Pre-Departure Guide Mexico Fall 2019
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Mexico Fall 2019 Page 1 Pre-Departure Guide Mexico Fall 2019 Return to Contents Mexico Fall 2019 Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome from Director F. Communication 1. Mailing Address I. ACADEMIC INFORMATION 2. Phone Numbers and Cell Phones A. Faculty and Staff in Mexico 3. Computers, Email and Internet B. Who to Contact Access C. Books 4. Library Resources D. Courses, Registration and Evaluation G. Travel Within Mexico E. Related Components of the Academic Program 1. Weekend Travel 1. Living/Learning Environment 2. Fall Break 2. Social Change Lab Group 3. Optional Travel after Program 3. Speaking Spanish Ends 4. Homestay 4. Visits from Family and Friend F. Semester Calendars and Schedules 5. Hotel Information H. Extracurricular Activities in Cuerna- II. GENERAL INFORMATION vaca A. Required Travel Documents 1. Exercise Options and Sports 1. Passport Requirements 2. Nightlife 2. Visa Requirements and Tourist Cards 3. Religious Life B. Safety and Security I. Money Matters C. Health Issues 1. Common Health Concerns J. What To Bring 2. HIV/AIDS 1. General Recommendations 3. Zika Virus 2. Suggested Packing Checklist 4. Health Care Providers 5. Alcohol and Drug Abuse III. MAP OF MEXICO AND U.S. STATE DE- 6. Immunizations PARTMENT COUNTRY INFORMATION 7. Diarrhea, Cholera, Typhoid and Dys- entery Prevention VI. ADVICE FROM FORMER STUDENTS 8. Health Insurance A. For Students of Color D. Arrival and Departure Information B. For White Students E. Locale and Facilities C. For Persons Identifying as Recover- 1. Cuernavaca 2. Currency Exchange ing Alcoholics or Addicts 3. Time D. For Students with Mental Health Is- 4. Weather Conditions sues from Former Students 5. Housing: Facilities and House E. For LGBTQ Students Rules F. The GSA (“Gay-Straight Alliance”) in 6. Roommate Assignments Cuernavaca, Mexico 7. Dates Housing is Available G. For Straight Students 8. Key and Linen Deposit 9. Housing/Room Rentals for Family V. Appendices and Friends A. Augsburg College Policies B. Education for Life C. Cultural Awareness Return to Contents Mexico Fall 2019 Page 3 WELCOME FROM DIRECTOR May 2019 Greetings from the Cuernavaca staff of Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experi- ence (CGEE)! We are excited that you have decided to come to Mexico to study during the fall semes- ter. We are looking forward to working with you. We hope that this manual will answer most of the questions you have about the program. It includes the general semester schedule, which is subject to minor changes, as well as lots of other useful information. Please be sure to read it carefully and either print it or save it to your laptop or tablet, as you will need it once you arrive in Mexico. Our approach to education is multi-faceted. We strive for holistic education that is experiential, inter- cultural, and rigorously academic. We try to create many opportunities for you to learn directly from a wide range of people representing diverse backgrounds and perspectives. In addition to guest lec- tures, we include numerous excursions throughout the semester in Mexico, including a rural homestay and seminar in the indigenous village of Amatlan, and an educational seminar in Mexico City. In addition to learning from lectures, required readings, and excursions, we believe that we have much to learn from each other and that this learning takes place by discussing our own analyses of what we are reading, hearing, and seeing. Therefore, we devote significant time to group discussion. You are encouraged to discuss what you are learning not only within the classroom but also through your homestays, internships, and other experiences. Please note that you will be able to purchase used versions of some of your textbooks IN MEXICO for US $10 - $20. However, check carefully, as there may be a few that you need to order online in ad- vance. While there will undoubtedly be some changes in your semester calendar, what we promise won’t change is the starting date (Thurs., Aug. 15), a day off on Fri., August 30th (after your week of travel to the Nahua indigenous village of Amatlan de Quetezalcoatl), a long weekend around Mexican Inde- pendence (Sat., Sept. 14 - Mon., Sept. 16), a 5-day holiday weekend around the Day of the Dead (Thurs., Oct. 31 – Mon., Nov. 4), and a 3-day weekend celebrating the Mexican Revolution (Sat., Nov. 16-Mon., Nov. 18). The departure date for most students will be Sun., Dec. 1. However, please note that if you want to travel after the program ends or use Cuernavaca as a home base for local trips or free time after classes are over, you may store your belongings and/or stay in our facilities until 2:30 pm on Fri., Dec. 13. However, no food will be provided after the official depart date of Dec.1. In addition to ongoing guest speakers and educational excursions throughout the semester, including at least four Saturday excursions related to the Mexican Art course, you will participate in two longer excursions that will help give greater experiential context to themes of your courses. The firstweek - long excursion will stem out of your orientation in August and consist of a trip to the Nahua indige- nous village of Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl , where you will stay with host families from approximately August 24 through Thursday, August 29th. This will be an outstanding place to learn about Mexican history and its legacy for indigenous peoples today. Return to Contents Mexico Fall 2019 Page 4 Then, roughly halfway through the semester, you will spend several days in Mexico City. While the starting and ending date could change slightly, the trip is planned for approximately Monday, October 7 through Friday, Oct. 11. We are planning excursions related to all of your different courses to take advantage of the opportunities offered by one of the largest cities in the world. Even though not eve- ryone is taking all of the same courses, this experience, like the week in Amatlan, will encourage you to make connections across courses and disciplines and learn from each other. During that week we will probably visit the U.S. Embassy in order to hear official voices regarding U.S.-Mexico trade and migration. We will also meet with migrants and deportees. Other probable visits include environmental and women’s activists and the BOING/Pascual factory, which is a Mexican worker-owned soda and juice company that now exports to the USA and else- where. Again, our hope is that you will be able to draw on these experiences throughout the rest of your semester in Mexico. Please note that most students will not begin their urban homestay until Friday, October 11, after the first intensive Spanish course and the week-long trip to Mexico City end If you want or need a longer homestay, please contact Lisanne Morgan at [email protected] right away and cc [email protected] and [email protected] When purchasing your plane ticket to Mexico City or Cuernavaca, please make arrangements to arrive by Thursday, August 15 by 3:00pm. If you need to arrive on Wednesday, August 14, you may stay in our facilities overnight free of charge. However, please contact our International Resident Assistant as soon as possible at [email protected] and cc [email protected] to make arrange- ments. The last day of the program is Friday, November 29. We recommend that you plan to stay on Saturday, November 30 in order to pack and say your goodbyes and then depart on Sunday, Decem- ber 1, unless you would like to stay later to travel. No meals will be provided after breakfast on Sun- day, December 1. Should you decide to spend additional time traveling in Mexico after that, you may leave things in storage in our facilities in Cuernavaca until 2:30 pm on Friday, Dec. 13 If you want to store them longer, you will need to make special arrangements. As soon as you have your flight infor- mation, send it to [email protected], and cc [email protected]. You are now part of a wider CGEE community throughout the world. Please celebrate that by follow- ing our Facebook page (The Center for Global Education and Experience Study Abroad), Twitter (@AugsburgCGEE), and Instagram (@cgeemexico). Share your photos and posts here and get respons- es from people in southern Africa, Central America, and elsewhere. Throughout the semester, here are some additional ways to stay connected with the wider CGEE community: Photos. Follow us on Instagram @AugsburgCGEE and @cgeemexico and use our unique hashtag #AugsburgCGEE to share your photos with us. Blogs. We always need guest blog posts – email Lucy Hardaker ([email protected]) with a link to your blog/blog posts that we can feature at Augsburg.edu/global/blogs. If you have questions about the schedule or anything else, please contact me at lutter- [email protected] Sincerely, Ann Lutterman-Aguilar CGEE Mexico Site Director and Global Faculty Return to Contents Mexico Fall 2019 Page 5 CGEE MEXICO FACULTY AND STAFF Dr. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Mexico Site Director Ivonne Marquez, Adjunct Faculty in Biology, and Global Faculty, [email protected] [email protected] In 1994 Ivone earned her Master of Science In 2011, Ann earned (MSc) in Forestry Genetics from the University of her doctorate in in- British Columbia in Canada. There she was able to ternational feminist build upon her undergraduate degree in Biology, theologies from the which she earned from the Universidad Nacional San Francisco Theo- Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) in 1985. Ivonne logical Seminary, has spent most of her adult life working in envi- which is part of the ronmental education and climate change.