Art and biology in Eastern and Central Australia: Mountain rainforest, city, seashore and desert

 

 

 

 

Dates:         May 25 - June 21, 2009

 

Professors:  Dr. Sylvia Halkin, Professor, Biology

                    halkins@ccsu.edu or (860) 832-2651

 

                    Prof. Muriel Miller, Adjunct Professor, Art

                    millermu@easternct.edu or (860) 455-9918

                     

Courses:      Art 100: Search in Art, 3 credits

                    Art 494: Location Studies - Art: Australia, 3 credits

                    Art 494: Location Studies - Art: Australia, 6 credits

                    Biology 170: Introduction to Field Studies: Australia, 3 credits

                    Biology 470: Field Studies in Biology: Australia, 4 credits

                    Biology 571: Topics in Advanced Biology, 4 credits

 

Prereqs:      For Biology 470: Bio 200 and 290, or permission of Department Chair

                    For Biology 571: Admission to Graduate School or permission of Department

                        Chair    

                    For CCSU Art majors:  A successful portfolio review is required before

                        enrollment.

                    For all courses:  Interview with faculty teaching in the program

 

Travel Program Registration Deadline:     December 1, 2008

Scholarship Application Deadline:              December 1, 2008

 

Scholarships:   Students participating in any course abroad program may apply to the Center

                         for International Education for scholarship assistance.  Matriculated status at

                         CCSU and a minimum GPA of 2.50 are required and scholarships will not

                         normally exceed $500.

 

Travel Cost:     $5,425 per person, exclusive of tuition and registration fees, based on

                         double occupancy and a minimum of 14 students.

 

Note:  Students must separately register and pay for the academic course(s) associated with

           this Course Abroad Program.  All Summer course registration is handled 

           by the Enrollment Center in Willard Hall.

 

 

art and biology in Eastern and Central Australia:

Mountain rainforest, City, Seashore and Desert

On the other side of the Earth, with unique biota and dramatic landscapes, Australia is an ideal place to explore interests and develop skills in art and/or biology. The program will start in Sydney, home to national museums, zoos, a world class aquarium, and a large botanical garden with a resident flying fox colony. Next the group will travel to the Warrumbungles, a remarkable landscape of pinnacles with wild emus and kangaroos. Then the group will stay at a mountaintop rainforest lodge in Lamington National Park, south of Brisbane, and travel to North Stradbroke Island's dramatic coast. Finally, the group will visit Uluru (Ayers Rock), the largest single rock in the world and an Aboriginal Australian sacred site, and Kings Canyon in the arid Red Center of Australia.

The Art program consists of explorations of the unique landscape of Australia using painting, drawing, and photography. The students will concentrate on rendering the special sense of place in these beautiful, harsh, undomesticated environments. Students will work on developing skills of perception, technical abilities with the media they choose, and integration of the practice and theory of representational art. Projects and media choices will be made on an individual basis. Group critiques will provide a forum for students to discuss their work and receive suggestions and ideas.  

The Biology program provides the opportunity to explore Australian rainforest, desert, and coastal environments, and to conduct observational field studies of species distributions, growth forms, ecology, and animal behavior. Students will be guided in formulating biological questions about topics and species that interest them, and in designing and carrying out field studies at a level appropriate to their level of experience in biology. Each student will keep a detailed field notebook of daily observations and data for specific studies. Reports may be in standard scientific format or, when appropriate, in the form of detailed annotated illustrations.

This program is designed primarily for majors or minors in Art and/or Biology. Other students with high academic standing will be considered for admission. Students will be expected to work on individual projects outdoors for most of every day.  Acceptance is by faculty interview only.

 

The cost of the program include round-trip economy class airfare from Bradley International Airport, transfers between  airports and lodgings in Australia, air or ground transport (by bus) between major destinations, lodging, and 3 meals daily except for the 11 days spent in Sydney, Uluru, or Kings Canyon.  Guided hikes/activities at O'Reilly's, the Warrumbungles, and Uluru and Kings Canyon are also included.

 

 

Program Registration Form

Statement of Responsibility, Release and Indemnification