Rollins in Sydney

 

Long before Australia’s explosion in the media and consciousness of the United States, Rollins College began its Fall Semester in Sydney. Since 1972 this unique program has given American students a solid foundation in Australian Studies and an exciting, well-rounded experience of Australia and its people. Students experience the benefits of studying on the campus of the University of Sydney, with access to all campus facilities and activities, as well as the support of a full time Resident Director and staff. This program is appropriate for sophomores, juniors and seniors with an interest in Australia.

The Rollins Fall Semester in Sydney curriculum was designed for Rollins students pursuing the Australian Studies Minor. The program is also popular with other students in many disciplines because it allows them to make optimum use of their time "Down Under" through special courses that include numerous field trips and excursions to places of historical, cultural and environmental interest and living with Australian hosts near the beautiful surfing beaches in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. The goal of the semester is to introduce students to Australian life and society through a variety of carefully planned courses,  interaction with a host family and a wide range of excursions.

An added bonus of this program is an optional five-week full time internship at the end of the semester program in early November. Students may work in a variety of fields in the business sector, for which they will earn three or four semester hours of academic credit. The internship is open to juniors and seniors, and costs an additional $1,500.

 

University of Sydney

Founded in 1852, the University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia.  Current total enrollment is about 38,000, with about 3,500 overseas students, of   whom about 200 are from the U.S. The architecture is reminiscent of Oxford and   Cambridge with its impressive stonework, gothic arches, and grassy quads. The   largest  academic library in the southern hemisphere is at the University of Sydney.  

Students on the program are honorary members of the University Union, which   provides an array of dining services, recreational facilities, study areas and a wide   range of clubs that cater to every interest and activity. The Sports Union and the   Women's Sport Association organize such events as scuba diving courses,   amateur   rugby league, bushwalking, tennis, mountaineering, rowing and weight   lifting, to name a few activities.

CALENDAR

The program is offered in Fall Semester. The semester begins in mid-July, with a two-week break in late September and early October, and ends in early November. Students who complete the 6-week internship will leave Sydney in mid December.

DATES

Fall 2005  July 11: Depart Los Angeles July 13: Arrive Sydney July 14-16: Orientation July 18: Courses begin July 18-22: Schedule Changes (Add/Drop) July 29: Credit/No Credit deadline September 23:  Drop Without Penalty Deadline Sept 26 - Oct 8: Term break Oct. 31-Nov. 4: Exam week Nov 8: Depart Sydney Nov 7: Internship begins Dec 8: Internship ends Dec 10: Interns depart Sydney

PHOTOS

Click here for photos of students in Sydney during Fall 2004.

COURSES

All students enroll in Crossing Cultures, a two-part course beginning at Rollins and continuing in Sydney.  Students will also choose four of the eight Australian Studies courses offered. Students who complete the Fall Semester in Sydney receive 18 semester hour credits. Students who complete the 4 1/2-week internship will receive an additional 3 or 4 semester hour credits. The following courses are awarded letter grades and four course units, with the exception of the Crossing Cultures Part I & II, which receives one course unit each. The letter in parentheses after the course title indicates the general education requirement fulfilled at Rollins.

Although the courses are taught on the campus of the University of Sydney, Australian students are not enrolled in these classes. The courses have been designed for the Rollins program.

Crossing Cultures, Part I & II  Part I takes place over the course of three consecutive Sundays during the Spring Semester at the Winter Park campus. Part II takes place during your semester in Sydney. Each component is 1 credit.  This is a required course and attendance is mandatory at all course meetings.

AUS 255 Australian Aboriginal Studies (C) The course provides an overview of Aboriginality in Australia, and seeks to develop an appreciation of contemporary indigenous communities generally, and present-day Aboriginality specifically. Students will examine Aboriginal society, culture, history and identity. Emphasis will be placed on Aboriginal information sources. Students can expect to encounter a broad range of media, including written and oral history, music, dance and visual arts. Students will also utilize more conventional resources, and will adopt a comparative perspective when viewing the relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australia, and the interpretations each group has constructed of the other. J. Newman

AUS 262 The Australian Economic and Political Systems This course examines the structure and functioning of the Australian economic and political systems. There is a particular focus on the dynamics and interactions of the systems and the mechanisms they have devised to adjust to change. An applied approach is taken in the subject with theoretical concepts and theories related to current events. Comparisons with other national economic and political systems will be made where appropriate. R. Pearce

AUS 288 Australian History (D) This course will survey Australia over the last two hundred years. What was the impact of convict society, pastoralism, urbanization and immigration, world wars and depression on Australian society? What hopes were held for this country and how far have they been realized? Is there a typical Australian or a typical Australian way of life? In the exploration of these issues, social and cultural experiences will be examined as well as economic and political developments. R. Broomham

AUS 300 International Business This course examines the strategies which firms use to compete globally. Topics include international competition, competitive advantage, international trade theory, international political economy, foreign direct investment, international operations, and globalization. It is taught from a managerial perspective and is case study based.  Students will explore those aspects that distinguish Australian business practices from other western economies. The problems of employment, foreign trade and Australia’s relationship to Pacific Rim countries will be examined. Students are expected to have a background in accounting and economics.  4 semester hours. R. Pearce

AUS 356 Australian Literature (L) The aim of this course is to study a representative sample of literature - poetry, prose and drama; to trace significant landmarks of achievement up to the present and to discover the distinguishing features of Australian literature. Topics to be covered include the colonial period, traditional poetry of the 19th and early 20th century, the short stories of Henry Lawson, drama in the 20th century, modern novels and memoirs. G. Boardman

AUS 361 Australian Art (A) This course surveys the broad nature of the Visual Arts in Australia and studies some of the significant movements, as well as the achievements of some individual artists. Following a survey of the significant international art movements over the last hundred years, the course will cover the first settlement to the Gold Rush, Australian Impressionism and the Heidelberg School, between the wars 1919-1939, World War II and the aftermath, The Sydney School versus the Melbourne School in the 1950's, Internationalism Australian style in the 1960's and artists of the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's. B. Fulton

AUS 368 Flora and Fauna of Australia (O,N) Australia's native animals and plants have evolved in isolation from the rest of the world and under different environmental conditions. A remarkable diversity of forms has arisen as a result of adaptation to a wide range of habitats. This course introduces students to this unique and diverse flora and leads them to an appreciation of the ways in which this biota is different to that of the U.S. Included are field trips to Taronga Park Zoo, the Australia Museum, Royal National Park, Royal Botanic Gardens, Long Reef Marine Rock Platform, Stony Range Flora Reserve, Sydney Aquarium, Featherdale Wildlife Park and Centennial Park. M. Manton

AUS 388 Australia's Physical Environment (P) This course presents Australia's unique environment, its variations and the reasons for these variations across the continent. Students will observe the way the natural environment and its variations influenced the settlement and development of the nation, and how these are now reflected in the patterns of land use and population distribution. Students will also observe the consequences of settlement and development, to evaluate the impact which people have had on the natural environment, and to understand the extent and type of environmental alteration that has occurred. Students will learn about Australia's major environmental problems and concerns, and evaluate measures being undertaken to cope with these. B. Weekes

INTERNSHIP

The internships will begin in the second week of November, and end in late December. Positions are available in the business sector in business administration, banking and finance, marketing and sales, tourism and hotel management and non-governmental organizations. Students are required to enroll in AUS 280 during the Fall Semester. Students work 35 hours per week in their placement and participate in an internship seminar.

Students are required to keep a daily journal of their work experiences, activities and impressions. You will write about the work environment, your role and accomplishments, type of atmosphere in the workplace, organization and lines of authority, channels of communication and use of time. Your journal will be read weekly by your internship advisor, commented on and returned to you.

A final project will be submitted at the end of the semester. The topic, type and presentation of your project will be decided jointly by the student and the internship advisor.

FIELD TRIPS/EXCURSIONS
All of the courses include field trips and/or excursions to points of interest related to the course. The Physical Environment course includes four full day excursions to explore the natural environment of New South Wales. Flora and Fauna has several day long field trips to national parks and several half day excursions to a variety of locations. The Art course includes visits to galleries and museums, and the History course includes visits to museums and cultural and historical sites. The Literature course and Aboriginal Studies course include visits to area theaters.

All students are invited to attend a performance at the Sydney Opera House, and all students participate in a weekend trip to Canberra, Australia's capital city, in the last month of the program.

FACULTY AND STAFF
The faculty and staff of the Rollins program are all long-time residents of Sydney, and most of them teach at universities in the city in addition to the course that they teach for Rollins. The Rollins College office at the University of Sydney is staffed on a full time basis during the fall term. As the program is relatively small, with approximately thirty to thirty five students, a caring, friendly bond generally develops between the faculty and students.

The resident director, Mr. Graham Boardman, is from the Faculty of Education at the University of Sydney, where he worked for many years as the Head of the School of Teaching and Curriculum Studies.

ORIENTATION
Students are met by their Australian hosts at the airport. There is an extensive two day orientation program at the University of Sydney which introduces students to the faculty and staff, to the program, the university and the city. This is followed by a full day excursion which includes a tour of the Eastern Suburb beaches, where most of the students on the program live, and a harbor tour. 

HOUSING
Living with Australian hosts during the term is an integral part of the program which gives students an inside perspective on Australian society. Homestays are available in the neighborhoods near the University of Sydney, or in the Eastern Suburbs, near the surfing beaches. Most of the program hosts have been a part of the Rollins program in Sydney for several years, and many deep and lasting friendships have formed between them and their students.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications are available from this website.  Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print the application.

Click on the link below to print out the application.  Fill out the first four pages and return to International Programs.  You will need to give pages five and six to a professor to fill out, who will then return those pages directly to us.  You will need to fill out the top of page seven (Dean's Statement) and take it to the Dean of Student Affairs. They
will fill it out and return it directly to International Programs.  

PLEASE DO NOT PRINT DOUBLE-SIDED PAGES.  Print each page on a separate sheet of paper.

Rollins in Sydney Application

USEFUL LINKS

Australian Studies Minor

University of Sydney

 

Back To International Programs Home