Italia 2006: initial Q+A

This section represents the sort of information the Director might provide at a scheduled information session and represents his candid views, preferences and opinions based on past running of the Field School. It is intended to begin to see if there is a "fit" between you and this unique learning opportunity.

1 How many credits can I complete?

_9 credits are required . IAT 391, IAT 392, IAT 393. The cost for tuition of these courses is included in your program fee for the field school.

_in IAT 394 a further 3 credits of follow-up work are offered in the fall. This cost is not included in the Field School program fees. This is highly recommended, but not required. Most people should, will and do take this course. Ten of twelve took it this year. This course is where we get to analyze the data and present our findings. You can have a complete experience finishing with IAT 393 in Italy, but more so by completing IAT 394. It is generally the preference of the Director that all applicants plan to take the follow-up fall course IAT 394.

Why would you NOT take the fall course?

If you are about to graduate. Or if you really don't need that sort of credit. If someone absolutely cannot do the course we can accommodate a few of these. But by and large students who do the 9 credits will want to do the follow-up course and crunch the interviews and data we gather in the field into something meaningful for publication. Unless you are about to graduate etc., students who will not commit to the fall course may be passed over in favor of a student who will.

_so if you take all four courses: 12 credits (plus Italian 100 if you choose, this opportunity can easily be worth a full term's credit.)

_what sort of credit is it? SIAT or general elective. Essentially the credit for the FIELD SCHOOL will work like our exchange student credits: the host institution (say Malmo University) has credit course numbers at their University. We have an agreement that our students while there can take a range of course that match a set of equivalencies at SFU.

Basically the same.

_WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE IN PLACE for the specific type of credit you get BY March 2006 is, specifically:

IAT 391-394 will be equivalent to the following,

_one of ID studio IAT 400, 411, 412,

_one of ID elective IAT {301 not best one to not take}, 312, 313, 391, 392, 393, 394, 401, 410, 480, 481, 485,

_and one SIAT of general SFU elective credit.

_plus one more of same if completing IAT 394

_if one takes all four course (IAT 391-394), plus Italian 100, and do a DS with me in following spring on advanced topics, this could be worth 18 credits of work to you

2 Costs

_last year $6000. This year: $6500. Why? Primarily, Fuel costs + rise in Airline tickets.

_consider the following however in the true cost: the program includes 9 credits in the cost directly which is roughly $1500 that you have to spend anyway in your degree. This is an amount that you can deduct from the total but that you would pay up front. Also there is an International Travel Study grant that roughly 70% of our students last term applied for and got. There is no guarantee on this one but if eligible for the need and can demonstrate it can mean $1000-$3000 toward the cost. Average is $1500.

So if you got it and got $1500, you would take the $6500 program cost and deduct roughly $3000 from it. So the real cost would be $3500 which includes a flight to Europe. Obviously there is no guarantee of this grant and you need to count on it arriving AFTER you arrive, not before, but best case, the scenario makes it more affordable. We run a workshop to help you know how to do the application to give yourself the best shot at getting one.

_what all IS included in the cost? Airline group booked flight, all accommodation, ground transport while in Italy (trains, vans), some group dinners, entrances to museums and events. Plus nine credits of tuition. It's a VERY good deal. We get excellent group deals on museums and accommodation. You share accommodation in some places, but all are good sites with kitchenettes in all to keep food costs down. For example, the deal we have in Rome for your accommodation works out to about $20 per night per student. You can't CAMP in Rome for that price!

_what other costs should I anticipate? Food mostly. Then weekend travel expenses, other museums you may want to see, coffee, wine of course, gifts. Students who went last to years report that it is costing them about $1500-$2500 more. If you effectively share food cost. You can do it on less than that.

_you qualify for student loans as there is 9 credits in the term. I generally do not advise student loans. But it is my opinion that this program is important and valuable enough to students that you should consider this if costs would prevent you from applying and going.

_lastly, consider that you are picking up 9 credits in intersession. You can therefore afford to take a lighter load in the spring term so that you can work part-time or even full-time to save and take maybe Italian 100 and one other course. And you would not get behind others in your year in course credits, and still graduate on time .

3 Eligibility To Apply

_completed second year credits

_preference given to SIAT majors and Interaction Design students specifically

_GPA and transcript record to date

_if non-SIAT, students in a related discipline of design, such as those at Emily Carr or UBC School of Architecture will get preference

_see International website for other details

4 What am I looking for, as Director?

_leaders

_top students

_flexibility and maturity.

_people able to roll with things. People who tend not to complain or expect others to take care of things for them. People who TRULY think that "difficulties encountered along the way are simply fodder for a funny story later".

_passion for Design

_passion for study

_ability to work constructively in teams and with others

_ability to manage stress

_humility and honesty

_have preferably excelled in my classes or are senior level students in another area with a top-performance level GPA and record and come with recommendations

_people able to communicate with me when they have something on their mind and who will not feed the "culture of complaint"

_people with emotional maturity

_people who can control their emotions and who will not impact the group experience with their own problems

_people who are not looking for an easy way to travel Europe while having a drinking binge holiday (go to Club Med or do Con-Tiki)

_people TOTALLY committed to the research project and can keep the long-term in mind. We work together on this from when you apply in February to when you finish the fall course the following December: ALMOST A YEAR!!! We have to be in the same room together AFTER traveling in Italy for six weeks together. That's when the work really begins and we have to respect each other to the end

_people who will not develop sub-cultural cliques

_people who are intelligent enough and mature enough to realize that at 21 or 22 or whatever you are, that you don't know everything and that your current "opinions" are not permanent

_people who will not be a management or babysitting problem for the Director

5 Application + Interview Process

_how many will go? 10-14 max. Twelve went last year.

_SFU International site provide this info.

_each applicant this year will be asked to have an interview with the Director prior to acceptance

_each applicant will sign an agreement of the rules and regulations and cultural pact

_ finally, the applicants are usually selected by a committee of four that includes, The Director of the field school, the Director of SFU International, The Director of SIAT or designate and one other faculty member from SIAT.

6 Is this for me?

_it is important that this be a good for you and for the program

What is the benefit of doing it with the Field School?

_the field school will get you into places that most people traveling to Italy could only dream of: design studios, factories, universities will open up to you Even local Italian students generally do no get these permissions. Using our vans, we can get you into places so deep in the countryside they will take your breath away: the real Italy, without tourists. Italy is over-run with tourists and most people have TOURIST experience of the place and country. By the way: most Italians DETEST tourists. We will get you around this and avoid it like the plague. I am fluent in Italian and can get you out of problems faster and get people to help us where otherwise you will not because I can speak to people there in their native tongue. I can get you on a train when there is no space, I can get you into the Colosseum for free because I know it is included on a ticket with the Palatine museum even if the ticket person says it's not (it is by the way!). You have an expert on the ground: I've traveled extensively in Italy and studied there as an undergraduate student on exchange for a term and LIVED in Florence. You will learn while there and your impressions will be DEEP and lasting. You will spend six weeks in one place instead of two days, which is how most people see the country. You will leave Italy feeling that it is your second home.

Why you maybe should NOT sign up:

_there are LOTS of ways to travel to Europe.

Be very clear that if you choose to do it this way that during non-weekend days you are on UNIVERSITY TIME and governed at all times by the Universities policies and usual expectations. In the absence of the president of SFU, I am the representative of SFU. BUT so are you, we represent this University, this program and this COUNTRY everywhere we go. If you can't get that: don't apply. You would go on this only if you wish to STUDY in Europe. Do not apply if you wish to TRAVEL in Italy or Europe. That is the wrong reason to go. Apply if the subject of Innovation and Design is a burning passion. And please don't waste my time with application essays that say you do if you don't. Also don't go if you cannot make the discerning difference between what YOU are doing there and what the young people you meet are doing while traveling on their own. On weekends you may do whatever you wish. You may travel on your own afterward and do whatever you wish. But while IAT 392 and 393 are running under my Directorship your FIRST duty and commitment is to the program. If this is not what you are looking for and need more freedom, by all means travel on your own to Italy.

IF YOU:

_haven't made your own bed in years

_don't like HEAT!!!

_don't like to lug around your own luggage

_would prefer to shop than walk for ten miles through a strange city

_require a tour guide or concierge to assist in your needs when you travel

_don't like the sound of farm equipment, scooters, barking dogs or roosters, and particularly the sound of church bells

_can't start your day without a 10-20 minute HOT shower (or even warm)

_frequently operate a blow dryer and a curling iron at the same time before going out for the day, and must

_need to accessorize your daily outfit

_have a phobia of flying insects and crawling ones.

_will complain about mosquito bites: you WILL get them

_can't share a small suite for six weeks with other people who may a. snore, b. not be your favorite person c. have smelly socks d. other

_expect room service or ANYTHING at 2am

_think that the oldest person in the room is in charge of taking care of your needs, just because they are the oldest person in the room

_need champagne and clubhouse sandwich from room service or expect ANY help from an Italian front desk (forget it)

_but most importantly, that you do not want to STUDY and work on design projects while traveling

Then ItaliaDesign Field School may NOT be for you. Please pass this opportunity on to someone else!

IF ON THE OTHER HAND YOU:

_find the routine of the average tourist experience somewhat dull or better yet, akin to the devil's work

_like to interact with locals, experience the rituals of daily life (good and bad)

_want to go WAY beneath the surface when you travel

_are as interested in spending a day doing as the Italians say dolce fare niente (artfully doing sweet nothing) as in rushing around seeing the SITES and shopping

_love to cook or are willing to learn and will enjoy learning to do it Italian style

_think that the difficulties encountered while on the road are just fodder for a funny story later and that you know things WILL, absolutely, WILL, go wrong

_and don't like waking up in a hotel anyway because you have a chocolate stuck to the back of your head, because you failed to notice it on your pillow

_think that the instructor's workload is heavy but see the benefits of it and love the content

Congratulations!!! You have pre-qualified for applying, to compete, to be selected, to go on the ItaliaDesign Field School in 2006, 2007 or 2008. You are the perfect candidate! Make a reservation, I'll book the rooms and flights for you and you pack your bags!!

7 2006 Dates

_in 2004 we went June 07 to July 15 (45 days). The program work in Vancouver started May 01 and went to June 03 (5 weeks)

_in 2005 we started in Vancouver May 03 and went to May 26 th (4 weeks). We left for Italy June 01 and departed Milano for home July 13 th (45 days)

_the dates this year will be similar. We may leave for Italy earlier and return earlier, but this has yet to be determined. Probably it will be the week of May 15-22 and therefore if we do 45 days abroad again we would return the week of June 25 th to July 1 st . We are trying to get out of Italy before the serious summer heat and heavy tourism begins.

8 Destinations:

_in 2004 we used four bases for jump-off points and traveled primarily by train. We went to 1. Rome first for about ten days, then took train to 2. Florence for about two weeks, then went back down south to Southwestern Tuscany to stay at an "agrotursimo" in 3. Dolciano for 5 days before heading to Milano for two the remainder of the time, about 2.5 weeks

_in 2005 we used the same four bases but reversed the orders and slightly the amount of time in each. Rome for two weeks, then Dolciano for a week, the Florence for ten days and Milano for two weeks to finish.

_our on-screen presentations take place at our residence or at the local host University.

_weekends are generally free and often three day weekends. Most other days we tour and/or work on projects at our residences.

9 Can I stay in Europe after the course?

_yes

10 Packing

_more information on this in general info section. But you will be restricted to one soft backpack the size of which we will specify.

11 Do I need to speak Italian?

_Italian 100 is offered in the spring term at Surrey and at Burnaby campus in the fall term. It is strongly recommended that you complete this course. Preference will be given to those who show the initiative of doing the language course. That said, most Italians speak English and it is easy to travel Italy without it. But we are not merely traveling in Italy we are working with and speaking with Italian people and colleagues every day. Further, our projects are cultural and ethnographic in nature. To understand the language, clearly is an advantage.

_is it mandatory to being selected: no.

12 So, FINAL JEOPARDY, why should I do this?

_because it brands you differently in the competitive hiring market. Because you can't put a price on being able to say that you have met and shared minds with an Andrea Branzi or the great designers we meet, not just an "Italian Designer", the BEST in the country, world-famous, esteemed. You gain credibility by that story. You get 9 credits done of course work, then add 3 more for the fall course IAT 394, then 3 more of you take Italian 100. There are also opportunities to do further study with me in the spring term extending the project once IAT 391-394 have been completed and several students usually do take this opportunity. All tolled if you took advantage of all of this, you would complete 6 courses, worth 18 credits of work. Furthermore, the nine required credits of Field Study occur in inter-session freeing up credit space in the fall and spring terms for you, which can speed up graduation or lighten our load in senior studies. This is a very rich experience and returning students bring experiences to their work which is noticeably more culturally-rich. You make deep and lasting friendships and share experiences to last a lifetime.

13 What prevents the best from going?

_MONEY. If you can solve that. You'd do it. So then you just have to decide how much it means to you, If it's important, in most cases, you WILL Make it happen. Get creative. It's worth it.

14. Are you in??

_at scheduled info sessions:

Please put your name on the circulating sign-up sheet for 2006, 2007 or 2008 (and attach your email address). This allows me to contact you with updates and info, and to understand when you think you might apply, how strong and deep my application pool is, and that you wish to be considered as being "in the pool" until your time to decide and/or apply. This list gives me a sense of how much outside recruiting and promotion we need to do in advance. There is no guarantee that getting on the list equals a spot, the application and interview process settles this. Also, note that the program is running for third year consecutive in 2006, but that we may go to a bi-annual format in future and may not run in 2007 or 2008 and beyond. Essentially: don't assume that it will run every year.