history of aesthetics and world aesthetic ideas, as well as specialized seminars in contemporary aesthetics. He also regularly leads team-taught interdisciplinary arts seminars on "Art in Contexts: The Arts in the Twentieth Century," "Wagner's Ring and German Philosophy," and "Antiquity: The Orpheus Myth." At the undergraduate level he teaches upper-level a Tier III course on "Art and Morality" and Tier II course on “Introduction to the Arts: Art in Contexts.” For further details see http://www.finearts.ohio.edu/interarts/pages/fas/vladimir_marchenkov.htm.
Ludmila Marchenkova is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics, where she teaches Theories of Language Learning, TEFL Methods & Materials, Reading and Writing Pedagogy, Language of Women & Men, Language & Culture, as well as graduate writing classes.
COST Spring 2010
Billed by OU:
Tuition (16-18 credit hours): regular Ohio University tuition
Program fee: $3800
Administrative fee: $150
Tuition and program fee include: study abroad health insurance, housing (single occupancy), excursions, welcome and farewell dinners, administrative and instructional costs.
Total Out-of-Pocket Costs:*
Passport and photos: $110
Board: $1000
Airfare: $1200
U Leipzig registration, residence permit, bus pass: $400
Textbooks and supplies: $250
Other (tickets to cultural events): $150
Incidentals/Personal Expenses: $1000
Total Student Cost: $8060 + regular OU tuition
*Please note that the above out-of-pocket costs are estimates and based only on funds needed to participate fully on the program. Prior to departure you should adjust your individual budget to include the cost of additional travel and/or time spent abroad.
Contact Information
Vladimir Marchenkov
Ludmila Marchenkova
Theresa Warzecha
OLEC Graduate Assistant
Office of Education Abroad
185 Lindley Hall
740.593.4583
