(Required Course) Special Topics in Liberal Arts III: Berlin Experience and Reflection

This course will utilize the city of Berlin as a living classroom. The purpose of the course is to heighten cross-cultural awareness, and discuss the challenges of becoming a global citizen. Most classes will be conducted at a site in the city of Berlin, rather than in a classroom. Classes will include meetings with politicians, diplomats, and decision-makers – German,
Americans based in Berlin, and those working for the European Union. We will visit organizations managing the arrival of refugees and asylum-seekers. We will speak with those who are dealing with security concerns of the 21stcentury. Our readings will be drawn from German history and literature. Written work (ongoing and cumulative) will be focused on critical analysis of experiential learning and study. Further writing will be reflective, and encourage students to examine their own experiences of being Americans in Europe, and recording their experiences and reactions to what they see and learn.