University of Kansas Study Abroad Programs in France
Participant Handbook
Produced by the Office of Study Abroad at the University of Kansas Lippincott Hall 1410 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 108 Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7515
December 2005 Revision
Table of Contents
General Information on Study Abroad Programs in France
University of Kansas Programs in France 3 Required Documents for Study in France 3 One Student's French University Experience 5 Higher Education in France 6 Course Selection and Registration 10 Grading Scale 14 Credit for Courses 15 Names, Terms, and Abbreviations 16
University of Kansas Exchange at the Université de Franche-Comté (Franche-Comté handbooks only)
Besançon, Franche-Comté, and the Université de Franche-Comté 19 The Student Exchange Program 20 Your Address in France 22 Emergency Contact Information 22 Orientation at the CLA 23 Selecting Your Courses 25 UFC-KU Course Equivalencies 26 Course Descriptions (partial list) 30 Housing in Besançon 37 Crime and Safety 38 Settling In: Adjusting to life in Besançon 40 Telephone Service in France 42 Calling to and from France 42 Medical Services 44 Where to Eat in Besançon 45 Transportation in Besançon 47 Libraries 49 Mail, Banking, Shopping 50 Student Cards and their Uses 52 Cultural Activities 53 Travel and Vacation Resources 55 Newspapers 56 Religious Activities 57 Sports 57
2 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PROGRAMS IN FRANCE
The University of Kansas offers the following programs for students who wish to study in France:
Summer Summer Language Institute, Paris Advanced French Studies, Strasbourg Summer Institute in Architecture, Paris Doing Business in Western Europe (Negocia), Paris Semester Université Catholique de l’Ouest-CIDEF, Angers Negocia School of Business, Paris International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) – various sites Academic Year Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) - various sites École Supérieure de Commerce, Clermont-Ferrand (Graduate)
Although this section of the handbook is primarily directed at those students participating in a program that involves matriculation into the regular courses of a French university, it will be useful to all students studying in France. Any questions about the information contained in this handbook can be referred to the KU study abroad advisor for France.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR STUDY IN FRANCE
Any student who plans to study in France for a period of longer than three months must obtain a student visa from the French consulate. Students participating in the ISEP and CIEE programs will be provided instructions on obtaining visas by those programs. Students participating in the Besançon and Angers programs will be provided the visa applications by this office, along with instructions for completing the forms, in a separate memo. Students studying in France are responsible for taking the necessary steps to obtain their own visas, although the OSA is happy to direct students to information concerning the visas. Currently, a student visa costs about $120 but the amount is subject to change due to fluctuations in the exchange rate. For more up to date cost information, visit the following web site.
http://www.consulfrance-chicago.org/main_visas_eng.htm
Once in France, students are required to apply for a carte de séjour (residence permit) from the local préfecture. Students who are studying in a structured program and/or a program sponsored by a U.S. University can generally expect to receive assistance from the program director or coordinator in completing the necessary forms and supplying the required documents. To apply for a carte de séjour, students will need to take all the documents they submitted with their visa applications, along with photocopies. It is also important to organize and bring to France a set of documents required for the carte de séjour itself.
3 Attention: the visa is NOT the same as a carte de séjour!
Documents required to obtain the carte de séjour:
Certificate of enrollment at a higher institution in France Proof of accommodation in France (rent contract, certified statement from person who is providing housing) Proof of financial resources. A notarized letter from your parents stating guaranteeing financial support, an attestation de bourse from the French university, or a financial aid statement will suffice. Two ID photos. (In general, it is advisable to bring about 20 ID size photos to France. A very inexpensive idea is to save a digital photo to your email. Whenever there is a need for an ID photo, you can print several photos for free in the computer lab on campus.) A stamped, addressed envelope. Note that American stamps are invalid for domestic French mail. Proof of health insurance coverage in France. A 55 € tax stamp for the first issuance of a carte de séjour will also be required and can be paid for at the local Poste. Certified copy of birth certificate; this document must be embossed or water-marked to prove originality.
Upon arrival in France, a list of documents will be provided upon establishment of a premier rendez-vous for the carte de séjour.
Do not forget to bring the following administrative documents, as they may prove very important: certified copy of birth certificate, immunization records, previous year’s tax returns.
Students studying in Besançon and Angers will receive assistance on-site in obtaining their carte de séjour. ISEP and CIEE students will receive instructions from those program offices or their on-site coordinators.
Study Abroad participants should be advised to expedite the processing of their carte de séjour by well organizing the required documents, establishing a premier rendez-vous as soon as possible upon arrival in France, and not missing any scheduled appointments. While Americans do not necessarily have to worry about illegally residing in France without a residence permit, the carte de séjour can increase the number of privileges from which an student may profit. For example, foreign exchange students have the right to obtain social security benefits (including a housing allowance for apartment renters), medical insurance which will cover all medical expenses in France, opening a bank account and subscribing to internet or a cellular phone plan.
4 ONE STUDENT'S FRENCH UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
In moments of frustration with French universities, read the following observations by one American student in Paris. We hope you take this with the fun that it's intended. Remember that your counterparts, the French students who come to the U.S. to take your place on ISEP, Besançon, and the other exchange programs, are facing registration, closed classes, noisy dormitories, and cafeteria food for the first time! Complaints about university registration and student housing are almost universal. As this student did, you will probably remember all of your time abroad, even your worst moments, with a bit of nostalgia and humor.
One of my first contacts with Paris and the French character was the Sorbonne. Now there's a well-run organization if I ever saw one! I've made a study of it, and I've come to the conclusion that its main tactic is the sneak attack. You see, no one knows what any course is about, where or when it is held, or who is teaching it, except the professor himself, and of course no one knows where the professor is.
This produces a remarkable confusion in the courtyard of the Faculté des Lettres every day for about two months, and occasionally you can see a professor standing off to one side chuckling quietly to himself, his three-quarter moustache just quivering with joy. He knows all about his course, including the fact that it started three weeks ago, but damned if he's going to give away any secrets. He did his part - he posted a notice reading "Course of M. le Professeur Untel to take place in Salle 20 at 16 hours. Date of commencement posted elsewhere." This notice is posted behind a big sign beginning "Étudiants Étrangers ----" so that everyone who knew where it was could find it. Of course he didn't bother to post the notice giving date of commencement, because the students would just think they couldn't find it, and it was too much trouble to find another hiding place. Also, to continue the little game, Salle 20 only half exists. That is to say that it was called Salle 20 five years ago, but now it’s called Salle Louis XIV, by majority vote of the Assemblée Nationale.
Then there is the story of one professor of two years ago who really faked out her students. Her course was supposed to start in the beginning of November. So, along about the middle of the month a notice went up to the effect that she was "suffering" and the course would start in the beginning of December, at which point another notice went up - she was still suffering, and the course would begin after Christmas vacation. Well, by that time she was not only suffering, she had complications, and the notice of March 17 said she would certainly be well by the end of May and that the course would begin shortly thereafter. As it turned out, she gave the bibliography on June 20, and her students gave her a party on June 27, at which everyone got happy, and she was persuaded to waive the exam and give everyone a 19 for the course.
They're just so utterly casual about the whole thing. It gives you the impression that gradually, in fits and starts, courses start popping up from nowhere, and, with a terrible grinding of gears, the school year miraculously gets underway.
While you will almost certainly encounter some obstacles along the way, you can also look forward to an exciting year of new discoveries. It is our goal to help you make the most of this opportunity. Read on to find more about what you can do to prepare yourself.
5 HIGHER EDUCATION IN FRANCE
Throughout your study abroad program in France, you should keep in mind the following differences between the U.S. and French systems:
• The French system demands that students assume responsibility for their own learning. French students begin at an early age to self-test as well as to recognize and address their areas of weakness. French students are not, therefore, subjected to tests as frequently as American students would be. The French are not generally assessed based on class work, but on exam performance.
• Credit in the French system is primarily based on exam scores. There are some instructors who have begun modifying their pedagogy to a more American style. French professors are beginning to test students more regularly to assist students in determining their academic progress, as well as assigning and grading homework. However, it must be noted that such practices have not been adopted by all professors and most continue to rely on one or two exams to determine the final course grade.
• Teacher/student contact is logically much less important than in the U.S. given the independent learning habits of French students. Some teachers have made an effort to invite students to visit them with problems, but understand that this is considered as outside of their professional responsibilities. “Office hours” do not really exist in France in the same obligatory nature as in the U.S. system.
• Campus life at a French university is quite different from what students would expect to find at a school like KU. The schools within the French university (facultés) tend to compete against each other, and as a result, each faculté exercises a relative amount of autonomy. Campus events are organized for each faculté. These events include disco nights, colloquiums, soccer matches, café meetings, and many other creatively organized activities. To participate, look for announcements in and around a given faculté.
French universities: French students gain admission to the university by passing a national exam at the end of their secondary studies to earn their baccalauréat (bac). There are different types of the bac for different disciplines, designated by letters and numbers; Bac série A1, for example, is Lettre et mathématiques, Série B is Science économiques et sociales. For students educated in the United States, one to two years of college study is usually recognized as the equivalent of this degree.
University studies in France differ significantly from those in the U.S., and U.S. students should learn to recognize the differences. First, the French begin their specialty courses beginning the first year. General education requirements do no exist in France as they are known in the American system. These introductory courses, aimed at well rounding a student, are offered during the French high-school program. University degree programs are organized on an national level, thus leaving very little room for electives. Each student receives a schedule depending on their year of study and to which group they are assigned (if classes are too large to have a unique group). In general, French degrees are uniform and are fairly congruent from one public university to another. The French student must earn a specified number of unités de 6 valeurs (U.V.) in order to qualify for a particular degree. Each U.V. encompasses several course titles; sometimes exam questions will require students to apply information learned in other classes of the same U.V. Consequently, the French know very little flexibility or choice of courses and thus do not have a need for academic advising to guide a student through the study program.
Rarely does an exchange student from the U.S. follow the predetermined course of study required of French students at the University. Rather, that student is more likely to pick and choose courses from different programs and years.
Students on the Besançon and ISEP programs generally enroll in one of the faculté, or schools, of the university or at the Institut Universitaire de Technologie (IUT). The facultés are divisions or the university most similar to a college or a professional school within an American university. The faculté is more properly known as the Unité de Formation et de Recherche, or UFR. It may encompass several disciplines, such as the Faculté des Lettres, or may be devoted to a single field such as medicine. Students on KU programs who take regular university classes may take courses from more than one “fac”, as the students often refer to it.
KU students are also encouraged to consider taking courses at the IUT. The IUT’s offer intensive two-year professional programs in advertising, communication, mechanical engineering technology, and business administration. The KU-University of Franche-Comté exchange is coordinated at the IUT in Besançon. Although the IUT is a division of the univeristy, it is an autonomous UFR, and is often considered to be a separate institution. Admission to the degree programs is competitive, and requires an admission examination. Typically, an IUT will accept only a few hundred students a year among several thousand applicants. Many of the students who are not accepted enroll at the Faculté des Lettres or the Faculté des Sciences. Students from the facultés sometimes enter the IUT upon completion of their degrees in order to gain professional qualifications.
The first two years of study at a faculté prepare students primarily for further studies and research in the liberal arts and science. Admission to the university facultés is open to all holders of an appropriate bac.
The typical university “campus” in France is quite different from what is commonly found in the United States. Academic buildings that make up the nucleus of the French university are generally located downtown, while the residence halls and student activity centers are located in another part of town. The words campus in French refers to the residence halls, cafeterias, sports facilities and perhaps a university theatre. The scattered nature of the university facilities and facultés may affect how students plan their course schedule since it is likely to take 15 to 20 minutes of travel to get from one location to another. Bus service in most cities is provided either by the community or by the university, usually until midnight.
Many ideas that foster the notion of school spirit and develop a sense of community do not exist in the same way in France as in the United States. French students often seek social life and distractions in the city rather than on campus, preferring to go to frequent cafés, discos, or the apartments of friends. It is not unusual for a French student to receive friends in his or her room and to spend the evening talking over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
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Since French students are privy to social security benefits including a cost of living allowance as well as a housing reimbursement, it is evident that more French students prefer the ease of apartment living to the dorm room. For this reason, American students will remark that a higher percentage of international students co-habitate their residence hall than French students. Note that French students living in residence halls are likely to be from other parts of the country, or first and second year students. It is important to learn and respect the cultural differences of the international students living around you in order to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.
The French academic year begins officially on or around October 1, although classes may not begin for nearly a month. The academic year ends in June. Final exams may be scheduled at any time during the month of June, but most occur near the beginning or middle of the month. Vacations usually include two or three weeks in December-January, one week in February, and two weeks for spring break in April. When holidays fall on Tuesdays or Thursdays, universities often close on Monday or Friday as well.
Classes: French university studies are generally carried out in three cycles. The premier cycle represents the first two years of university studies and leads to degrees called the Diplôme d'Etudes Universitaires Générales (DEUG) or the Diplôme d'Etudes Universitaires Scientifiques et Techniques (DEUST), depending on the student’s field of study. The deuxième cycle leads to the degree of licence after one additional year of study, and the maîtrise after two years of study. The licence has generally been recognized as the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, although different universities consider this degree in different ways. The troisième cycle leads to one of several highly specialized degrees, including the DESS (Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées) for careers in industry, the DEA (Diplôme d'Etudes Avancées) for careers in teaching, and the Doctorat, most similar to our Ph.D. Successful completion of studies at the IUT leads to a Diplôme Universitaire de Technologie (DUT).
Basically, there are two types of courses at the DEUG level, cours or conférences, and travaux dirigés or travaux pratiques. The cours or conférences consist of lectures given by professors or instructors. They resemble the U.S. lecture course--large in size, lecture format, little class participation or discussion. Lecture classes often require one written paper and one or two exams throughout the year.
Lecture courses often have attached small discussion or working groups known as travaux dirigés (TD) or travaux pratiques (TP). They are limited in size and are usually directed by a teaching assistant or junior lecturer much like teaching assistants in the United States. The travaux dirigés give students an opportunity to practice their French, participate in discussions, and become more familiar with professors and peer students. French students take a combination of conférences and travaux dirigés. Attendance and participation are mandatory for courses listed as travaux dirigés or travaux pratiques, but often are not for lectures. Lectures should not be missed, however, since the practice of taking notes and organizing your thoughts begins here.
8 Classes in France are conducted differently than at U.S. universities. Students are expected to work far more independently. There may be few, or no, homework assignments. Professors sometimes do not give specific reading assignments. They often distribute a bibliography at the beginning of the course and expect students to read some or all of these works, as well as everything alluded to in class. They also expect a considerable amount of independent research on the subjects covered in class. Many students mistake the lack of direction for a lack of requirements, and fail to do the work expected of them by the professor. These students are delighted to find their courses so undemanding, and then horrified when confronted with exams. They may think, "We never covered this in class," but look around to see all of the French students busily and happily writing away.
It is vital to the success of an academic year in France to listen carefully in class, and to do all of the outside reading recommended by the instructor, as well as any background research necessary to catch up with the French students. The French already enter the university with a more advanced high school degree than ours. U.S. students should not be lulled into thinking that classes are too "easy."
In addition, the approach to many disciplines is very different. For example, in the United States, literature courses are usually taught as surveys of a period or genre. A number of works are read, discussed, and compared. In France, an entire academic year may be devoted to the reading and in-depth analysis of a single book, or even part of a book. This approach has come about in part because French students have already read major works in quantity during their secondary education. Exchange students should not, however, be deceived into believing that "all we have to do this year is read Madame Bovary." Students are expected to read the work, as well as critical works written about Madame Bovary and other books from the same period.
At the end of the academic year, French students are required to receive an average grade of “10” on the French 1-20 scale for all of the courses completed during the year. Students who do not receive a passing mark must repeat the year. Students are allowed a maximum of three years to complete the DEUG or DEUST, thus may repeat either the first year or the second year, but not both. The American grading system based on a cumulative grade-point average is unknown in France.
Courses in French universities have traditionally been organized as full-year units, although some universities are beginning to modify their calendars in ways similar to the U.S. system with semester breaks. Students studying for only one semester in a French university should notify professors at the beginning of their stay that they are entering the course only for one half of the year, and should ask if they will be responsible for knowing all the material covered in the year- long course. Until recently few courses began at mid-year, the normal starting time for the second semester in the United States. Even now, in some departments it may still be difficult to find second semester courses that are not a continuation of work begun during first semester. Since many KU students plan to study French language and literature, some comment about study in this field may be helpful. Students who enroll directly in the French university with the intention of studying French language and literature should be aware that these courses will not follow the same lines as French courses in the United States. The typical French student pursuing studies for a licence or maîtrise in French will not be taking language courses; rather,
9 their programs will concentrate on French literature or contemporary studies with in-depth text analysis. French students already know the language and have strong reading and writing skills, much as U.S. students majoring in English would study only English literature at the University of Kansas. The U.S. exchange students will be in classes with native speakers who have a relatively high sophistication in literature. They should be warned that they may feel overwhelmed at first and will need time to adjust to the new academic environment.
Note for ISEP and SIP students: U.S. students often plan to take French language courses, either as their primary focus or as a supplement to their other academic interests. French as a second language is usually taught in an institute attached to the university with a separate financial structure. These institutes, often known as the Centres Linguistiques or Centres d'Etudes Françaises, usually offer courses in French language and culture. They award universally recognized diplomas in French studies, which can be completed in a year, or sometimes, semester. A student who is registered at the university may have to pay an additional fee to take French language courses such as these, although ISEP member institutions in France are increasingly allowing U.S. participants to take language courses at no additional expense. These language courses can be very helpful and well worth the time, and sometimes will be relatively inexpensive. Many language centers also offer intensive language courses in the summer prior to the beginning of the academic year. A month-long intensive language program can be an ideal introduction to life and study in France for the U.S. student.
COURSE SELECTION AND REGISTRATION
Students in French universities do not formally enroll in classes every year, since their courses have already been determined when they start their two or three year programs. There are no timetables, no enrollment cards, and no long lines at an enrollment center. There is little need for an elaborate, computerized enrollment system. All French students have decided upon their major before entering the university. Since all students in a major are required to take the same courses, there is little concern with selecting individual subjects. Instead, the meeting times and location of each class are simply posted by the professor on panneaux, or bulletin boards. Students check the bulletin boards to find out when and where all of their classes meet, and then they go.
It sounds easy, but for some reason it rarely is. The posted information may give the time, but leave location "to be announced", or times and locations may change. The updated information is normally disseminated among the known majors, but may not be passed along to the exchange students. The information also has an annoying habit of "disappearing," sometimes within hours of the initial posting.
The notion of academic advising is virtually non-existent in France. French students have little need for the academic advising that takes place in U.S. universities. Exchange students, however, do not have such limits on their classes, may need some guidance in choosing from among the courses available to them. Most professors know little about courses offered outside their area, so it may be difficult to find someone able to advise students who want to take courses in a variety of disciplines. Fortunately, most ISEP coordinators have worked with enough U.S. students that they understand the type of guidance needed, and have identified courses in a broad
10 range of disciplines that have been successful for exchange students in the past. At the Université de Franche-Comté, the IUT coordinator will help students with academic advising and planning their schedules. In spite of this assistance, course selection remains one of the most challenging aspects of a year in France.
Certain courses in French language, civilization, and literature may be required on your program. Many of these courses will help you with the language skills you need to follow other courses successfully. For the most part, these courses cannot be dropped and you must complete all papers and exams and receive a final grade. See the specific information related to your own program for details.
IMPORTANT: We remind you that you are responsible for your course selection overseas. It is your responsibility to consult your academic advisors on your home campus regarding equivalent credit for courses taken in France. If you choose to deviate from your KU Academic Advisor's Form, submitted as part of your application, you must request permission from you academic advisor in order to insure that credit for different course selections will be awarded. If your Academic Advising Form lists specific courses that you must take overseas in order to complete your major or your degree, you are obligated to take those courses. Otherwise you must write to your KU academic advisor (not KU Study Abroad) in order to request permission to substitute another course for the one listed on the form.
Notice to seniors: This type of planning is particularly critical for students who expect to graduate upon completion of a study abroad program. Those who do not adhere to their Academic Advising Form once they are abroad may discover that they are not yet eligible to graduate at the end of the program. If you have specific requirements to fulfill while in France, it is important that you remain in close contact with your advisor at your home campus regarding the credit you will earn.
In general, students from the University of Kansas should not enroll in courses abroad with expectations of receiving credit for French 310 or 500 - Phonetics; or French 326 - Introduction to French Literature. The Department of French and Italian expects majors to enroll in these required courses at KU. Students who have questions about such courses should consult Professor Paul Scott, who advises on study abroad in the Department of French and Italian. Students from schools other than KU should consult with the Program Advisor in the Office of Study Abroad before attempting to earn credit for equivalent courses.
11 Please follow the instructions on returning the Academic Plan and Approval to the OSA as soon as your class schedule is determined. Accurate details of when and for how long the course meets, and a description of course content is important in determining how credit will be awarded to you when you return. Students who change their course enrollment at mid-year should remember to submit a new form when the "second semester" schedule has been determined. This information is particularly important for students taking regular university courses while on the ISEP and Besançon programs, and for those who are studying on a SIP. (See the general Student Handbook for instructions on completing this form.) Students wishing to "drop" an elective course must do so by the deadlines specified in the general study abroad handbook. French students, of course, never "drop" their classes, since all courses are required to complete their degrees.
Academic Terms: In theory, the French system of higher education is in the process of adopting a semester system. However, in actual practice, many professors may still work from a syllabus based on the traditional academic year term. The situation varies considerably from one institution to another. At most universities, including the Université de Franche-Comté, students will find some courses that last the full academic year, and others that last only one semester. University-affiliated language institutes like the CLA are administered by semesters because of the large numbers of foreign students who wish to study in France for a single semester. These semesters typically run from early October through January, and early February through June.
Strikes, Manifestations: Students (and/or professors) protest university or government policies they consider unfair by demonstrating, putting up banners and placards or going on strike. These manifestations may only last a few days but have been known to last several weeks. Strikes tend to be very disconcerting to American students who are concerned about academic credit. Do not despair. If a strike occurs, continue reading or preparing for your exams. The exams will eventually take place and, no matter how things appear, you can be certain that the most motivated students among your French classmates are studying.
Because student strikes are relatively rare in the U.S., they often confuse study abroad students. Many have the incorrect idea that if classes are not held, then there is nothing for them to do. On the contrary, study abroad students can use this time to catch up on their reading lists, clarify their notes with French classmates or professors, and study. Professors expect students to continue reading and studying even while classes are not in session. Professors will also want to make up for lost ground by intensifying their rhythm after the strike. Professors as well as students have mixed attitudes about striking, so it never pays for you to stop studying just because classes are not in session. Classes will start up again, and partiel and final exams will surely take place in late January and early June.
Student/teacher relationships: The student-teacher relationship has changed considerably since the late 1960s. Prior to that time, there was very little student-professor contact since the professor lectured the class from a platform above the level of the students and did not entertain questions. Now, students often have an opportunity to participate in class discussions, particularly through the travaux dirigés that provide smaller working group settings. By and large, French professors welcome closer contact with students, but one still finds those who maintain the older system by remaining aloof.
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The concept of regular office hours does not exist in French universities. Even ISEP coordinators or other faculty posting office hours for the benefit of exchange students feel no obligation to adhere to them. Professors are generally happy to answer questions and to discuss problems before or immediately after class. Individual appointments can also be made. Contact with the professors depends largely on the individual student's initiative. Students should be advised to talk with their professors and make an effort to get to know them. Students should not expect professors to seek them out or make special accommodations. Independence, initiative and assertiveness are essential qualities for students in the French system.
Examinations: U.S. students find that there is much less continuous assessment than in the United States. Students must pace themselves and assume full responsibility for learning the material assigned. This means taking the initiative to read material that is only suggested as opposed to limiting one's study to specific reading assignments. Unless students are diligent about their studies throughout the year, they may be surprised to find examination questions on material that was reviewed only briefly in class, or never covered at all in the classroom. Examinations are given at the end of the year and cover all material included in the course during the year. Final grades and approval to pass the course are determined primarily by exam results. Exams may be oral, written, or both. In some courses, students must maintain a certain attendance record in order to take the exam and pass the course. Students on KU programs must take final exams to earn credit for courses.
Professors and departments vary in their means of evaluating students' work. There are few or no departmental grading standards or pervasive regulations about grade reporting that apply to the university as a whole. Grades are posted by students' names on the bulletin boards. Until grades are posted, there is no question of students looking in a grade book and deliberating about their grades with professors. Classes typically follow the traditional model of a year of lectures with a partiel exam mid-year and a final. Grades are often determined subjectively, and exams are seldom comprehensive. Instead, you may be given a question about one isolated topic from the year's coursework. In assigning grades, professors know that grades should cluster around ten, with some deviation for a few who may fail and a few who will receive very high marks. French students seek mainly to pass their classes and move on to the next academic level. The system is unlike what most U.S. students are used to, since the emphasis on their home campus is often on good grades and competitive GPA's.
Because grades (beyond passing) are such a small issue in France, you will almost never know how your grade is determined. This is especially true in travaux pratiques and travaux dirigés, where attendance and class participation will often come into consideration without being recorded. The same goes for homework. The most prevalent attitude toward homework is that it benefits the students, and they will be cheating themselves by neglecting it. It is best to complete it, even if you are unsure about what is expected. You will usually be evaluated more positively for having made the effort.
13 French professors have varied attitudes about international students in their classes. While some will welcome you, others will see you as an intrusion until you prove your competence. This is also true of students. Some may be friendly and helpful, while others may look at you strangely and ask you what you are doing there. Once they realize that you are in the same boat as they are (even though you may not be in any other course in their particular filière, or concentration within the major) such students become more friendly and empathetic.
GRADING SCALE
In France students are usually graded on a rough curve, with few students receiving either the very highest or lowest grades. Most grades fall somewhere in the middle. A numeric scale from 0 to 20 is generally used for grading. For French students any grade of 10 or above is considered passing. French students rarely care about what grades they make, only that their average score for all of their classes is ten or higher so that they can advance, or graduate. The University of Kansas has adopted the following translation of the French scale:
French note Univ. of Kansas equivalent 14 - 20 A 10 - 13.9 B 8 - 9.9 C 7 -7.9 D 7 and below F
The French scale is based upon perfection, thus scores higher than 16 are extremely rare. U.S. students are often stunned and disappointed to see a paper they felt was well done marked with a 9/20 or 10/20. Students should be prepared to have first efforts receive grades of 6/20 or even lower, but expect improvement as familiarity with the system and course expectations improves. Students should note that the conversion scale above is used only when grades are delivered in the French 1-20 scale. Students participating on programs in which U.S. letter grades are awarded (CIEE for example, or a SIP run by a U.S. university) will receive the letter grade, even if the French note is available.
14 CREDIT FOR COURSES
Students on all programs in France sponsored by the University of Kansas must return the Academic Plan and Approval, to the Office of Study Abroad whenever their courses have been determined for the semester. Take a copy of the form with you to France, and be sure to follow the instructions in the “Course Selection and Registration” section of this handbook for filling it out. The completed form will help assure that your credit will be posted to your University of Kansas record (and then transferred to your home institution, if you are a non-KU student).
For students enrolled in the CIEE and ISEP programs in France, transcripts will be mailed directly to the KU Office of Study Abroad by each respective agency. SIP participants are responsible for seeing that their official transcripts are sent to the OSA. The GPA for the Besançon Program, will assist students in obtaining their official grade reports and will send these directly to the Office of Study Abroad. Students enrolling directly in a foreign institution will need to make certain that appropriate documentation is sent to the Office of Study Abroad.
Generally, forty-five contact hours (hours spent in class) will equal one 3-hour KU course. That means a course that breaks down to 3 hours per week over the course of a 12-15 week semester is the equivalent of 3 credit hours. Courses that offer fewer contact hours than the number required for a KU course, will be evaluated by the appropriate KU academic department. For example, in evaluating equivalent credit for literature courses, information the student is responsible for providing will most likely include: what time periods, literary movements or authors were covered? How much reading did students do outside of class? What written assignments and exams are available for evaluation, and what is the workload represented by these items? And so on. Such decisions are entirely the domain of the academic department concerned, and students must be very pro-active when it comes to clarifying requirements for credit evaluation that they do not understand.
Students are expected to maintain contact with their academic advisors over the course of their study abroad programs, and are responsible for understanding their own major and degree requirements, and how the foreign coursework will apply in both areas. Classes that meet for 3 hours per week will count for 3 hours of credit for the semester, or 6 hours for the year. Classes which meet for 2 hours a week will count for 2 hours of credit for the semester or 4 hours for the academic year, and so on. University credits are usually posted according to this formula, but this is always subject to the approval of the French Department or whichever other department is involved.
Students on the Franche-Comté program should refer to the Participant Handbook section on "Selecting Your Courses" for more information on credit posting.
15 NAMES, TERMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS
Knowing a few of these terms and abbreviations may help you to navigate your way around French universities a little more easily.
Lois d'Orientation: The Higher Education Orientation laws passed in 1968 and 1983, which define the goal of French higher education and determine the organizational framework of French universities.
Unité de Formation et de Recherche (U.F.R.): An administrative level most similar to our schools or colleges within a university. There may be 20 such schools in a French university, including the schools or facultés of letters, business, law, medicine, pharmacy, and engineering. The schools grant unités de valeurs (credits) that can be applied toward the diplomas granted by the university.
Conseil d'U.F.R.: Each U.F.R. is managed by a council of elected teachers, researchers and students as well as administrative, technical and service personnel. The council is in charge of internal organization and U.F.R. statutes. The council is also responsible for academic matters within each U.F.R., including teaching methods and research programs. It also selects the U.F.R. director, who continues with teaching duties.
Contrôle Continu des Connaissances: Tests and periodic examinations given through the academic year as a means of maintaining a continuous check on the student's progress in a course. This practice was a result of the Lois d'Orientation of 1968, previous to which a comprehensive final exam was frequently the only check on a student's knowledge.
Travaux dirigés (T.D.) or directed studies classes and Travaux pratiques (T.P.) applied studies classes: Work sessions composed of a limited number of students under the direction of an assistant or a junior lecturer and organized for the purpose of introducing students to the different methods of work and research. Participation and attendance at these sessions are compulsory for all students. Enrollment is held at the beginning of the academic year and often involves students signing up on hand-written lists that circulate early on in the school year.
Cours and conférences: Classes and lectures given by professors or lecturers in the various fields offered by each university. Certain courses are open to the public (cours publiques).
Unité de Valeur (U.V.): Unit of value or credit corresponding to instruction in a specific subject.
Dominante or Majeure: The major subject or field of study chosen by a student enrolled in the first cycle.
Sous-dominante or Mineure: The minor subject or field of study chosen by the first cycle student.
Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires (CROUS): The CROUS is in charge of matters related to the material welfare of students, such as housing, student restaurants, and medical and social benefits.
16
Institut Universitaire de Technologie (IUT): Institutes within the university which offer two-year programs in technology, such as engineering, computer science, chemistry, business administration, and communication sciences.
Several sections of this handbook have been taken from an unpublished article by Mary Anne Grant, Director, ISEP, on Americans studying abroad in France.
17
BESANÇON EXCHANGE PROGRAM HANDBOOK
December 2005 REVISION
BESANÇON, FRANCHE-COMTÉ, AND THE UNIVERSITÉ DE FRANCHE-COMTÉ
18
The Franche-Comté region Franche-Comté is the name of the pre-1789 province that is now divided into four départements: le Doubs, le Jura, la Haute-Saône and le Territoire de Belfort. The modern day region of Franche-Comté extends along the Swiss border from Alsace and Lorraine in the north to the Rhône-Alps region in the south. The name Franche-Comté dates from the period when the region was a countship of Burgundy, which was a duchy. The Franche-Comté region is largely mountainous and densely forested.
A few important dates in the history of Franche-Comté
1st century BC Roman conquest
5th century AD Occupation by the Burgundians, a Germanic tribe
9th & 10th c. AD United with Burgundy & Provence, part of the Kingdom of Lotharingia, later Burgundy
1477 AD At death of Duke Charles the Bold, passes to the Hapsburg Empire through marriage
1556 AD Passes to the Spanish branch of the Hapsburg family
1678 AD Franche-Comté becomes part of France
1802 AD Birth of Victor Hugo in Besançon
Besançon
A city of 125,000 located in the heart of Franche-Comté, Besançon is the greenest city in France. It is a beautiful, historically significant city situated in the foothills of the Jura Mountains. The oldest part of the city is nestled in a bend of the Doubs River, and has several structures still standing that date from Roman times. A 17th century citadel crowns the cliffs above the river. A student’s year is not complete without making the effort to visit all of the historical Forts located in and around the city.
The centre ville retains the charm and character of the past, and gives one the impression of being in a very small city. The growth of the city has taken place in the area outside of the river's loop, and is typical of urban sprawl in post-WWII France: tall reinforced concrete apartment buildings, small commercial centers, and giant hypermarchés. Because of its fortuitous geographical setting, Besançon is dominated by the old city, rather than the new. Besançon is the birthplace of Victor Hugo and the Lumière brothers, and is known as the French capital of watchmaking.
19 The Université de Franche-Comté
The Université de Franche-Comté (UFC) was founded in Dôle at the beginning of the 15th century, and was moved to Besançon in 1691. It presently consists of faculties (or UFR's) of Lettres et sciences humaines, Sciences et Techniques, Droit, Sciences économiques et politiques, Médecine et pharmacie, the Institut Universitaire de Technologie and the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée (CLA). Like many French universities, Franche-Comté is somewhat scattered geographically. The university administration (La Présidence), the Faculté des Lettres, and the Faculté de Médecine are located in centre ville. The CLA occupies modern facilities on the banks of the Doubs, while other divisions of the university are situated in the newer northwest part of the city on the campus of la Bouloie.
THE STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM
The student exchange program between the University of Kansas and the Université de Franche- Comté was initiated in 1985 to provide a low-cost opportunity for University of Kansas students to study at a French university, and a chance for Université de Franche-Comté students to study here. Although the exchange is coordinated by the IUT (Institut Universitaire de Technologie) on the French side, special arrangements have been made to ensure that the various faculties of the university are open to University of Kansas exchange participants.
Program Administration This student exchange program was designed for students who are ready to be fully immersed in a French academic and social environment. While students on the program do have a great deal of autonomy and responsibility for themselves, certain administrative structures have been established at KU and the UFC to insure that the program operates as smoothly as possible.
Ingrid Horton is the Program Coordinator at the KU Office of Study Abroad. In France, the Service des Affaires Internationales at the IUT has designated Pascale Bouvet, as the Exchange Coordinator. As such, she is responsible for taking care of housing, admission to the university, and residency requirements for the U.S. students, and for the selection of the IUT students who will come to KU for the academic year. Mme Bouvet is assisted by a Secretary, Frédérique Pinaire. If you call the Service des Relations Internationales (SRI) during business hours, Mme Pinaire is likely to be the person who answers the telephone. Several other members of the IUT faculty are actively involved in the KU exchange. Patrick Lehmann is the Director of the SRI.
In addition, the Office of Study Abroad and the KU Department of French and Italian have appointed a Graduate Program Assistant (GPA) to help the coordinators with orientation, housing arrangements, and application for the carte de séjour. The GPA will also assist students with many aspects of French cultural, academic, and social life in Besançon, directing them to appropriate offices if necessary, and organizing cultural and social activities for exchange participants. The Graduate Program Assistant for 2006-2007 will be named by the end of April. The IUT Coordinator and the Graduate Program Assistant are in frequent contact with the University of Kansas, and will serve as liaisons between the UFC and KU. You should consult with Pascale Bouvet as soon as possible if there are any problems with courses, housing, security and so forth.
20 Brigitte Vaugien in the UFC English Department serves as ISEP coordinator for the university, and also meets with the KU group early in the year to provide assistance with understanding the courses and scheduling at the Faculté des Lettres. She often has suggestions for students as to what courses have proved rewarding for exchange students in the past, and posts regular office hours during which she will meet with students during the course of the academic year.
You will find the GPA to be easily accessible throughout the academic year. Exchange participants are expected to attend regularly scheduled meetings with the GPA each month. Although these meetings are often organized as social events, they will be used to disseminate important information to students, as well as providing a way for students and the GPA to “check in” on a regular basis. Students who cannot attend a scheduled meeting should always inform the GPA and will be responsible for making arrangements to follow-up on any items or information of importance discussed by the group.
In addition, the English Department at the Faculté des Lettres hosts a graduate teaching assistant from KU during the academic year. The teaching assistant's main responsibility is to lead English language courses at the Fac. The TA usually arranges with the GPA for exchange participants and English students in her classes to meet at least twice during the year. Many students take advantage of this opportunity to arrange “conversation exchanges” once or twice a week. Students are encouraged to participate in events of this kind. ______
During the academic year there are university holidays for winter break (two weeks), in February (one or two weeks) and spring vacation (two weeks). Program participants will receive regular benefits during vacation periods.
YOUR ARRIVAL IN BESANÇON
During the first week there will be a meeting in centre ville with the GPA and Pascale Bouvet. The group usually meets on the steps of the Eglise St. Pierre. Specific details about the exact time and place of that meeting will be provided closer to the actual date.
Travel from Paris to Besançon by Train
There are several trains from Paris to Besançon each day of the week and a one way ticket will cost approximately 50 €, depending on the date and time of day. Trains to Besançon leave Paris from the Gare de Lyon.
If you arrive at the any of the Paris airports it is easy to reach the center of town by rail or bus. Taxis are also available, but quite expensive. The RER train, part of the Paris metro system, is probably the best way to go into the city. A one-way ticket from Charles de Gaulle airport to Châtelet metro stop would cost about 10 €.
If you plan to stay over in Paris during the months of August or September, you are advised to make hotel or youth hostel reservations in advance.
21 YOUR ADDRESS IN FRANCE
Many of you may wish to ship some winter items to Besançon. As you might wish to receive mail during your orientation program before you know your address for the year; you may use the following address:
(Your name) s/c Pascale Bouvet Institut Universitaire de Technologie B.P. 1559 30, avenue de l'Observatoire 25009 BESANÇON FRANCE
The Institut Universitaire de Technologie (I.U.T.) is the location of the KU office at the University of Franche-Comté.
Besancon Emergency Contacts
Pascale Bouvet Coordinator Service des Relations Internationales Institut Universitaire de Technologie tel: 03 81 66 68 89 fax: 03 81 66 68 19 Email: [email protected] Home tel.: 03 81 53 36 20
Or
Frédérique Pinaire Secretary Address same as above
22 ORIENTATION AT THE CENTRE DE LINGUISTIQUE APPLIQUÉE (CLA)
The French Department, the Office of Study Abroad and the CLA coordinate an orientation program appropriate to our student exchange group. Students will take part in a family homestay for the duration of the orientation program, which takes place during their first three weeks in Besançon. For the orientation language course, students will earn credit for FREN 375, Intermediate French Conversation (or alternately FREN 315, Le français pratique). In addition to the coursework at the CLA, there will be excursions offered during the orientation. These activities will help students to learn more about the region and the city of Besançon.
You will meet the Graduate Program Assistant (GPA) during this time. The GPA will assist you in many ways while you are getting to know the city and surrounding area. A tour of the town, and various important offices, stores, youth centers, museums, etc. will be organized directly after student arrival. In addition, the GPA will provide students with information on organizations, clubs and various activities that students may choose to participate in during the academic year. Students should feel free to ask many questions of the GPA, or to request assistance in locating various types of information important to them. Communicate with your GPA! We can better assist you if we have an idea of what you want to know. Please note that the GPA does not advise students on Academic matters such as transferring of credit back to KU.
Note: We will be in touch with you during the month of August regarding the name and address of your host family. It will be your responsibility to contact the family to let them know exactly when you intend to arrive in Besançon. In most cases, the host family will arrange to meet you at the train station when you arrive in Besançon. If you plan to leave the U.S. early, make sure that we have a way to contact you regarding the host family.
Academic Matters
A certain number of courses have been set up for you to improve your language skills and to provide you with most of the hours you will need to be considered full-time. Students on the exchange are required to take enough courses to equal 12 hours per semester or 24 hours per year. Some French courses will be taught at the CLA. Students will also select courses from the regular curriculum at the IUT and/or the various facultés of the Université de Franche- Comté.
KU professor Paul Scott will serve as an academic advisor to students on the exchange, helping them to understand the credit they are earning and to select appropriate courses. He can be contacted via email at: [email protected]
23 When choosing your courses, be aware that the enrollment system is different form those of most universities in the United States. Recall that the French are assigned a group and their course schedule fixed based on their year of study and group assignment. When you begin scouting classes to fill your schedule, you will be picking and choosing classes from various group and year class schedules which are posted on bulletin boards in the building that houses a particular academic department. Course schedules are also posted on-line at:
http://www.univ-fcomte.fr
Detailed course catalogs and emplois du temps can be obtained from the scolarité or Services des Relations Internationales of each faculté. Normally, French students receive these useful documents during their réunion at the beginning of the year. Attending réunions of facultés that offer courses that may interest you sometime during the year is advisable to learn exam and pedagogical methods proper to the faculté. Recall that each faculté is somewhat independent of the others. During the réunion, professors are introduced, schedules distributed, and course descriptions are handed out. Your GPA will be able to tell you when a given faculté will hold their beginning of the year réunion. The réunion also serves as a great occasion to learn how the French university system functions.
At the beginning of the semester, do not forget to introduce yourself to the professor so that s/he will know that you are a foreign student. You may also want to gage the receptiveness of each professor to foreign students since not all of them are always willing to accommodate the particular needs of non-native speaker of French. Enrollment in a class is registered when attendance is taken.
Professors in the language courses offered at the CLA will give you more guidance in your reading, writing, and conversation than you can expect in regular university classes. The CLA courses are also set up to serve as a springboard into other disciplines at the university, such as philosophy, history, or literature at the Faculté des Lettres, political science at the Faculté de Droit, and business or communication at the IUT.
French Language Courses
The CLA: A branch of the UFC, the Centre de linquistique appliqueé de Besançon (CLA) is a renowned language center where program participants will study French. The Coordinateur pédagogique at the CLA is in charge of making sure that you are placed in language courses appropriate to your level in French. Following the orientation program, students will take a set of “core language courses” offered by the CLA during the first semester. These courses are set up in advance, and students on the KU program normally take an entire set of pre-determined courses. Emphasis will be placed on grammar, composition and speaking. The language courses will count as the equivalent of 9 hours of KU credit; specific course equivalents will depend on which French classes you have taken previously. In any case, these courses have been specifically selected to help insure students’ success in French university courses.
Students who enter the program with an advanced level may be able to choose certain alternate courses. In other cases, students may be exempted from taking a particular course offered at the CLA, but this requires approval from the CLA staff. Waivers might be granted if the student has 24 already taken an equivalent course, and has scored well on the CLA placement exam. It is each student’s responsibility to make the Coordinateur pédagogique aware of any problems related to your placement in a particular level of courses. You should also request approval from the Coordinateur pédagogique for any changes to your academic program at the CLA. You will receive a schedule of CLA courses at the start of the program in September. Most courses at the CLA last for one semester.
Since the exchange courses offered at the CLA during the first semester will total less than the minimum number of courses required for your full-time student status, you must look for at least two or three other courses throughout the University. (Note: Students who wish to take extra CLA courses may do so. However, the cost of additional CLA courses in not covered by the exchange program fee.)
Selecting University Courses
The Fac de Lettres website with class listings and scheduling information is http://slhs.univ-fcomte.fr/
You will receive assistance in locating courses offered by the various branches of the university from the GPA and the IUT coordinator, but the ultimate responsibility for your academic progress rests with you. Don't be shy when classes start! Explore the courses at the Faculté des Lettres, the Faculté des Sciences, the Faculté de Droit, or at the Insitut Universitaire de Technologie. You should check the bulletin boards with class information in all of the facultés that interest you.
Finding courses does require some effort and patience. You may have to return to the bulletin boards several times, since at the time of the rentrée (return to classes in October), things get underway slowly, and some instructors may not even know where their classes will be held, even on the first day. Sections are sometimes created or canceled, times and locations changed, etc., and the only way to find out is to keep checking the boards. Students should not hesitate to ask questions. Keep in mind that the French students must go through the same process in order to find their classes. You might also take advantage of this opportunity to meet the French students at the various facultés. There will certainly be many chances to question them about teachers, courses, class locations, etc. while gathering with everyone else at the panneaux.
Premier cycle courses are usually posted together by subject matter. Course numbers beginning with "A" are first-year university courses at Franche-Comté (roughly the equivalent of sophomore or junior year courses in a U.S. university). Numbers beginning with "B" are second year (roughly equivalent to the junior or senior year here). Licence courses are listed on separate boards, and are considered advanced undergraduate or even early graduate level courses. Courses should have numbers, titles, level, and meeting places listed on the bulletin boards. It is usually best to sample several university courses in the first few weeks, then to narrow your choices to two or three classes later to suit your needs.
If you have any questions about a course you are attending, do not hesitate to ask the instructor or the other students. Remember that this is your chance to make the most of a year in France 25 and the more adventurous you are in your course selection the more you stand to gain. Mastering the language and understanding French culture can be your objectives, rather than a cautious course schedule to protect your GPA.
Note that you are "enrolled" for administrative purposes at the IUT. You do not need to enroll at any of the other facultés. You may take classes at the other facs, with permission of the professor, without actually matriculating at that part of the institution.
Most of your grades are reported to the University of Kansas on attestation forms that are distributed to the CLA professors who teach the "core courses" toward the end of the appropriate semester or the academic year. A student who takes courses at one of the facultés is responsible for taking attestations to the faculté professors, and for seeing that professors complete the forms and return them according to the procedure explained by the IUT coordinator before the student leaves France. Be sure to follow carefully the instructions given by the IUT coordinator to insure that your grades are reported properly. All courses will be posted on the participant’s KU transcript as the nearest equivalent KU course. For more information on the posting of credit, please see the General Handbook.
To determine the number of credit hours you will receive for your courses, remember the general rule mentioned earlier: forty-five contact hours (hours spent in class) is the equivalent of one 3- hour KU course. When students are in ANY DOUBT as to the potential credit to be awarded for a course, it is their responsibility to ask questions and clarify the situation. However, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that s/he is taking the required number of courses and has a clear understanding of the credit that can be awarded. Students should always feel free to ask any and all questions concerning credit and their academic programs in order to be sure there will be no surprises at the conclusion of the program.
UFC-KU COURSES AND EQUIVALENT CREDIT
Current and detailed course information from the various facultés--and especially the Faculté des Lettres--is relatively difficult to come by, as course catalogues and timetables do not exist in the same way in the French university system as those we are used to on the KU campus. The GPA will assist you in finding courses as will our faculty liaison at the Faculté des Lettres, Brigitte Vaugien. However, the responsibility for finding and selecting courses and for locating pertinent course information is the student’s. You should also remember that courses needing approval from departments other than the Department of French and Italian must be discussed with the appropriate departmental contact. For this reason, it is imperative that students take with them to Besançon pertinent contact information for advisors from each of their majors. The IUT Coordinator, working with the OSA, will be able to provide contact information for all departments, should students need this information during the enrollment process. It is the student’s responsibility to work directly with academic advisors, by correspondence if necessary, to determine the details involved in academic approval for their various courses.
Any questions concerning courses or difficulties with enrollment or course selection should be brought to the attention of the IUT coordinator immediately.
26 ELECTIVES
In the past, elective courses at the Université de Franche-Comté listed in the left-hand column generally have been posted as the KU courses listed on the right side. This list may serve as a guide for selecting courses, but all credits awarded are subject to approval from the appropriate KU department. This is only a list of courses that students have taken in the past on our program, and for which an equivalency generally has been agreed upon. Keep in mind that this is only a partial list and that some courses may change from year to year. Many more courses are available and open to students on the exchange, and the approved credit for specific courses is subject to change from year to year.
Notice Regarding Other Languages Offered At UFC
Students will find that a number of different languages are taught at UFC, including: Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, and Latin, to name just a few. While you are free to take courses in any of these languages, keep in mind that a KU equivalent may not exist for the language course in question. Many UFC introductory language courses meet for only two hours per week, whereas most KU introductory language courses meet for five hours per week. If you do intend to receive credit for a particular language course, it is important to contact a KU academic advisor from the appropriate department to make sure that the course(s) in question will meet KU requirements.
Italian language courses at UFC: The Italian Department at KU is not willing to grant equivalent credit for Italian courses taught at the UFC. If you are planning to take Italian, you should not expect those hours to count as part of your total semester hours.
______
INSTITUT UNIVERSITAIRE DE TECHNOLOGIE (IUT) COURSES
Etudes du Monde Contemporain FREN 430 La France d’Aujourd’Hui
Gestion BUS 649 Seminar: Management (3)
Gestion du Personnel BUS 479 Organizational Behavior (3)
Publicité JOUR 409 Topics in Advertising (3)
Recherche Marketing Distribution BUS 649 Seminar in Market Research (3)
La Presse Française JOUR 409 Topics: French Press (3)
27 FIRST YEAR COURSES, FACULTÉ DES LETTRES
A 107/108 Grec ancien grands débutants (2 hrs lecture/2 hrs TD/week, whole year)
A 113/114 Analyse du Discours des Medias JOUR 409 Language of the Media
A 122 Linguistique et grammaire française: COMS 238 Cases in persuasion (3) langage et média
A 172 Lang. & communication COMS 335 Rhetorical mass media (3)
A 184 Du texte à la représentation (théâtre & lit.) (2hrs/week, one semester)
A 216 Entretien en allemand (2hrs/week, whole year)
A 236 Entretien en espagnol (2hrs/week, whole year)
A 270 Russe grands débutants (2hrs/week, whole year)
A 402 Histoire de l'art H A 305 Special Study
A 501 Initiation à la géographie (1hr lecture/2hrs lab/week, lasts all year)
A 651 Initiation à la sociologie SOC 304 Principles of Soc. (3)
A 901 Mathématiques et statistique BUS 368 Statistics (3)
SECOND YEAR COURSES, FACULTÉ DES LETTRES
B 022 Langage cinématographique (2hrs/week, one semester )
B 119 Didactique et enseignement du français (1hr lecture/1hr TD/week, lasts whole year) langue étrangère
B 182 Théâtre contemporain (2hrs/week, one semester PLUS 24hr workshop one weekend) B 183 Écriture théâtrale (2hrs/week, whole year. Note: 1st sem. is lecture; 2nd is workshop)
B 227 Traduction/thème anglais (2hrs/week, whole year)
B 3-- Histoire des institutions & droit français HIST 523 The age of absolutism-- 1648-1789 (3)
B 412 Histoire de l'art antique H A 305 Iconography of antiquity (3)
28
B 662 Sociologie de la déviance SOC 600 Sociological Perspective: Soc. of Deviance (3)
B 672 Cinéma direct et ethnologie ANTH 301 Anth Through Films (3) -and- HIST 510 Documentary film making (3) -or- FREN 600 Cinema & Ethnologie (3)
B 802 Déscription du français langue étrangère (2hrs/week, whole year)
THIRD YEAR (LICENCE) COURSES, FACULTÉ DES LETTRES
C 24-- Histoire de l'art: post-impressionisme, H A 750 Post-impressionism & Surrealism Dadaisme & Surréalisme -and- H A 661 Dadaism & Surrealism (3)
C 2402 Art moderne: auto portrait H A 505 Mod. art: self portrait (3)
C ---- Romantic English poetry (1hr lecture/week, lasts 1 semester)
C ---- Renaissance theatre (1hr lecture/week, lasts 1 semester)
C ---- Shakespeare: MacBeth and Othello (2hrs/week, whole year)
FACULTÉ DE DROIT COURSES
Economie générale ECON 522 Macroeconomics (3) and- ECON 523 Microeconomics (3)
Economie des entreprises BUS 479 Organizational behavior (3)
Relations internationales POLS 170 Intro. to international politics (3)
FACULTÉ DES SCIENCES COURSES
Génétique BIOL 404 Intro. to genetics (3) and- BIOL 405 Lab in genetics (2)
Chimie organique CHEM 622 Organic chemistry I (3)
Physiologie animale BIOL 520 Vertebrate muscle & nervous syst. (3) -and- BIOL 424 Independent study (1)
29 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
The course descriptions given below will give you an idea of the offerings at the IUT and the various facultés. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but an indication of which courses have been popular in the recent past with English speaking students at the university. Remember that this is not a definitive list of courses that will be offered in the year or semester you are in Besançon. Most course offerings are determined not in Besançon, but at the Ministry of Education in Paris during the summer before the school year begins.
I.U.T. COURSES
Études du monde contemporain: These courses focus on one major topic each semester (e.g. Politics, Geography, Modern History) and the list of topics changes from year to year. KU students find that this course is a good place to meet French students.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS: 1 partiel exam at mid-year, 1 one-hour long exposé (oral presentation), 1 final exam.
Informatique: This is a hands-on computer class where students are taught basics of computer use and programming. Recommended as a fun and useful course. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: 1 partiel (at semester) & 1 final exam in June.
Gestion/Publicité: This class combines management and advertising. The class is very fast-paced, and good for learning French business vocabulary. Clairotte comes highly recommended. "He really enjoys having Americans in his classes who participate, and makes you feel a part of the group." The Gestion section and the Publicité section each meet for one hour per week for the year. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Fieldwork project, 1 exposé, 1 examen partiel, 1 examen final.
Marketing: "The class is enjoyable and interesting, and is taught by a good professor."
IUT Department of Génie Méchanique: These courses are oriented toward applied technical careers rather than pure engineering. Courses in this department are generally not compatible with engineering programs in the United States. Engineering students may want to consider courses at the Faculté des Sciences or the ENSMM (engineering fac).
FACULTÉ DES LETTRES --PREMIER CYCLE (FIRST YEAR)
A 107/108 Grec ancien-grands débutants: This class is designed for people with no knowledge of Greek. The pace is fairly slow. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: 1 partiel, 1 final, some homework to be turned in for the TD.
A 113/114 Analyse du Discours des Médias: This course includes in-depth lectures on the different forms of mass media. It consists of one two-hour class, every other week. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Final exam.
30 A 184 Du Texte à la représentation: This course focuses on the text of a play, as well as its production in the theatre. The class studied one play, visited its set, met the director and the actor, and watched the play. Most appropriate for non-theater majors. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One paper (critique) and one final exam at the semester.
A 230 Initiation à l'espagnol: Beginning course for those who have never studied Spanish. Class meets two hours per week for the year.
A 236 Entretien en espagnol: This course is for people who have studied some Spanish. Slow paced. Stories were often read aloud in class, and the class paused for vocabulary and grammar questions. There was no homework or language lab exercise. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One examen partiel, one examen final.
A 270 Russe grands débutants: The instructor, a Russian woman, expected students to buy a textbook and to do language lab exercises. Students reported that they enjoyed the course, but the class may have 30 students (not unusual in France). COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One partiel, one final.
A 301 Histoire ancienne: COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Readings, written assignments, partiel, and final written exam. The professor asks students to work hard on oral and written expression skills in French.
A 401 Initiation à l'histoire de l'art et à l'archéologie: Two sections are offered, Initiation à l'Architecture antique, and Introduction à la Préhistoire-Méthodes d'étude et de datation.
A 501 Initiation à la géographie: The lecture part of the course deals with fundamental notions of the Earth's rotation, climate, ocean currents, magnetic fields, etc. The lab included map interpretation exercises, but no homework. American students are given the option of taking the course for one semester instead of the full year. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One partiel, one final (in June). If taken for one semester, the partiel is treated as the final.
FACULTÉ DES LETTRES --DEUXIEME CYCLE (SECOND YEAR)
B 022 Techniques audio-visuelles: This small, interactive film class discusses the uses of lighting, camera angles, and backgrounds, ultimately learning to document these details for a sequence of film that each student has visualized. Students are also required to work with a film camera in the required workshop. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: 2 projects (one in-class graded exercise, one take-home project); one exam at the end of the semester.
B 022 Langage cinématographique: Should be taken with the above module. Its fast-paced, theoretical focus requires learning a lot of technical vocabulary. Some previous exposure to film theory would be helpful. There was a reading list and a text, but the exam focused more on lecture material. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One final exam at the semester. 31
B 025 Approches du tiers-monde: Includes methods in history, geography, and literature. Suggested by professors and past students. Usually offered as a semester class, fall or spring. American students may be allowed to take just one or two of three sections, covering history, society, and literature. Large lecture-type course.
B 119 Didactique et enseignement du français langue étrangère: This course is designed to be taken along with B 125 (Linguistique et grammaire françaises). The class is rather free-form, and students are given many handouts with examples of teaching exercises. The TD is said to be fun, with open interaction between students and the instructor. M. Jouvenot "lectures clearly and is easy to understand". COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One examen partiel, one final.
B 125 Linguistique et grammaire françaises: (Various instructors) An overview of the field of linguistics, with emphases on distributional linguistics, generative grammar, semantics, and enunciation. Prof. Côte is very helpful and understanding if you have problems. She tends to lecture quickly but will slow down if asked. Start on the definition assignments early, because it is difficult to get the dictionaries out of the library. The course is the complement to B119. The grammar and linguistic sections of this course each meet one hour per week. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Two out of class assignments, two tests, and a final, which "was supposed to be comprehensive, but was not."
B 182 Théâtre contemporain: Students had mixed reactions about the professor and the course, neither of which were said to be too well organized, but the teacher was helpful, knowledgeable, and very involved with local theatre groups. The class was recommended for students with no background in theatre as well as for theatre students. The latter group enjoyed the course for the exposure it gave them to the French theatre scene. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Written compte rendu of the weekend workshop; Final exam over the lectures at the semester.
B 183 Écriture théâtrale: For the first semester, the class has a lecture format. The second semester is a workshop in which students adapt a story into play form, and eventually produce some scenes in the workshop. Script writing in French is challenging, but good for one's language skills. The professor is well organized and adept at teaching. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: There are no exams, but rather two scenes of a play written by each student to be handed in first semester, and one more major script to be handed in during the second semester.
B 191 Littérature et civilisation françaises du Moyen-Âge: Multidisciplinary course. Instructors try to create a synthesis of several important themes of the Middle Ages. Literary texts studied in light of the ideology and society of the times. Locatelli is an expert on the region and applies many themes to examples still visible in Besançon. Latin required for the literature component of this course. The literature and civilization components each meet for one hour per week. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Two essays during the year, partiel and final exams.
32 B 192 Littérature et civilisation françaises modernes et contemporaines: Suggested by professors and past students. The civilization and literature sections each meet one hour per week.
B 222 Cours de traduction: This class is challenging, but allows for mutual help between French and American students. The class meets in three sessions first semester, and two during second semester. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Graded homework assignments, one common partiel, and a common final in June.
B 226 "Economics translation": 3 hours weekly, one each of discipline-specific English-to- French translation, French-to-English, and grammar.
B 227 Traduction/thème anglais: Anglophones do well in the French to English session (thème), but the English to French session is more difficult, and faster-paced. Mme Somnier often asks Anglophones for their opinions. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Two graded devoirs, one partiel, and one final in June.
B 316 Sociétés anciennes et environnement: Recommended by professors and past students.
B 335 La Franche-Comté dans l'antiquité: Class meets two hours per week. Large lecture-type course. Also open to older, non-degree students as part of the "Université Ouverte" program.
B 337 La Franche-Comté à l'Époque contemporaine: Class meets two hours per week.
B 339 La Franche-Comté médiévale: Class meets two hours per week.
B 662 Sociologie de la déviance: Recommended by professors and past students at Franche- Comté. Difficult, but very interesting.
B 663 Anthropologie de l'espace: Recommended by professors and past students.
B 672 Initiation à l'anthropologie audiovisuelle: Examines the history of the documentary film, continuing into an in-depth analysis of ethnographic films. Classroom discussions (rare in a French university) are good. "A great course." "The professor is very willing to accommodate foreign students."
B 802 Déscription du français langue étrangère: Recommended by professors and past students.
33 FACULTÉ DES LETTRES --Licence (Third year)
Third year courses are generally listed in the "2000" range. Fourth year courses begin with "3000."
American Literature: Eugene O'Neill: In the first few weeks the professor lectured about the author's life and the circumstances that influenced his plays. He lectured on the plays themselves for the rest of the year, primarily on Mourning Becomes Elektra. (NOTE: The author considered could change from one year to the next.) COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Outside readings on the playwright from a bibliography distributed in class, an oral presentation, and a final exam.
Romantic English poetry: An interesting, fast-paced class, but very little class participation. The professor is excellent, and truly enjoys the subject matter, which treats the origins of Romanticism, and readings from Blake, Coleridge and Wordsworth. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One oral exam in June (even though the class is held only in the fall).
Renaissance theatre: The professor stresses themes involving foreigners in Elizabethan drama. The class is usually smaller, and the professor often puts students on the spot as she pauses to ask them questions about the works discussed (Marlowe's The Jew of Malta and Shakespeare's Othello). COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One paper at the end of the first semester and an oral exam in June.
Shakespeare: MacBeth and Othello: The course is a rigorous analysis of these two works. Each one receives a semester of study. Mme Petrault assigns optional papers that students can submit to check their progress. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: A final exam in June.
Twentieth Century Poetry: This course covered primarily British poets, including T.S. Eliot, Philip Larkin, Stevie Smith, W.B. Yeats, Robert Graves, Wallace Stevens, and Ezra Pound. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Two papers and a final exam, which can be substituted by an oral presentation.
Gestion des relations industrielles: This course is among the LEA offerings (Linguistique Etrangère Appliquée). Even though the class is not very structured, it is fun and interesting. The lectures pertain to business and human resource management. The course draws mainly from Journot's humorous lectures--there is no text and few handouts. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One partiel and one final.
Marketing: Another LEA class, Marketing is very straightforward, using the examples of several French companies to illustrate basic marketing principles. Since many of the terms are in English, anglophones have a small advantage. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One partiel, one final.
34 FACULTÉ DE DROIT
Economie générale: This challenging class meets for two two-hour sessions each week. The first semester deals with microeconomics, the second with macroeconomics. It is a large amphitheater lecture class. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One partiel and one final.
Economie de la Communauté Européenne: The course examines laws and diplomatic relations as they exist now in the EC, and the laws, treaties, state memberships, and summit meetings that play a part in the integration of the Community. Class meets 1.5 hours per week.
Relations internationales: Masson's course follows a textbook he wrote. He also likes Americans and is willing to make special provisions for American students in his class. Masson's conservative viewpoint becomes quite obvious in this large amphitheater lecture class. Colard is extremely well organized, and the text he uses is easy to follow. It is also reported that he has a good sense of humor and is friendly toward Americans. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One partiel for American students (this is intended to help the students check their progress); one final exam in June.
Droit international: This, too, is a large amphitheater class. Its partiel and final are comprehensive. KU spring semester students have successfully completed this course as a "spring term" course. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: One partiel mid-year and one final.
Histoire des institutions publiques et privées: Recommended by professors and past students.
FACULTÉ DES SCIENCES
Biologie des Organismes: (premier cycle, second year course) The instructor has had American students, and has given us the following report: "Je présente les étudiants à leurs camarades français et je demand à ces derniers de les aider dans les cours ou TP - TD. J'invite même les français à communiquer en anglais pour les entrainer dans cette langue. Je propose aux étudiants américains de me demander des renseignements complémentaires s'ils ne comprennent pas immédiatement (en général ça marche bien). Au moment des partiels, je propose d'utiliser dans certains cas les termes anglais si les phrases en français ne sont pas assez clairs pour eux. En résumé, je trouve cette collaboration très fructueuse pour toutes les parties."
Chimie organique: The professor reports that American students have had difficulty with written expression, but seem to follow the methods of an organic chemistry course in France. COURSE EXPECTATIONS: Reading, memorization, and active participation in the travaux dirigés are required. Announced quizzes, mid-year, and final exams.
Géodynamique externe et interne: Continental erosion. Requires a good comprehension of the language, and a background in geology. First-year course.
35 Comments from students and faculty:
A chemistry professor advises:
"En Physique ou Mathématiques il est préférable de ne pas engager un étudiant américain. Attention, ce n'est pas parce qu'un étudiant undergraduate américain n'est pas capable de suivre, mais plutôt parce que la méthode française pour enseigner ces deux disciplines n'est pas la même. A mon avis, un étudiant scientifique peut réussir en chimie, en biologie, mais il doit également faire du français au CLA."
Past participant comments:
--"Spring semester courses are easier to find in the departments of history and art history, and sometimes in literature. First year courses ('A' level) are generally easier to enter in January than the second year courses."
--"Math instructors in the Faculté des Sciences use different teaching methods, and math courses tend to be very different for even the best of American math students."
--"Foreign language courses are offered at the Faculté des Lettres in German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and ancient Greek, though they usually presuppose one year or more of exposure to the language. Beginning level courses are sometimes offered in Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Modern Greek, and Hebrew."
--"Third year courses in Spanish and German are also offered at the IUT. The IUT courses emphasize conversation and writing skills with some instruction in technical and business vocabulary."
"The classes on the region of Franche-Comté at the university are worth trying out, or you can find the same topic in some of the courses at the Université Ouverte, set up mostly for retired people. They don't mind you going in and listening."
"Most of the first year "A" level courses at the Faculté des Lettres were very basic as far as subject matter is concerned. First year history and art history courses were very basic as far as subject matter is concerned. First year history and art history courses were too large and the professors seemed uninspired."
HOUSING IN BESANCON
Students who elected to be placed in university housing for the academic year will be lodged in student dorms located at the Bouloie campus, near the IUT, the Fac de Droit, a student restaurant, and other university services.
The cost of your housing in the dorms is included in the program fee. In addition, you will receive a monthly stipend that will be sufficient to cover the cost of three meals daily either in the university cafeterias or to buy groceries, and a monthly bus pass. Students who elected to 36 find housing on their own will receive the same amount as is paid for the program housing each month along with their monthly stipends. Students who live off campus will be entirely responsible for covering housing expenses over and above the amount of this stipend.
Whatever the housing arrangement you have selected, be sure to take some personal mementos, photos, etc. along with you to decorate your room. The university form rooms have recently been renovated, so there will probably be restrictions in place designed to protect the rooms, i.e. no nails in/scotch tape on the walls, etc. Be sure you pay attention to your housing regulations— ask questions if you need clarification. In any case, you will be happy to have photos and other items from home to personalize your new space.
With the assistance of the graduate program assistant, you will have to check in with the CROUS (university housing) office on arrival, and fill out a number of forms. The form that will concern you most is the Etat des Lieux.
This form is a check sheet upon which you are to detail the condition of every CROUS-issued item in your apartment. If there are any problems with the condition of wallpaper, paint, furniture, etc. you should mention it, so that you are not held responsible. Likewise, items that appear on the check sheet that are not in your apartment should be noted.
The CROUS office takes extremely seriously cleaning staff reports (or other) of clandestins, or squatters, who stay in rooms of paying occupants. The situation may be temporary, as when someone receives visitors from out of town, but it is still one of the CROUS office’s biggest concerns, and one of the surest ways to have problems with them. You should check into other lodgings for your guests before they arrive.
If you intend to seek an apartment off campus you are advised to arrive in advance. Normally there are plenty of apartments available at the start of the academic year. Because it will be difficult to find a guarantor (work contract required), and the deposit can be up to three times the rent, it is best to try to find a private renter. The aforementioned criteria are almost always upheld at the realty agencies. Thus, it is advisable, and relatively easy to seek offers of private renters. It’s usually a good idea to check the bulletin boards around the university to see if there are any French students looking for a roommate. The cost of rent may vary depending on the location and size of apartment. At any rate, be sure that the conditions of the rent contract are clear and understood before signing. You will also want to make sure that you know whether or not utilities will be included.
Allocations logement
Students who live off campus could be eligible to receive a housing subsidy from the French government, known as an allocation logement. A copy of the previous year’s tax returns is necessary to obtain the allocation logement from the Securité Sociale office. Students living in the CROUS may not apply for the allocation logement; it is only available to students renting an apartment or studio. Those students who choose not to live in student housing can ask the GPA how to apply for the allocation logement.
37 CRIME AND SAFETY
Although violent crime is much less frequent in France and Western Europe than in the United States, it is important to remember that it does occur. As in the U.S., recent years have seen an increase in violent crime in France, although crime statistics do not come close to equaling U.S. numbers. Nevertheless, it is important that students understand that their status as an exchange student does not make them immune to crime, and that they exercise the same precautions abroad as they would at home. Just as it usually takes a while for students to equate colorful Euros with real money, students need time to assimilate all that is happening to them and to recognize that their lives abroad are "real." Common sense about safety and personal security will be as invaluable during your year abroad as it is on any American campus, or in any American city.
Program participants in the past, especially women, have often reported incidents of harassment. This can take a relatively "mild" form, such as catcalls or remarks on the street, or it can be a more frightening incident in which a student is followed for several blocks or insulted on the bus. These incidents are very troubling, especially if they occur early in the period of study abroad, because students do not yet feel "at home," either in the language or the culture. Students can have difficulty understanding remarks and the intentions behind them, and it is frightening to feel stripped of the linguistic tools that make us feel more in control at home.
Students who experience incidents of harassment sometimes feel that they have been singled out because they look "too American," or have not succeeded in blending in to the culture. Harassment is not a gauge of the success or failure of a study abroad year. It is a serious occurrence that can drain your energy and confidence.
A note to women: you may perceive differences in the role of women or the perception of women and their status in France. You will also meet international students from many different cultural backgrounds throughout the year abroad. Women from different cultures (including the French culture) may not have the same status or role as in the U.S. or your home country, and women may find themselves in situations where they experience anxiety, confusion, fear, and/or anger. Some past participants have found that host country nationals and/or some international students from various cultures have a distorted and stereotyped image (often acquired through advertising, television, and movies) of American women. On-site staff and your GPA may be able to provide insights into the host culture’s view of women, and they can provide suggestions for reducing anxiety while ensuring one’s personal safety.
Of course, not all students will experience incidents of harassment during their time abroad, but it is important to remember how helpful it is to discuss such events with people around you who can offer support and reassurance. The Graduate Program Assistant is always available to discuss any such concerns, and can be helpful in processing differences between French and American culture that contribute to feeling especially frustrated when harassment occurs.
During your time in Besançon, you should remember to pay attention to your surroundings, and to exercise common sense concerning your personal safety, just as you would in the U.S. Students are encouraged to do things together with other students or with at least one other friend late at night. Use extra caution whenever you judge that the hour or your surroundings
38 might make safety a particular concern. If you are going out for the evening, you should let someone know where you are going and approximately what time you are expecting to return. Because of the seven-hour time difference between France and the U.S., students often make phone calls to home in the late evening hours. Students in the past have usually let a roommate know when they were stepping out to use the public telephone, and how long they expected the call to last.
Past participants also counsel students to be aware that the later buses, usually the last two buses before the system shuts down for the night, are very rowdy and can be frightening when belligerent bus patrons become aggressive. These later buses are crowded, and are often full of people leaving bars to return home, sometimes after an evening of overindulgence in alcohol. Students should pay close attention to their surroundings, and should sit toward the front of the bus, or consider sharing a taxi at the end of the evening. The Besançon police are aware of the problems that sometimes arise on the later buses, and they often make a special point of timing patrols to coincide with the bus routes and schedules.
Students should familiarize themselves with whatever safety/security measures are in place at their student or private housing and then follow them strictly. Students sometimes hesitate to implement the safety measures at their residences, i.e. never open the door of your building, room or apartment to anyone you do not know, are unsure of, or are uncomfortable with, for fear of seeming rude. Your personal security is your first priority, and those living in your building and/or your apartment will appreciate your using caution and common sense.
Safety issues will be addressed during orientation. You are encouraged to pay careful attention at this meeting and to ask any questions, no matter how elementary they may seem. Students should always report any incidents to the IUT coordinator or GPA. We at the Office of Study Abroad are mindful that for some of you these may be new issues. We mention them not to alarm you, but to let you know that we are aware of the realities of life in larger cities/metropolitan areas such as Besançon. We are eager to help you to develop the skills you will need to make your year abroad even more enjoyable and memorable.
SETTLING IN: ADJUSTING TO LIFE IN BESANÇON
You will face many challenges and accomplish many things during your time abroad. It is important to remember that the vast majority of students experience a period of adjustment during the program abroad. Consider the “down” emotions as a part of the study abroad experience, rather than counting them as signs that you are not adjusting in a “normal” way. Plan ahead for those periods when you will find yourself focusing on being homesick, missing friends and family, and yearning for all the familiar things that are part of your life and college life in the U.S. Allow yourself to have those bad days as a part of your adjustment process, and learn from them what you can about your own coping mechanisms and strengths.
Past participants have mentioned various strategies for dealing with homesickness and what is sometimes called “culture shock.” You might try keeping a journal or writing letters to yourself about the strengths you are developing through living and studying in a new culture. Make it a point to get out of the apartment/dorm for a calm walk or find a place where you can work out.
39 Some students enjoy using time alone for working on the language, inviting friends or roommates for a meal -- to name just a few suggestions. If you feel you are experiencing depression to an extent that you find frightening or disabling, be sure to share this information with the Graduate Program Assistant. An outside and objective perspective from someone who has experienced these same feelings can be helpful and shed new light on potential coping strategies.
Remember also to be realistic about the goals you have set for yourself for your time of study in Besançon. Develop a sustainable plan for their achievement, and don’t be too hard on yourself if some of your goals seem farther from your reach than you had originally planned. Goals for acquiring proficiency in a language, for example, take years to achieve; try to focus your energies in a way you know you will be able to maintain, rather than in fits and starts. Friends you meet may be French--or they may be Dutch, German, British, Korean, Senegalese, American--or anyone else! They may in fact be very capable or native English speakers.
You will need to develop a plan for speaking French as much as possible, while still allowing yourself some time to communicate with friends--your program group for example--in English. Make it a point to interact as much as possible in French. Your plan might include a conversation/dinner period each night during which all of those gathered--whatever their native language--agree to communicate with each other in French. Muster your courage to speak in class, to discuss your courses with your professors, to approach French students about borrowing class notes or to address potential new friends in French. Remember to give yourself points for the French you speak on the bus, at the post office, in the supermarket, etc., or that you absorb from the radio, television, class time, and conversations around you. You are learning more than you think, but it will take hard work over an extended period of time to become truly comfortable in French.
One of your goals for your study abroad program will probably be to make French friends and, hopefully, to develop lasting friendships. Students are often disappointed to find this is not happening as quickly as they would like. Be aware of cultural differences where friendships are concerned and differences even in what is meant by a “friend.” Many students find that friendships take hold much more slowly than in the U.S., but they seem to be deeper and less superficial in many ways.
You will have to invest quite a bit of time and energy in order to meet the French and to develop friendships beyond the superficial. We often hear from program participants that it is “difficult” to meet the French, and it is true that after an initial buzz of interest on the part of those interested in Americans and American culture, there is often a disappointing lack of personal follow-through. Keep in mind that you will probably have better luck in developing friendships if you look for people with interests similar to your own. Such relationships are more likely to outlast the initial fascination that others may have with people from a different culture. Look around for activities, clubs, sports, etc. that might afford you the opportunity to spend time with others who share your interests. This will provide you with opportunities to meet people, practice your French, and develop friendships over a period of time, rather than expecting to rush into relationships and gain many new friends immediately.
40 Your Graduate Program Assistant will help organize activities throughout the academic year that will bring the Besançon group into contact with French students. Keep in mind that large groups of Americans conversing in English in their own corner are not an inviting bunch to approach, and most French students will assume you are happy with the friends you do have and will not bother to approach. Do your best to avoid spending all your time with your American friends, although they will be an important source of support--and fun--during your time away from home. Remember that the French usually do not extend invitations to their homes lightly, and that being invited to a family’s home for a meal or a weekend is significant. It is important to be on time, to be polite, and you should certainly bring flowers or an appropriate token of appreciation to your hosts’ home when such an invitation is extended. If you are not sure what is appropriate, ask! The GPA or on-site faculty can assist you, and certainly your French friends and acquaintances will appreciate being asked about their culture and traditions.
Individual experiences with French culture have of course differed widely, but past participants have indicated that it is important to include information that addresses the diversity of those experiences. Your experience in France will certainly be influenced by people’s perceptions of you.
Minority participants may learn that host country nationals hold stereotypes or have misconceptions about them. Non-visible minority groups, such as lesbian and gay students face different challenges. Lesbian and gay students, who are openly gay on the home campus, may feel pressure to modify behavior in a host culture that is not accepting of differences in sexual orientation. To better appreciate your year in Besançon, try to learn as much as you can about French culture before departure. This will help give you more realistic expectations of your host culture--both the positive and the negative aspects. Always feel free to address the GPA with your questions and concerns.
TELEPHONE SERVICE IN FRANCE
France Telecom offers one of the most modern national telephone services in the world. They handle all the telephone booths and all the residential and commercial service in metropolitan France. Phone installation is not usually considered by students to be prohibitively expensive in France, even if you must have a phone jack installed in your apartment. Customer assistance may not be as readily available as in the U.S., but the phone is reliable and the French system offers some advantages, particularly the télécartes, not widely available in North America.
Pay Phones France Telecom has replaced all coin-operated pay phones with card phones. To use a card phone you must purchase a 50 or 120 unit card from a post office or tabac. It is normally cheaper and more convenient than using a coin-operated phone. A local call will consume one unit. A card with 120 units will give you about a ten-minute call to the U.S. Coin phones are still found in some cafes, bars, and restaurants.
If you would like to receive a phone call in France and you do not have a private phone, each pay phone number is posted near the phone. Since international calls to the United States often cost more than calls from the states to France, it may be a good idea to make an appointment at a
41 pay phone outside your dorm room to receive a call from home. Another option is to call home, give the pay phone number to your contact in the states, and then have them return your call.
Another cheap option for calling overseas from a pay phone is to buy an international télécarte. Since the best type of international calling card varies from week to week due to various promotions, it is best to ask the caissier at the tabac which phone card will be the best for your money. International calling cards are code cards, as opposed to the local calling smart cards. You can generally buy an international card for 7.50 Euros for 1 hour of calling or 15.00 Euros for 200 minutes.
Calling to and from France
Dialing from the United States requires the international access code, “011”, plus the French country code, “33.” To call Besançon from the U.S., you must next dial “3” before the eight digit number. For example, to call the French phone number (0)3.81.88.62.15 from the states, you would dial: 011-33-3-81-88-62.
Calling anywhere else outside France (e.g., to Germany, Italy, the U.S.) from France requires the French international access number, “00.” Add the country code after this number if you want to dial direct from your own phone, or if you want to use a télécarte. To call the U.S., for example, you would dial “001” (1 is the country code for the United States and Canada), the area code and the number. Some foreign cities will have city codes that begin with “0”, but France Telecom will interrupt your attempted call with a recording that you never begin a number with a zero, regardless of what number you are given. In this case, you merely omit the zero.
Cellular Phones
Cellular phones can be a cheap and convenient telephone option for exchange students. There are three cellular phone companies in France: SFR, Bouygues, and Orange. Until you receive your carte de séjour, your subscription to a cellular phone service will be restricted to a mobicarte, or pre-paid cellular phone. The cheapest cell phone of this type is about 80 Euros and recharges can be bought for between 5 Euros and 50 Euros at the tabac. In France, the rave is to send text messages, which does not consume units very quickly. Another convenience of the pre-paid cellular phone is that each recharge activates the phone to receive calls for 6 months, even if there are not any units left on the phone to call out. Cellular phones may call and receive calls internationally, while calling may prove expensive.
With the carte de séjour and a bank account, a compte bloqué may be bought for a contract length of 12 months minimum. Despite the overlap of the service with the study abroad program duration, the compte bloqué may actually save money in the long run.
42 Important Telephone Numbers
The following is a list of some emergency/important numbers:
POLICE 17 SAMU-SMUR (ambulance) 15 POMPIERS 18 CENTRES ANTIPOISON 78.54.14.14 or 83.85.26.26 DOCTORS Dr. Cusinier 81 83 38 01 39 Quai Veil Picard
Edith Mougin 81.52.22.16 Cabinet Medical de Planoise 23, avenue Ile de France HOSPITALS Hôpital Saint Jacques 81.66.81.66 2, Place St. Jacques Hôpital J. Minjoz 81.66.85.79 1, Blvd. Alexandre Fleming
MEDICAL SERVICES
In case of any serious medical problem, try to notify the GPA, the IUT Coordinator (Pascale Bouvet), or at least one of the other members of the group. The program staff in Besançon is ready to help you if you notify them of your problem.
It is not necessary to visit a doctor in France in order to obtain prescription strength medicine for minor aliments, as French pharmacists are qualified to “prescribe” antibiotics etc. based upon a description of symptoms. This system saves time and money.
To see a doctor in France, simply render yourself at the doctor’s office during his posted hours. You may visit any doctor. There is a doctor on rue de Battant, next to the Poste. Another doctor is located on the Grande Rue, just across the street from Monoprix. Walk-ins are fairly standard and it is up to you to take notice of your turn. There is not generally a sign-up list. After the doctor’s visit, if you do not have French insurance, then you will be asked to pay the standard fee of 20 Euros. If you cannot afford to pay this fee, then keep in mind that the doctor is still obliged to examine the patient. So do not hesitate to go to the doctor if you are sick.
If you are interested in taking advantage of the French social security benefits of medical care for students, you may buy the student LMDE insurance for about 170 Euros, which covers the entire year. This insurance coverage pays fully for medical visits as well as pharmaceutical items (including birth control). This insurance may be used as proof of insurance for the carte de séjour, and may be a cheaper option than paying for American insurance coverage overseas. This insurance may be purchased at the scolarité of the IUT or at the LMDE office.
As always, it is up to you to take care of yourself. If you do not feel well, please do not hesitate to let someone know. Quality medical care is readily available in France.
43 The doctor that you will most likely be required to see for your carte de séjour medical control is Dr. Cusinier at 39 Quai Veil Picard. His phone number is 03.81.83.38.01.
A gynecologist that students have used in the past is Dr. Catherine Besançon-Roux at 13 Rue Mouiller, phone 03.81.40.38.38. Students concerned with birth control should be sure to know exactly what hormones are in their pills as the names of medications are not the same from country to country. It is advisable to save an insert from a previous prescription to be able to give to the doctor to insure that the same birth control is being prescribed.
In the unlikely event that you require medical evacuation to the U.S., the KU program benefits include Assist America Coverage. You should have received information about this emergency insurance and a brochure with your orientation packet.
WHERE TO EAT IN BESANÇON
Student meal tickets can be bought and used at any of the three restaurants universitaires in Besançon. Each restaurant has a slightly different system and different times for buying tickets. All have a snack at lunch (a line where you can buy small items with cash) but this is more expensive than the chaine, the cafeteria line where entrées and complete meals are served and where only meal tickets are accepted.
Before you can wait in this line, you must have a meal ticket, which can be bought singly or in carnets of 10. Meal carnets will cost around 27 € each.
The three university restaurants in Besançon offer simple, nutritious, and unquestionably institutional fare, but it is a good buy:
La Bouloie The cafeteria at the Bouloie is located across the avenue de l'Observatoire from the Faculté de Droit, very close to the program housing. From the IUT you can walk over the hill along the avenue, and the restaurant will be clearly marked on your right. Otherwise you can take the #7 Campus bus past the IUT to the Université stop. Carnets of tickets can be bought between noon and 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the main lobby. While this RU (restaurant universitaire) is very convenient when you have classes at the IUT, Fac de Droit, or the Fac des Sciences, the crowd behavior can be rowdy at lunchtime. There is a good deal of pushing, shoving and cutting in line, so assertiveness will help you to be fed more quickly. After lunch, you can go back downstairs to the main lobby for an inexpensive cup of coffee. At night there is not such a crowd. Past participants have indicated that the food here is better than at the Bouloie for dinners.
La Cité Universitaire de Canot The crowd is usually more courteous at Canot. You can get there from the following bus stops: Croix d'Arènes, Siffert, Veil Picard, and Canot. The restaurant is in the old cité universitaire that the Bouloie has more or less replaced. Canot is located in the "V" formed by the intersection of the Quai Veil Picard and the rue A. Janvier. If you enter the building from Veil Picard, the ticket window is to your right past the reception desk as you pass 44 through the front door. Here, too, you can buy tickets from noon to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
To get in line for lunch, you can go outside through a door to your left from the ticket window and across the courtyard to the metal awnings. Here there is a chaine, a snack, and a chaine rapide, where you are given a reduced choice for the sake of convenience. There is a cheap café that is open until 2:00 p.m. It is just across the hall from the meal ticket window.
Mégevand The third and newest resto-u, Mégevand, is just next to the Faculté des Lettres on rue Mégevand. While this "RU" is the prettiest of the three, it serves much less food than the other two. Mégevand is more convenient on days when you have classes at the Fac des Lettres and do not feel like walking ten minutes to Canot. You can buy tickets through a large door in a courtyard just to the left as you face the front door of the restaurant, from noon until 1:00 p.m., but only Mondays and Thursdays. Here too is a café downstairs where you can get a cheap cup of coffee after lunch.
Don't forget that a university meal ticket, no matter where it is purchased in Besançon, is valid at any of the three restaurants universitaires.
You will be served slightly less food at night than at lunch if you go to Canot or the Bouloie, but less is always more than you get any time at Mégevand. At Mégevand, you typically get one petit pain, one yogurt, and a large plate with potatoes, rice, pasta, or a vegetable with a meat dish on the side, noon or night. At Canot or the Bouloie, you get bread, a starch or vegetable dish, a meat dish, and a choice of three items from the following: yogurt, green salad, prepared salads, coldcuts, fruits, cheese, and puddings.
Vegetarians can always substitute a starch or vegetable dish for a meat dish, but sometimes vegetables may be cooked with bacon or meat juice. Even so, there are always salads, bread, cheese, and yogurt. When anyone takes the full allotment of food at Canot or the Bouloie, it is often too much to eat.
In general, the university restaurants offer the most copious, well-rounded food in town for the price, even if it is not home cooking. It probably costs more to cook at home for dinner unless you eat beans, lentils, or pasta for several people every day and split the cost. Many people eat at the university restaurants for breakfast and lunch, and then cook at home for dinner.
Schedules: Students should consult the current schedules posted at each of the university restaurants. In general, the following has been the schedule: on weekdays, all three restaurants are open for lunch and dinner. The lunch chaines are open from 11:45 am until 1:15 p.m., and at dinner the chaines open at 6:30 p.m. and close at 7:45 p.m. There are snacks at all three for lunch, but they have shorter opening hours than the chaines. Only the Bouloie has a snack open for dinner.
45 On weekends, one or two of the restaurants will be closed at any given meal. This works on a rotating schedule, so you will have to check the bulletin board as you stand in line during the week.
The Grands Surfaces: These large supermarkets have very low prices and good sales almost all the time, and are good places to stock up on groceries and toilet articles. For a list of them, see the section below on "Shopping."
Small Supermarkets: As in the U.S., you can often expect to pay more at these small corner grocery stores. They are usually closed at lunchtime, and have a limited inventory. However, certain small grocers are open later hours and on Sundays (see below). There is a Casino in virtually every neighborhood and two or three are located downtown, although they usually cannot compete in price with the Monoprix, also located downtown.
Outdoor Produce Markets: You will find a sheltered produce market at the Place de la Révolution (Place du Marché) which is open 7:00 am-7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with at least 20 stands open all the time. At the markets you can choose the best, cheapest produce from a number of competing stands. If you go to the Place du Marché near closing time, the merchants will shout bargain prices at you, trying to outdo each other in order to sell all of their day's stock.
For excellent sandwiches and salads, try the Boîte-à-Sandwiches, which is located by the Mairie where the bus turns the corner as it comes into town. They have a wide variety of sandwiches, ranging from chicken and beef to shrimp and avocado. They cost a bit more than sandwiches at other “sandwich shops” (about 5 € rather than the standard 3.5-4 €) but they are made with fresher ingredients and often, with better bread.
Sunday Grocery Stores: While it is rare to find épiceries open on Sundays, there are a few around Besançon if you find your cupboards bare on Sunday morning or have to make last minute preparations for dinner with friends. They are usually more expensive than the grands surfaces or even than the little corner stores. The quartiers arabes generally run on the Arabic week, Thursdays and Fridays being days off. Thus, these would be ideal locations to find stores open late and on Sundays. The Rue de Battant is an example of such a location down town.
There are other grocery stores where you can find a full line of Middle Eastern products (like olives, couscous, figs, etc.) and Asian products or African products. If you enjoy stir-fry, tofu, or Indian food, these stores carry many goods that traditionally French grocery stores rarely, if ever, have.
46 TRANSPORTATION IN BESANÇON
City buses: Besançon has a remarkable transportation system for a town its size. The bus system is known as the Ginko, and its vehicles run from before sunrise until after midnight. Buses in Besançon are not completely punctual, but drivers usually make an effort. Sometimes they are late, but they do run ahead of schedule on occasion. On rare occasions there are demonstrations in town, difficult weather conditions, or other traffic irregularities that severely limit bus circulation for a few hours.
There are also general transportation strikes from time to time that will have a great impact on your schedule, as you will certainly rely on the bus system to get around. Keep in mind that everyone is impacted by the strikes, which are not gratuitous, but in response to political, economic or working conditions affecting the bus drivers. Make it a point to read about the strikes if they occur, so that you will understand the various issues currently under discussion. You will have a chance to watch the French as they--frustrated as they are with transportation conditions--get very creative with bikes, roller skates, group walks to work or class, etc. in order to deal with the strikes while they last.
On weekdays until about 8:00 pm (20h00), Besançon's buses run at intervals of ten minutes or less. Later at night and all day on Sundays, there are fewer routes, and buses run less frequently, about every half hour. Saturday daytime buses run on the same routes as weekday buses, but less often. However buses do link downtown to La Bouloie seven days a week, from early in the morning until after midnight.
Schedules are posted at every bus stop except at stops that are being remodeled or at those few stops where the schedules have been defaced. There is also a comprehensive bus guide with schedules for every bus every day of the year (available for about 3 €), as well as free pamphlets for each route. These guides are available at bureaux de tabac while supplies last, or sometimes you can get them for free at the Ginko office. When you ride the bus, you are subject to random ticket checks, and anyone who cannot prove that he or she has paid in some form (valid tickets or a bus pass) will be fined at least 35 €. All tickets must be validated (composté) by punching them in the white machine at the bus entrance, and are valid for an hour thereafter.
Individual tickets purchased on the bus cost approximately 1,05 € each. There are also several formules of booklets (carnets) that can be purchased at tobacco and newsstands that allow for 10 rides. Un carnet de ticket bus sold at Tabacs includes 10 one-hour bus tickets and costs 8,90 €. Purchasing a book of tickets adds up to a considerable savings over individual ticket purchases. By far the cheapest option for a month of bus travel is the bus pass. Single tickets are useful when you first arrive, or during months when you will be travelling outside of Besançon for more than a week.
The Graduate Program Assistant will help students obtain bus passes during the first week in Besançon. To do so, one needs a student card, a passport, a photo. There is an initial fee of about 3 euros to the Ginko office. (If you do not have a French student ID card, you need an ISIC student card, and an attestion stating that you are a university student.) Once you have the initial bus card you also need to purchase either a weekly (7,30 €) or monthly pass (21,90 €). At the 47 beginning of each subsequent month, all you will need to do is purchase a new bus pass stamp at any tabac displaying the Ginko logo.
Students should remember that many people rely on the bus for transportation every day. This includes school children, business people, shoppers, university students, etc. Buses will be more crowded at certain times than others, and will take longer to make their routes at the "peak times." Bus drivers are usually friendly, but they expect that most bus riders will be familiar with the protocol, and can seem gruff or impatient. Riders who need to buy tickets will board the bus on the right side of the divided entrance. Riders who have a bus pass or transfer in their possession will board the bus on the left side of the divided entrance, and will usually do no more than flash their pass/transfer as they get on the bus.
Buses can become very crowded and unruly late at night, especially the last two buses of the evening. Students should remember the advice given in the Crime and Safety section of this handbook concerning selecting seating near the driver in the front of the bus and/or splitting a taxi back to their housing rather than taking the last bus. During the day, school children, especially boys, have posed a problem in the past by hassling and heckling American students on the bus. Children, and others, notice very quickly groups of Americans chatting in English. Americans are somewhat of a novelty in Besançon and can attract unwanted attention. Interest can range from genuine and friendly curiosity to teasing and insults. Most past participants have agreed that the best way to handle any unwanted attention is to ignore those attempting to provoke a reaction, although this can be very difficult at times. For the most part, the Ginko is an inexpensive, convenient and efficient means of transportation, and students appreciate it very much, despite the annoyances they have sometimes encountered.
Taxis: Even though the bus is the most economical way to get around town, keep in mind that it is usually relatively easy to find a taxi. If you are ever in a great hurry or find yourself stranded after the buses stop running, you may want to consider a taxi. All official taxis will have a “Taxi” light displayed prominently on the roof. Taxis will often refuse to take more than three people, as they generally do not like to carry a passenger in the front seat. Cab fares are based on the metered rate and a ten percent tip, while not mandatory, will be expected. A typical fare from the train station to centre ville would be around 10 €.
LIBRARIES
University Libraries: In order to check out books in the University libraries you first must present your student ID with the detachable section marked Bibliothèque de l'Université. Then you will fill out a few forms, and thereafter be registered at that library. Anyone may use the reading rooms, where reference works and some periodicals are located. To borrow books from the library, you must be registered and must complete a form for each book listing the title, author, and call number. A librarian will retrieve the books from the stacks for you.
The library for the Fac des Lettres is on the premier étage (one up from the ground floor) in the main building on rue Mégevand, and is open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm (7h00-19h00) weekdays.
48 The IUT library is on the premier étage of the Bloc Central and has a large reading room with a wide selection of periodicals and reference works.
The library for the Facultés de Droit et des Sciences is located in between the buildings housing the two Facs, across the avenue de l'Observatoire from the RU-Bouloie.
Students on the University of Kansas program also have access to the médiathèque of the CLA. This library is richly stocked with magazines, newspapers, books and videotapes in a variety of languages. The médiathèque also houses excellent language lab facilities, and some computers that program participants can use for classwork and language study.
Community Libraries: The Bibliothèque Municipale is on the rue de la Bibliothèque (where else!) near the St.-Maurice bus stop in centre ville. Past students have reported being denied library privileges, presumably due to the other possibilities available to students.
According to former participants, a nicer and friendlier library in centre ville is the Médiathèque Pierre Bayle at 27 rue de la République, adjacent to the Centre d'Informations Jeunesse (see Travel and Vacation Resources) and open afternoons Tuesday through Saturday. The Salle de Presse et Actualité is a reading room stocked with dozens of current newspapers and hundreds of periodicals. You can also choose, and listen to CDs in the center's discothèque. To check out books (from the Bibliothèque des Adultes) or CDs, you will have to pay a small fee for a subscription (abonnement). Even if you choose not to subscribe, the médiathèque is a comfortable place to read.
MAIL, BANKING, SHOPPING
La Poste: Post offices in France provide many services in addition to postage stamps. At central post offices, one can change money, at a good rate with no commission charge. All post offices offer bank accounts and telephone cabinets from which one can place a call, and then pay afterwards at the counter. Be sure to allow plenty of time to transact your business, because service can be slow. When purchasing stamps, or sending a package, etc., be careful to wait in line at a guichet offering the appropriate services, or you will find yourself at the back of another line after patiently working your way to the front of the first.
Besançon’s main post office is at Rue Proudhon and Rue de la République, and remains open through lunchtime. The main post office will not accept large packages, which can be mailed from the bureau de poste on Rue Picasso in Planoise.
Airmail letters from France to the U.S. will arrive in one to two weeks, while letters from the U.S. to France only a few days more both ways. Surface mail packages from the U.S. will take a full two months to reach you in France. Past participants recommend mailing a box with winter clothes and coat to the program address at the IUT in early August.
Please keep in mind that you will probably pay European import tarifs upon delivery of your package.
49 Banks: Although it was still the norm five years ago, many participants on the exhange will not choose to open a bank account in France. Bank accounts can be useful or necessary if you choose to do business in France. If you will be paying bills of any kind, it is almost a standard in France to pay by electronic virement (money transfer). You may also choose to receive you stipend every month by electronic deposit. Many services in France operate by insertion of a French bank card, called a carte bleu, especially the automatic train ticket distributors. Should you open a bank account, many banks, each with numerous branch offices, do business in Besançon. Past program participants have had a variety of experiences with different banks. It may be wise to shop around and determine which bank offers you the most services and greatest convenience before opening an account.
Government allocations require a French bank account. Students considering renting an apartment in Besançon will need to open a French bank account. Mr. Franck Henry at the Caisse d’Epargne located at the corner of Rue des Granges near the Poste bus stop has been helpful in the past for banking needs. Keep in mind that it may be wise to shop around for a bank since various fees can accrue quickly.
Automatic teller machines (a.k.a. “cash machines” or ATM’s) are now quite common in France, allowing withdrawal of cash from a French bank account or against a Visa or MasterCard account. Students have been able to withdraw funds directly from a bank account in the U.S. with a CIRRUS bankcard issued by a U.S. bank. Although many other European countries also accept PLUS cards, France does not yet appear to be on the PLUS network. Check with your bank about your specific type of ATM card.
It is also possible to get a cash advance with a Visa or MasterCard inside any bank displaying the card’s logo. This is probably the easiest and fastest way to get money in an “emergency”. You will be charged for the Euros based on the current exchange rate. Most banks will charge a fee for cash advances, so it probably is not the best way to handle your everyday banking.
Visa is accepted more widely in France than MasterCard, but some smaller shops in France are unwilling to accept bankcards issued in the U.S. To guarantee universal acceptance, try to get a Visa with a “EuroCarte” logo.
Shopping There are plenty of shopping opportunities in Besançon, at a wide range of prices, and representing the dichotomies of modern French life. On one hand, the traditional tiny specialty shops still prosper. Yet, on the other, huge hypermarchés flank the edges of virtually every French community. There are several discount stores offering cheaper housewares, and others where you can stock up on groceries. Without a car, it is more convenient to shop at nearby, smaller stores, but prices may be as much as 25%-50% higher than in the grands surfaces or hypermarchés. The grands surfaces are not as conveniently located, unless you happen to live across the street.
In France people have the habit of going to more than one store or market each day for their shopping, though the grands surfaces are growing in popularity. To get the best produce at the best price, people still go to open-air markets. To get the best bread and pastries, people will go 50 to their favorite bakery, and other stores specializing in other products. There is still a certain amount of seasonal fluctuation as to which fruits and vegetables are in stock, and non-seasonal products seem comparatively more expensive in France.
Bargain Housewares: You will probably need to purchase some household items such as hangers, thumbtacks, towels, etc. All of these can be found at Nouvelles Galleries on the Place du 8 Septembre, although the prices are higher there. There is also a Monoprix in centre ville (downtown), which carries many of the same items as the Nouvelles Galleries, but at somewhat lower prices. Both of these stores have a section devoted to groceries, and the selection is generally good.
Probably one of the most inexpensive places to shop is the shopping center at the end of the Chateaufarine bus line. There you will find a variety of discount shops and restaurants, including the Géant Casino, which is a sort of combination grocery store and Wal-Mart. The Intermarché (at the Intermarché stop of the #2 Orchamps bus) can also have some spectacular deals on housewares, but you can never be entirely sure of what they will have in stock.
Recent program participants have recommended Casa, located downtown, as a good place to find cheap household items and also gift items. The stock will vary somewhat from week to week, and the store has been described as resembling a discount Pier I. There are also some close- out/liquidation places where you could buy things even more cheaply, but their product lines vary much more from week to week.
Last of all, there is the open market in centre ville, where on Saturdays, vendors of housewares and cookery pull up their vans onto the Place de la Revolution (better known as the Place du Marché). This is also where you will find the fresh produce market Monday through Saturday. These vendors have a wide assortment of little gadgets, housewares, books, clothes, etc.
STUDENT CARDS AND THEIR USES
Since the Kansas-Franche-Comté exchange program is administered by the IUT, you will receive a folding student card from the IUT. Its bottom half may be torn off, but the bottom sections should be conserved because they will enable you to use the libraries.
There is also a section on the top half of the student card where the CROUS office at the various university restaurants will mark off and initial how many carnets of meal tickets you have bought. In doing this, CROUS ensures that you are not buying more than your share of tickets and selling them to non-students who are not entitled to subsidized meals. In any case, you will probably never buy your limit of tickets.
Student cards must also be presented at the time of partiel and final examinations, where they are sometimes checked and marked. This is not always done, but you never know. The student card, as stated earlier, must be presented to obtain a carte de séjour. You must also present your student card at the CTB to qualify for student bus rates. The Université de Franche-Comté student card is required to obtain a SUAPS card that entitles students to participate in university- 51 organized sport classes. There exist a diverse number of sport classes for students and most of them are free. The SUAPS card is available at the Gymnase de la Bouloie.
You cannot accomplish the above tasks without an official Université de Franche-Comté student card. For discounts and other privileges you may use your official card, or else the CIEE international student ID. Any valid student ID will entitle you to discount rates at museums and most weekday movies, but only the CIEE international ID card carries supplemental health insurance benefits.
You can also buy discount train tickets (known as Trans-Alpino, BIGE or Wasteels, depending on agency and destination). Ticket agencies ask for a student ID when you purchase a discount train ticket because they know that the controller on the train will probably challenge you for it. Anyone traveling with a student discount ticket but who cannot prove student status is subject to a fine.
SNCF has a special card for youth passengers called the 12-25 Card that entitles holders to significant discounts on train tickets. These cost about 50 € and past participants have indicated that the cost of this card is easily paid for through discounted tickets. Purchasing train tickets as far in advance as possible is good advice as certain classes of seats (ie. 12-25 discount tickets) fill up faster than full price tickets.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Theater: If you are interested in acting or in attending plays, there are plenty of opportunities in Besançon. There is a University theater group, an English language theater group, and other community groups in Besançon. Mme Garbagnati, a theater professor at the Fac des Lettres is quite familiar and active in the local theater scene, and may be able to give you some advice. If not, there are posters all over town for upcoming productions, and announcements for University theater meetings in the main building of the Fac des Lettres. Exchange students in the past have become quite involved in the Besançon English Language Theater (BELT), since their native English language skills were eagerly sought. It's fun, but won't do much for your French. Plays are produced at the Théâtre Municipal and the Kursaal, both across from the Fac des Lettres on the Place du Théâtre. There are a few other small theaters in centre ville, as well as a multi-purpose theater and auditorium at Planoise, where out of town productions come to perform and other events are held. This theater is called the Espace Culturel Planoise and is located on the Place de l'Europe, one minute's walk from the Poste.
Cinema: In addition to the four commercial movie houses in Besançon, the Espace Planoise shows art films and holds film festivals every so often. Students can also watch weekly movies in an amphitheater at the Fac des Lettres for only about 3 €.
The commercial cinemas have 13 screens among them. The Plazza (59, rue des Granges), the Vox (62 Grande Rue) and the Plazza Victor Hugo (6-8 rue Gambetta, next to France Télécom) carry first run movies.
52 Museums: Three of Besançon's museums are behind the walls of the Citadelle, which is a site to explore in itself. The 7,20 € “student entry fee” is good for all of the Citadelle's attractions, which can be visited every day but Tuesdays. The Musée Comtois depicts regional folk culture. The Natural History Museum includes the zoo (prepare yourself, conditions are sad, complete with concrete and very small spaces for the animals), the aquarium and the insectarium.
The most notable of the three is the internationally known Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation, which chronicles the rise of Nazi power and repression before and through the war. This museum holds a vast collection of photos, documents, first-hand accounts, and artifacts from the period. A visit to this museum is a powerful, sobering experience, and students should be prepared for it. It is a valuable opportunity for learning about the Holocaust and the French Résistance.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie houses a remarkable collection of French paintings and Roman and Gallo-Roman artifacts from the region. This museum, located on the Place de la Révolution, is free to students, and is open every day but Tuesday. Entrance is free to everyone on Saturdays after 2:00 p.m. (14h00).
Concerts: There are probably fewer opportunities to see live music in Besançon than in Lawrence, Kansas, but they exist and attentive and interested students will find them. Such concerts usually cost more than Lawrence residents will be used to as well. Occasionally a café will have a band playing that people can watch for free. There are always posters pasted up all over centre ville when there is a musical event.
Evening Activities: Recent program participants recommend the following night spots and cafés: "Las Tapas," “Le Cactus Bar”, "Le Bar de l'U," and "Pub de l'Etoile". For dining out, highest recommendations go to the restaurant, "Chez Pierre.” "La Tour de la Pelotte" is also very popular, although it is a relatively expensive "treat."
One past participant sent this report: “ La Tour de la Pelotte did not impress me very much. It did have a very nice decor and the servers wear middle age-like costumes, which adds to the environment. However, the ducks that they serve are forced to walk to the restaurant so they are a bit tough. The best pizza in Besançon is found at Al Sirocco located on Rue Chifflet. The pizza is very similar to what is found in Italy.”
Special Events: Every Winter at the time of Mardi Gras, European countries celebrate Carnaval. This event is not as rowdy as in New Orleans, but people still disguise themselves, have crazy parties, clog up traffic, and throw flour on everyone in centre ville.
The liberation of Besançon is celebrated on the 8 September with fireworks and outdoor revelry. Students are encouraged to participate in this event. Le Marché de Noel at Place Granvelle is well worth a tour, however the Marché in Strasbourg is more impressive. Besançon hosts a regional music festival in the fall over a month with many outdoor concerts. Most of the concerts for this festival are classical music. The contest of youth conductors is always a highlight for this festival.
53 Sometime in May the whole region shows off its livestock, wine, cheese, and other regional products at the Foire Comtoise. It is held in the Parc des Expositions, just across from Planoise at the Micropolis bus stop. The foire is quaintly similar to an American county fair, except for the truly exceptional selection of fine wines and cheese. In addition to the rides and carnival- style games, you can sample fine regional products and get a feeling for rural France.
In mid to late June, all over France, the Fête de la Musique gives local musical groups a chance to be heard, and all citizens the chance to hear great music for free. The Fête lasts one week and events happen all around town, so wait and look for posters.
Traveling to Sochaux to see the local first division soccer team play against PSG, Marseille, or Monaco is a recommended sporting event. The Besançon basketball team recently moved from the second division to the first and for KU fans it is well worth a stop at the Palais de Sport to see a match.
TRAVEL AND VACATION SOURCES
Before you plan a long trip out of the country, you may want to look around for shorter trips to take in Franche-Comté or in France. Ask for tourism information at the Syndicat d'Initiative or a travel agency. France is the largest country in Western Europe and has an enormous variety of landscapes and places to see, often missed by students who feel they must complete the Grand Tour of Europe on every school holiday. The OTU is a student-based travel agency located on Rue Megevand that past program participants have recommended for budget travel.
Paris is now less than three hours away from Besançon on the TGV. There are excellent sites not to be missed nearby, including Ornans, Arbois for wine-tasting, the old center of Dijon (look for the owl), Beaune for les Hospices (a must), and cross-country skiing at les Fourgs on the Swiss border. So before you jump on the first train for London or Greece, consider traveling through Franche-Comté, back to Paris for the museums that you missed the first time, or to Brittany, Provence, or the French Alps. Only by traveling in the French-speaking parts of Europe will you improve your French.
For trips across the borders, Besançon's central location makes it a good starting point. Switzerland is about an hour away, and Germany or the Alps not much further. All of these destinations, and a number of sites in Franche-Comté, make for feasible weekend get-aways. You will also have considerable vacation time, and relatively inexpensive student travel options abound if you know where to look.
Travel Guide Books: A number of useful guidebooks devoted to France are easily available in the U.S. If you plan to do any traveling in France or in elsewhere in Europe, you may want to purchase a title or two from one of the following publishers: Let’s Go, The Rough Guide, The Lonely Planet. All of the books in these series are devoted to budget travel and contain reasonably reliable information on a multitude of possible travel destinations.
CLA Excursions: The CLA in Besançon organizes various group travel packages, which usually include travel, lodging, and part of your meals. Some of these excursions are day or
54 weekend trips within the region, while others may take you to Spain, England, Italy, and other countries during vacation periods. The CLA has also organized ski trips on Saturdays for about 30 €, including bus, rentals, and lifts. Contact Hervé Leches, Animateur - activités culturelles, for more information.
The Syndicat d'Initiative: Hikes, bike renting information, posters, books, and pamphlets on Franche-Comté are available at the Syndicat d'Initiative, across the bridge from the bank on the rue de la République. The park nearby is beautiful. Make sure you pick up a small white map of hiking trails around the town. The routes are all marked and ideal for bringing picnics and going all day. They also have a small, very useful orange map of the town.
Centre Information Jeunesse: The CIJ is at 27, rue de la République, right next to the Médiathèque. Here you can plan the costs of your trip, gather telephone numbers for lodging possibilities, and plan a rough itinerary of places you would like to visit. There are files on every country in Europe, containing useful information for students. There are also bulletin boards for classified announcements. Arrows will point you from the reading room to the billeterie, where you can purchase discount train tickets (billets BIGE) or consult the ride board to find someone who may be driving toward your destination. The center also organizes stages sportifs during which you could spend a week skiing, hiking, or sailing.
Student Travel at the Bouloie: OTU Voyage is a student travel agency with very helpful people at the Bouloie, in building AB between the Resto-U and the IUT. Here too you can sign up for stages sportifs, purchase Billets BIGE, or look into cheap bus fares.
One student suggests purchasing BIGE tickets whenever possible and whenever you travel by train. They give you a 25 % discount of the normal tariff and they're valid up to 2 months.
La Maison Pour Tous: The Maison Pour Tous organizes weekend hikes and other outings in order to bring members of the community together. MPT hikes happen almost every month, all over the region.
Monts-Jura and Devillairs: These are two private bus (autocar) companies offering service in the region, which may be the way to go if you take a weekend trip to Ornans. Ornans is fabulous for a day or weekend, and the valley in which it is located extends to the Swiss border. Monts-Jura has an agency at 9, rue Proudhon in centre ville, which is also where you catch their buses. Monts-Jura also sells train tickets, reservations, and vacation packages. Autocars Devillairs also offers service to small towns nearby.
NEWSPAPERS
The region's daily paper is l'Est Républicain, with offices in Besançon. This newspaper is more like an American paper in appearance and in its focus on local events. This paper also sponsors the publication of a free, monthly, youth paper called Topo. The latter has feature articles, calendars of upcoming events, and news about educational, vocational and recreational opportunities in a given month, along with some classified ads.
55 The GAB 25 is a classified ad paper, and a good place to find bargain used bikes and other second hand items. The GAB comes out every Wednesday and it usually goes quickly. You can pick up a copy at the office on rue Luc Breton, between the Quick hamburger restaurant on Grand Rue, and the Place du Marché at the end of rue des Granges.
B. V. V. (Besançon, Votre Ville) is another free, monthly paper published by the Mairie (city hall) and is delivered to every household. It serves as a voice for concerned citizens, gives praise to certain organizations and enterprises, carries feature articles about Besançon, Franche-Comté, and their histories.
Vu du Doubs is another free publication similar to B.V.V.
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES
For those who are interested, there are a variety of religious groups and activities.
The Protestant Temple St.-Esprit, with its 14th century balcony, is right by the Musée des Beaux Arts. There's also Centre Biblique, Assemblée de Dieu, and the Evangelical Baptist Church.
A stunning Catholic Church that is semi-hidden is found across the rue de la République bridge and to the left.
The Synagogue on the quai has some interesting history behind it and is beautiful. L'Eglise St.-Madeleine, during World War II, helped the synagogue by hiding their valuable Torah up in the church's altar.
There are also Mosques in Besançon, which has important Arab and Muslim populations.
SPORTS
University-organized Sports: Unlike American universities, there are no intercollegiate teams funded and cheered on by French universities. There are, however, university-sponsored sports classes for students. The office that administers these activities is called SUAPS, and its office is at the gymnase on rue Laplace (Busstop: Gymnase). Posters detailing the sports classes available start to show up in the Resto-U's at the beginning of the year. There are classes in Karate, Judo, Gymnastics, Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming, and the list goes on. Most of these activities are free of charge and available only to students.
Municipal Sports Facilities: Recent program participants have also recommended the Nautilus Club, located behind the Gare SNCF, as an inexpensive facility to join for exercise classes and the use of other equipment. Courses have included jazz and African dance courses in the past.
Tennis Municipal: Boulevard de la Grette
Patinoire Municipale: 44, rue du Docteur Mouras
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Piscine Couverte Municipale: 13, rue Mallarmé
Bowling: Route de Marchaux
There are also, of course, soccer fields, basketball courts, lawn bowling courts, and hiking trails throughout Besançon.
Club Sports: Most team sports are organized among clubs instead of at the university. There are too many clubs in Besançon to list them all here, but they include soccer clubs, a rugby club, a track and field club, an American football team, a kayak/canoe club, and many others. The graduate program assistant will be able to provide information on contacting and joining many of the clubs in which you are interested.
For students interested in playing in a competitive soccer league, there are many teams in Besançon. The level of play in the Division d’Honneur is nearly the same as in the Lawrence Adult Soccer League or for the KU men’s club team and the fee for a one-year “licence” and team contribution is quite reasonable. One team is named La Bousbotte and a contact person for that team is Michel Seguin at 03 81 81 35 20. This team trains near the Palais de Sport and normally welcomes foreigners. It is advisable to bring soccer shoes and shin guards and to practice with the team before making a decision to join.
We hope that you have found this handbook to be informative and helpful. Please make notes throughout your time abroad on information you feel should be updated, added, or changed. We rely on student participation to keep our handbook as current as possible and welcome your input. We suggest that you read this handbook carefully, share it with your family or others as appropriate, and take all of this information to France with you for future reference. Should you have any questions about these materials, please contact me.
Special thanks to Jennifer Sweeney (GPA, 2002-03) and Marlena Smith (2003-04) for their contributions to this handbook.
Ingrid D. Horton April 2005
Ingrid D. Horton Program Coordinator Office of Study Abroad Tel. (785) 864-3742 Lippincott Hall Fax (785) 864-5040 1410 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 108 Email: [email protected] University of Kansas Lawrence, KS 66045-7515
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