BETWEEN A RELIGIOUS ROCK AND A HARD STUDY
ABROAD PLACE: SUPPORTING STUDENTS OF FAITH
Thursday, November 17, 2016

Chair & Presenters:
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J. Scott Van Der Meid, Brandeis University
Sarah E. Spencer, University of St. Thomas
Eero Jesurun, CIEE Madrid
Kwasi Gyasi-Gyamerah, CIEE Ghana

MANY ROADS LEAD TO
ROME..AND BEYOND
Sarah E. Spencer, Director, Office of Study Abroad,
University of St. Thomas

REINVENTING
STUDY ABROAD
UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS
• St. Paul & Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 10,245 total: 6,240 undergraduate;
4,005 graduate students
• 50% Roman Catholic
• 4-1-4 calendar

CURRICULAR ALIGNMENT WITH RELIGION
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 Undergraduate Core Curriculum – Faith & the Catholic Tradition
 Theology 101: The Christian Theological Tradition
 200 level: “Faith Seeking Understanding.”
Focus on a particular area of the Christian tradition, namely: the Bible, historical
theology, systematic theology or moral theology
 300/400 level: “Bridge Courses”
Students bring theological concepts and methods into dialogue with other disciplines
 Catholic Studies major/minor/Masters
 Undergraduate Seminary - St. John’s Vianney (Philosophy & Catholic Studies majors)

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Bernardi Campus in
Rome
• CORE semester (fall)
• Catholic Studies
(spring)
• Seminarians (fall &
spring)
• Theology 101 in J-term

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OPPORTUNTIES FOR ROME STUDY ABROAD
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Intensive community, formation and cultural experience of living
in the heart of the Catholic Church
Historic place of faith
Seminarians study abroad
Fulfills lots of degree requirements
Faculty know and trust the curriculum
Hard to say no

LIMITATIONS FOR ROME STUDY ABROAD
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Traditional curriculum = limited intercultural learning &
engagement
Community-based living and learning
Language acquisition
Community engagement/volunteer = only religious
organizations

GETTING OFF THE ROCK
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AIDS, Apartheid and the Arts of Resistance: Theological Reflection in
South Africa
Islam in Turkey
Religion and Cultures in the Villages of India
The Church in Latin America
Pilgrimage in Italy: The Christian Experience from the Early Church to
the Catholic Reformation
Theology 101 in Rome
(hope to expand to Israel/Jordan in future)

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SUPPORTING STUDENTS OF FAITH:
AN ON-SITE PERSPECTIVE
FROM MADRID
EERO JESURUN PH.D.
CIEE MADRID – SPAIN

Cultural Value Patterns
Sample Activities and Visits Ideas and Values
Place of Worship Sacred & profane; individual
autonomy vs. community
center; relationship with
environment & technology
Cemetery Hierarchy & inequality; respect
for spirits, saints & traditions;
memory, heroes and history
Food Market Purity, cleanliness, health and
diet; ritual and identity; wealth
and abundance; tradition

Hard “Rocks” with Students of Faith
Academics Housing & Meals

Hard “Rocks” with Students of Faith
Antisemitism, islamophobia, anti-Christian views
Free speech and religious expression
Holocaust and political correctness
Media reporting of faith-based terrorism
Microagressions and local cultural practice
Independent travel to Rome, Israel and Mecca

Thank you
Eero Jesurun: ejesurun@ciee.org

STUDENTS’ RELIGIOSITY AND ON-SITE SUPPORT IN LEGON, GHANA
KWASI GYASI-GYAMERAH, RD CIEE LEGON

Religions in Ghana
Population = 25,241,998 (July 2012 est.) Ghana Statistical
Service (2012)
More than 95% are affiliated to:
Christianity
Islam
Traditional Religion
Other (Budhism, Shintoism etc)
Less than 5% are NOT affiliated to any religion

Religion in Ghana and the US
US
Ghana

Religious Inscriptions

• Generally, there is no place for Judaism in the Ghanaian
religious sphere
• In 2012 a practicing Jew chooses Legon Ghana as the place to
study for the semester/academic year
• Uncertainties and questions start coming up:
• From the student
• From Portland and
• From Legon onsite staff as to whether the student can be
supported or not.

As a Practicing Jew…
• Student has dietary restrictions as kosher is the way to go
• No travels on certain days (Friday sundown till Saturday
sundown
• Observations of holidays:
• Yom Kippur
• Passover
• Sukkot
• Shemini Atzeret
• Simchat Torah
• Rosh Hashanah

Then……
• Student requests to do a homestay.

• There were the initial automatic responses. Such as:
• Do we want this student to come to Ghana?
• Ask her to consider other countries
• That we cannot offer a homestay etc etc
• We were stretched out of our comfort zones

Support
• However, drawing on the goals and themes of CIEE Intercultural
Communication and Leadership (ICL)
• Staff shifted perspectives and saw this an opportunity for growth
and development in intercultural competency skills

Pre-Arrival Support
• Discussion and a Training Workshop for 2 of our longstanding
hosts parents by drawing on the goals of ICL
• Self-awareness
• Cultural Literacy
• Cultural Bridging and
• Personal Leadership
Leading to granting of the homestay request

Pre-Arrival Support Continued
• Identifying places of worship within the Ghanaian society
where this student could worship.
• A small Jewish community in the city of Accra was identified
• Also the Jewish community in Sefwi, a town about 300kms
from Legon, was also a resource staff provided
• Identifying places like malls and eateries where kosher is sold
or served. Quite a few were found in the city of Accra.

On-Site Support
• Staff travelled ahead with student for overnight trips.
• Leave with student Friday morning.
• Observe Sabbath.
• Rejoin the larger CIEE group on Sunday

On-Site Support Continued
• Much as this was a challenging intercultural experience with
specific reference to religion
• Support from host families and onsite staff ensured that our
participant was able to practice their faith in a religious culture
that is significantly different without losing any sense of self,
faith nor belief system.

A TRUISM…
• This experience supports the old wise saying that “Where there is a
will, there is a way”
• The will of the student to study in Ghana
• The will of onsite staff to make it possible for the student to have a
fulfilling experience
• Led to the identification of ways and opportunities for success for the
both staff and student.

Exercise: Porcupine and the Moles

THANK
YOU

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