Pre-Departure Guide Namibia & South Africa Spring 2019
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Southern Africa Spring 2019
Page 1
Pre-Departure Guide
Namibia & South Africa
Spring 2019
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Southern Africa Spring 2019
Page 2
WELCOME FROM THE NAMIBIA TEAM
Dear Participants:
Greetings from the Namibia staff of the Center for Global Education and Experience! We are excited that
you have decided to come to Namibia to participate in the program entitled “Nation Building, Globaliza-
tion and Decolonizing the Mind.” Throughout the semester we will study the dynamics of socio-
economic, political, and cultural change, and where possible use comparisons from the U.S. both to clari-
fy and to point out the parallels between our nations and regions. All of us on the academic staff have
been collaborating in planning the program and will be with you throughout the semester. The rest of the
Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE) staff in Windhoek will also be working with you and
are looking forward to your arrival.
CGEE’s educational philosophy emphasizes holistic education for personal and social transfor-
mation. Hence, our approach is both experiential and academically rigorous. We try to create many op-
portunities for you to meet with Namibians, South Africans and others who represent different view-
points and sectors of society. We then encourage you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, analyze your
experiences, reflect upon your emotional reactions to them, and contemplate ways in which you can act
upon and apply what you have learned. This approach is consistent with Paulo Freire's philosophy of edu-
cation which promotes social transformation and recognizes students and teachers as co-learners, in con-
trast to a more traditional "banking" philosophy of education, in which the teacher deposits knowledge
into the minds of passive students without ever questioning the status quo.
We strongly recommend that you read this program manual carefully, as well as do some prior reading
about the region. To get a perspective on local current events, you may want to regularly log on to the
web site of the local English language newspaper, The Namibian (http://www.namibian.com.na). For
more regional coverage, you can log on to the Mail & Guardian (http://www.mg.co.za) from South Africa.
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane will give you a picture of life under apartheid, and any novel by Bessie
Head will give you valuable insights to gender roles in southern Africa. We also encourage you to read
Neither Wolf nor Dog by Kent Nerburn. While the book focuses on Native Americans, the issues raised in
this book are somehow similar to the issues in southern Africa, and will also enable you to make a com-
parison between southern Africa and the U.S.
Finally, we encourage you to bring a journal in which to record your experiences throughout the semes-
ter; you may wish to begin writing before you leave for Southern Africa.
Again, let us tell you how delighted we are that you will be learning with us. We look forward to meeting
you.
Sincerely,
CGEE Namibia Team
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Southern Africa Spring 2019
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACADEMIC INFORMATION
E. Locale & Facilities
A. Faculty & Staff 1. Namibia
B. Pre-Trip Reading & Book List 2. Windhoek
C. Academic Information 3. Housing
4. Library
1. Program Overview
5. Time
2. Internship
6. Weather
3. Independent Study
7. Food
4. Academic Week
8. Electrical Current
5. Registration Information and Dead-
lines F. Communication
6. Program Participation 1. Snail Mail
7. Assessment and Grading 2. E-Mail and Computers
8. Class Participation 3. Skype
9. Honesty Policy 4. Phones
10. Incomplete Grades F. Extracurricular Activities /Personal Travel
11. Credit and Transcripts G. Money Matters
D. Related Components of the Academic H. What to Bring
Program 1. Dress
1. Orientation in Johannesburg 2. Computer
2. Living/Learning Community 3. Additional Advice
3. Home-stay Program 4. Gifts
4. Seminars in South Africa 5. Luggage
E. Tentative Calendar 6. Packing Checklist
J. Maps & Country Information
II. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. Required Travel Documents III. APPENDICES
B. Health Information A. CGEE/Augsburg University Policies
1. General Recommendations B. Education for Life
2. Insurance C. Cultural Adjustment
3. Inoculations
4. Meningitis
5. Hepatitis
6. Malaria
7. General Health Care
C. Safety & Security
D. Travel Information
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CGEE FACULTY AND STAFF
Albertina N.Shifotoka - Director In 2009, Albertina worked for the Motor Vehicle
Albertina is the Site Director for the Center for Accident Fund of Namibia as a senior research
Global Education and Experience (CGEE) for and data officer, responsible for coordinating the
Southern Africa (Namibia). She provides leader- Fund’s research projects and managing organiza-
ship to the faculty and staff at the Southern Africa tional information.
campus and ensures the
implementation of the Lamont Slater - Program Coordinator and In-
Augsburg University poli- structor
cies at this campus. Al- Lamont Slater is an in-
bertina is the instructor structor and program
for the course “Racism coordinator for the Cen-
and Resistance in South- ter for Global Education
ern Africa and the United and Experience (CGEE)
States – Struggles against for Southern Africa
Colonialism, Apartheid (Namibia). Lamont re-
and Segregation.” She is ceived his PhD in History
delighted for an oppor- from Salve Regina Uni-
tunity to join the CGEE versity in Rhode Island. He holds a Bachelor of
team and looking for- Arts degree from Morris Brown University in At-
ward to offer an unforgettable global experience lanta, GA and a Masters of Arts from St. Edwards
to all our students, staff and faculty that will get a University in Austin, Texas. Lamont has taught
chance to visit the Namibian campus. various History at Quinsigamond Community Col-
lege and Anna Maria College, relating to Africa
Albertina holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership and the diaspora. He has a wealth of experience
and Change Management from the Namibia Uni- with teaching, student assessment, student life,
versity of Science and Technology, as well as a diversity and inclusion, and knowledge of the
Master’s Degree in Development studies, major- Southern African region. His dissertation was on
ing in population studies, poverty and social poli- “The Reclassification of the Post-Colonial Enslave-
cies from the Institute of Social Studies in The ment period as genocide,” which includes a study
Hague, The Netherlands. She is further certified in of the Herero massacre in Namibia by the Ger-
Econometrics and on Strategic Project Manage- mans. He is also fluent in German language.
ment. Albertina’s undergraduate degree is in Edu-
cation, with a major in adult and non-formal edu-
cation from the University of Namibia. Albertina
worked for the University of Namibia as a re-
searcher for eight years. During this time, Alber-
tina conducted research studies in various areas
such as Community Based Natural Resource Man-
agement, urban poverty and service delivery,
awareness on climate change, migration and pov-
erty, political development in Southern Africa,
gender-based violence and contributory factors to
road crashes in Namibia, among many others.
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Alex Sikume - Program Coordinator Monika Shikongo - Part-time instructor
Alex Sikume is a Pro- Monika Shikongo is
gram Coordinator for the Instructor for Envi-
the Centre for Global ronment and Sustaina-
Education and Experi- bility course. Monika
ence for Southern Afri- holds a Master’s De-
ca (Namibia). He is the gree in Conservation
Instructor for “Political Leadership from Colo-
and Social Change.” He rado State University,
holds a Master’s Degree Fort Collins, USA. She
in Public Management further holds a Bache-
majoring in Policy Analysis from School of Public lor of Technology in Nature Conservation and
Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, National Diploma in Natural resources Manage-
China. He further holds a Bachelor of Arts De- ment - Nature Conservation from Namibia Uni-
gree majoring in Political Science and Industrial versity of Science and Technology.
Psychology from the University of Namibia.
Monika’s current full-time employment is with
Alex worked for the Ministry of Urban and Rural the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Na-
Development for ten years as a Development mibia, as the Chief Warden for Transfrontier
Planner dealing with issues of local government Conservation and Landscape Management. She
operations, administration and management. In serve as the Communication, Education and Pub-
2011 he worked for the United Nations Develop- lic Awareness (CEPA) focal person for Govern-
ment Programme as a Programme Officer. He ment to the Ramsar Convention of important
further worked as Technical Advisor under the Wetlands. She also worked as a chief warden for
Building Local Capacity Project for Southern Afri- Environmental Education and Awareness, in the
ca within the Management Sciences for Health. Department of Environmental Affairs. In 2008,
she became the first woman to manage a Na-
Alex has three years of experience working with
tional park in Namibia. She has been awarded
the Namibia University of Science and Technolo-
several conservation awards in recognition of her
gy teaching courses ‘Governance and Politics in
major contribution to conservation of Africa nat-
Africa’ and ‘Disaster Risk Management’. He also
ural environment.
worked with the Namibia Business School of the
University of Namibia as a tutor for a work based Monika is a mother to a four year old boy. In her
project course. own words, Monika indicated “I’m very grateful
for the opportunity to join the CGEE team in Na-
Alex is married and is a father of three children.
mibia and looking forward to share my
One boy: named Sinvula (9), and two girls: Pu-
knowledge with students and staff.”
mulo (7) and Kahundu (3). Alex stated: “I am
grateful for an opportunity awarded to me to
work for CGEE and ready to make my contribu-
tion’.
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Mavis Muguti, Adjunct Faculty My love to bring stewardship at CGEE has start-
Mavis is a holder of a Mas- ed 1994, every day I came to my work I bring my
ter of Arts in Philosophy positive energy the reason for that is I am giving
which she obtained from my skills and flexibility. Through that I learn and
the University of Zimbabwe listen every day from my co-workers as well stu-
in 2010. Before she came dents.
to Namibia, she was sta-
tioned at the Catholic Uni- My duties at CGEE are to make sure to provide
versity of Zimbabwe where healthy meals and to assure the students with
she was a lecturer of Ethics, safe and experiential learning week with urban
Business Ethics and Ethics for the professions. and rural homestay families .I always work as a
She has also worked at the University of Zimba- team. The work I do is forming my world
bwe as a graduate teaching assistant during throughout the years and confidently bringing
which time she was doing her Masters studies. me closer to CGEEs objectives of lifelong learn-
She has also worked at Christ College which is an ing. I am proud to be associated with CGEE in
affiliate college of Great Zimbabwe University Windhoek /Namibia.
and Living Waters Theological Seminary where
she gained vast experience in teaching Religious Eveline Muukua -Assistant Chef
studies and Philosophy courses. She is a mother Eveline is originally
of three. During her free time she enjoys socializ- from Tsumeb, a town in
ing and meeting new people. She also enjoys northern Namibia. She
spending quality time with her family. was raised in Katutura,
where she attended
Sarah Amushila - Food Service Manager/ primary school at
Homestay Coordinator Bethold Himumuine
I was born in a town School. Evelyn finished
200 km from Windhoek her grade 10 at A.
in Erongo Region called Shipena Secondary School in 1987, after which
Usakos .I grew up with she began working at the Continental Hotel as a
4 brothers and six sis- room-service chef in 1990 and a waitress after-
ters ,we lost our broth- wards. Eveline came to CGEE – Namibia in 1998
er in exile and sister as a cleaner and was hired as a chef/food service
natural death. I am the last born. My mother is assistant in September 2000. She also does stock
late and father is alive and is 90 years of age. I control and assists with house mainte-
spent my primary school days in Usakos attend- nance. Eveline attended a menu course in 2003
ing at E.Goseb primary school and my high at the Polytechnic of Namibia and still plans to
school days at Gornelius Goreseb high school in learn more.
Khorixas were we sometimes are going for our
rural homestays with CGEE students’ am Dama- Eveline's mother language is Oshiwambo, but
ra /Nama speaking but has a taste for other lan- was raised by her stepmother and father who
guage and cultures .My husband is Oshiwambo are both Otjiherero speaking. Besides Otjihere-
speaking at home we speak Afrikaans and Eng- ro, she also speaks English, and Afrikaans. In ad-
lish. When I am going to the North to visit my in- dition to cooking, Evelyn enjoys music, watching
laws I speak Oshiwambo. TV, and spending time with her children. She is a
mother of five children. They are three boys:
Radley , Uazuvirua and Matunu and two girls:
Kajona and Injomoka. They are three boys:
Radley (27), Uazuvirua (11) and Matunu (7) and
two girls: Kajona (20) and Injomoka (16).
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Petrus Passat Kakuva - Transportation Manager Lulama Moyo - International Resident Advisor
Passat is originally from Lulama (Lulu) Moyo is origi-
Walvis Bay, a port town nally from Zimbabwe, but
on Namibia’s South At- grew up in Southern Maine
lantic coast. He attended for a large portion of her
his primary school at life. She is a CGEE Namibia
Mandume Primary alum, having participated in
School in Windhoek. In the program in 2015.
1989, Passat finished his
secondary education at Petrus Ganeb Secondary In 2016 Lulu gained a Bache-
School in Uis, a town in northeast Namibia. After lors of Arts in International Development and
secondary school, Passat began attending classes Social Change with a concentration in Global Ed-
for motor mechanics at the Windhoek Vocational ucation from Clark University. The following year,
Training Center. she graduated from Clark's Accelerated Master's
Degree program where she studied Community
Passat joined CGEE – Namibia in 2001 as a part- Development and Planning and focused on the
time driver. In December 2002, Passat became a African Diaspora and multicultural children's lit-
permanent employee with CGEE – Namibia as the erature gap. Using her academic career to ex-
Transportation Manager. His mother tongue is plore her passion of education development, she
Oshiwambo, however he also speaks Damara, focused on access advocacy, decolonizing the
Herero, Afrikaans, and English. In his spare time, classroom and curriculum, and African Diasporic
Passat enjoys watching movies, hanging out with achievement. As a Zimbabwean immigrant, it is
friends, and traveling. important for her to use her platform to dispel
negative and inaccurate tropes about Africa and
Kristofina Donna Kawana - House Maintenance African cultures. As a nationally competitive slam
Assistant poet, and visual artist, Lulu has also utilized art
Donna was born in Runda, Namibia and now as a vehicle for education and social change: She
leave in Windhoek. She grew up in Rundu (a has run art expression workshops in Eastern
town about 10 hours North east of Windhoek) Cape, South Africa as well as worked with at risk
where she attended her primary and secondary youth in Worcester, MA where she taught social
education. She lived her whole life with her par- justice oriented arts workshops for youth ages 14
ents. Donna is a mother to a beautiful girl. Donna -18. Lulu has worked with college age students
’s mother language is Rukuangali and she also for several years, starting with her experiences
speaks English and understand Oshiwam- as a Residents Assistant at her alma mater. At
bo. Donna enjoys travelling, reading, and cook- Clark, she also worked for the Multicultural and
ing. She joined CGEE in January 2017. First Generation Students Support Office as a
Graduate Assistant where she mentored and ad-
vised several first year students. On the quantita-
tive side of education advocacy, she has been a
Grants Coordinator and Teacher Support Special-
ist for ASSISTments which is an organization op-
erating under Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Lulu remains to be a diligent community organiz-
er and academic and is hugely excited to be re-
turning to Southern Africa and working with
awesomely curious students!
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BOOKS AND READINGS
Much of your assigned course reading will be pre- Recommended Pre-Trip Readings on South
pared in a course packet that you will receive in Africa
Namibia and will consist of excerpts from many In preparation for the programming in South
sources. Africa, the following articles should be read
before you arrive in Johannesburg. We will be
There are a few required books for you to read. visiting many of these places:
They are listed below, according to whether you On Afrikaner nationalism
need to read them prior to your arrival or during Background on South Africa:
the semester. - http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/
bgn/2898.htm
Required Readings - http://www.southafrica-travel.net/
pages/e_bevoelk.htm
To be read prior to arriving in Namibia: Soweto
While these books may not be explicitly discussed Kliptown and Freedom Charter
during the program, they do provide an excellent Apartheid Museum
frame of reference to begin considering many of Hector Pieterson Museum
the issues which will be discussed throughout the Khulumani Support Group
semester. They provide a background and a con- Voortrekker Monument
text to allow you to begin thinking about these
issues before your departure, and the connec- Recommended Readings
tions to similar issues in the United States. We also highly recommend that you do some
reading on Namibia/South Africa before you
Barndt, J. Dismantling Racism: The Continuing arrive. If you come knowing nothing about the
Challenge to White America. Minneapolis: country you may feel lost during the first few
Augsburg Fortress, 1991. weeks of classes, and will not be able to fully
Nerburn, Kent. Neither Wolf Nor Dog: Unfor- tap into the resources Namibia and the pro-
gotten Road with an Indian Elder. San Raphel, gram have to offer.
CA: New World Library, 1994.
Mathabane, Mark. Kaffir Boy. New York: Penguin The following are some recommended read-
Books, 1986. ings. Many of them are available in the CGEE
resource center in Namibia, but most students
find that once the program begins, they have
little time for additional reading. If you wish to
read them, it is best to check them out from a
local library or purchase and read them before
coming.
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These great novels introduce culture and society These non-fiction books give a good general
in Southern Africa: background to Southern Africa:
Coetzee, J.M. Disgrace. Great Britain: Vintage, Biko, S. I Write What I Like. San Francisco: Har-
1999. per & Row, 1978.
Coetzee, J.M. Foe. Penguin Books, 1988. Fanon, Frantz. Black Skin, White Masks. New
Goodman, David. Fault Lines: Journeys into the York: Grove Press, 1967. (Reprint of Peau
New South Africa. California: University of noire, masques blancs. Paris, 1952).
California Press, 2002. Groth, Siegfried. Namibia: The Wall of Silence.
Fugard, Athol. Boesman and Lena. 1969. Wuppertal, Germany: Peter Hammer Verlag
Gordimer, Nadine. July’s People. Penguin Books, GmbH, 1995.
1982. Gumede, William Mervin. Thabo Mbeki and the
Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Zimba- Battle for the Soul of the ANC. Zebra Press,
bwe: Zimbabwe Publishing House, 1988. 2005.
Head, Bessie. When Rain Clouds Gather. Oxford: Henning M., ed. Re-examining Liberation in Na-
Heinemann, 1969. mibia. Stockholm, Sweden: ElandersGotab,
Magona, Sindiwe. Living, Loving, and Lying Awake 2003.
at Night. South Africa: David Philips, 1991. Katjavivi, Peter H. A History of Resistance in Na-
Malan, Rian. My Traitor's Heart. Great Britain: mibia. Paris: UNESCO; London: James Currey
Vintage Press, 1990. Ltd.; Addis Ababa: Organization of African
Mda, Zakes. The Madonna of Excelsior. 2005. Unity, 1988.
Moodley, Praba. The Heart Knows No Col- Leys C. & Saul, J. Namibia’s Liberation Struggle:
our. Kwela Books, 2003. The Two-Edged Sword. Cape Town: James
Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. 1948. Curry, 1995.
Vera, Yvonne. Butterfly Burning. 2000. Magesa, Laurenti. African Religion: The Moral
__________. Nehanda. 1994. Traditions of Abundant Life. Maryknoll, New
York: Orbis Books, 1997.
Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom. Lon-
don: Little Brown and Company, 1994.
Minow, Martha. Between Vengeance and For-
giveness: Facing History after Genocide and
Mass Violence. Boston: Beacon Press, 1998.
Noah, Trevor. Born a Crime. Canada: Doubleday,
2016.
World Bank. Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?
Washington: The World Bank, 2000.
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REGISTRATION AND COURSE INFORMATION
Program Overview If you wish to do an internship or independent
Namibia is a society in transition. Fundamentally, study, you will have to complete the Internship
it is in transition from the experience of colonial- Application or Independent Study Proposal as well
ism to that of independence. Underlying that as indicate this on your Course Selection ques-
basic transition, however, are many other transi- tionnaire (all found in found in your Global Gate-
tions—from the legacy of apartheid to the build- way account). Detailed course syllabi (including
ing of a “non-racial society” and democratic rule; due dates for assignments) will be provided once
from an economy fully dependent on South Africa you arrive in Namibia.
to multi-lateral economic relationships; from a
revolutionary movement with a policy of re- Internship
sistance to a ruling party with a policy of national The internships are arranged in advance of your
reconciliation; and many others. The other na- arrival and the organization has made a commit-
tions of the region are also in the midst of pro- ment to mentoring you and providing you with
found transitions. meaningful work. To this end, students choosing
to register for the internship class should also feel
Courses a similar commitment to the host organization.
This semester explores the processes of the politi-
cal and social changes occurring in Southern Afri- Students registering for an internship must com-
ca and is organized through the following cours- plete an application form. The internship applica-
es. Students are expected to take four of these tion can be found on-line in your Global Gateway
courses, but may take only three if you prefer. All account. Requests for internships will not be pro-
are worth four credits (except for the Yoga class) cessed without this application and a copy of your
resume. All requests are subject to the approval
1. Racism and Resistance in Southern Africa and of the program directors. The registration dead-
the U.S. line for internships is December 1.
2. Political and Social Change in Southern Africa
3. The Politics of Development in Southern Afri- After you have completed the application, an in-
ca terview through skype will be arranged between
4. Religion and Social Change in Southern Africa you and the Internship Coordinator in order to
5. Environmental Connections: Environment and better understand your interests in the internship
Sustainability in Southern Africa and to explain the internship program more clear-
6. Internship ly. After the skype interview, you will be matched
7. Independent Study with an organization with which you will do your
8. Yoga (one credit) internship. You will receive a description of the
organization and the work that they do, and be
The first five courses are interrelated and as such asked to sign this description in order to
their activities are complementary and interde- acknowledge that you agree to work with this or-
pendent. Most students take history course, and ganization. Once you have signed this document,
a combination of three other courses (plus the 1- you will not be permitted to drop the internship
credit yoga course). class. You need to be prepared to make a commit-
ment to the organization with which you will be
matched.
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However, if you decide you do not want to take Some schools do not grant academic credit for an
the internship after the interview process, you internship. Please check with your Study Abroad
should indicate this to the Internship Coordina- Office and/or Registrar before you sign up for an
tor, and notify Margaret Anderson in the Minne- internship to make sure you will get credit for it.
apolis office about making the change to your
course registration. Independent Study
With the permission of the program coordinators,
Possible placements include, but are not limited students may also engage in independent study
to: for credit. Examples of independent study topics
Informal or formal education positions include but are not limited to:
Work in NGOs focusing on human rights, African Traditional Religions
gender issues, democracy building and more Adolescent and youth issues
Work in orphanages, day care centers and Reproductive health
kindergartens Gender in Namibian Society
Work with organizations focused on Health
and HIV/AIDS education or service provision Students may also propose other independent
study topics to the program coordinators. If ac-
Please note: in addition to working with an or- cepted, students may choose to earn credit in:
ganization for 12 hours each week, the intern- Environmental Studies (ENV)
ship course includes two hours of class time per Cross-Cultural Studies (CCS)
week. This class time provides opportunities for History (HIS)
you to demonstrate what you are learning in Interdisciplinary Studies (INS)
your internship, develop professional skills, and Political Science (POL)
reflect on the internship experience. Religion (RLN)
Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WST)
Credit for an internship may be earned in the
following disciplines: A proposal form is required. This can be found on-
Environmental Studies (ENV) line in your Global Gateway account. Requests for
Cross-Cultural Studies (CCS) an independent study will not be processed with-
History (HIS) out this proposal. All requests are subject to the
Interdisciplinary Studies (INS) approval of the program directors. The deadline
Political Science (POL) for proposals is December 1.
Religion (RLN)
Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies The Academic Week
(WST) Although the days might change, the academic
schedule for a week when you are in Windhoek
Students who choose not to do an internship might look like the one below. There is generally
have the option to volunteer with a local organi- one 4-hour course each day, during which you will
zation. Volunteering is an opportunity to engage go on outings, visit organizations, hear from com-
with a local organization and work side by side munity leaders, have lectures and class discussion.
with Namibians. This may or may not involve Along with this are other program activities such
learning related to your specific field of as orientation, preparation, debrief sessions and
study. There is no academic credit given for vol- language classes.
unteering, and the relationship with the organi-
zations where students volunteer is typically
more casual.
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Sample Week:
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Morning Environmental History (9-1) Religion (9-1) Political Science (9-1) Development (9-1)
Connections (9-1)
Lunch (1-2) Lunch (1-2) Lunch (1-2) Lunch (1-2) Lunch (1-2)
Afternoon Free Internship Class (2-4) Free Language (2-3) Yoga Class (2-4)
Dinner (6) Dinner (6) Dinner (6) Dinner (6) Dinner (6)
In addition to the two hours of class time, stu- Some of these opportunities are part of the pro-
dents choosing to do an internship will need to gram structure (including formal classes, reflec-
find approximately three hours per week to work tions, assignments, family stays, travel seminars,
with their host organization. This will either oc- meetings with community members both within
cur during the free time indicated below, or dur- and outside the CGEE group, interacting in in-
ing courses for which you are not registered. ternship and volunteer positions, etc.). Many
are created by or presented to students outside
Registration Information and Deadlines these structures.
Center for Global Education and Experience staff
in Minneapolis will register you for classes based Clearly each of these types of encounters pre-
on the information you provide in the “Course sents different perspectives, and different ways
Selection” questionnaire found in your Global for students to come to understand or learn
Gateway account. more about the society and oneself. All of these
are important and needed to enrich the pro-
Please review your course selections before you gram, but also are related to and complemen-
leave the U.S., and again once you arrive in Na- tary of each other. It will be the students’ chal-
mibia. Any changes to your registration must be lenge to take advantage of and pursue the
made in writing, whether this is before or after breadth of opportunities available, and to dis-
the program starts. You are responsible for cern the types of learning situations that will
knowing what classes you signed up for, and allow them to learn the most from them.
communicating any changes to Margaret Ander-
son (anderso4@augsburg.edu) Critical Thinking
When we think critically we become aware of
The final deadline for adding a course or to drop the diversity of values, behaviors, social struc-
a course without a “W” (withdrawal) notation ture, and artistic forms in the world. Through
for “withdrawn” is Friday, March 15. realizing this diversity, our commitments to our
own values, actions, and social structures are
Program Participation informed by a sense of humility; we gain an
This is an experiential education program, and as awareness that others in the world have the
such, the learning opportunities and learning in same sense of certainty we do—but ideas, val-
which students engage (knowingly and at times ues and actions that are completely contrary to
unknowingly) will occur in a myriad of settings our own.
and ways (formal and informal).
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Reflection Assessment
Reflection involves looking back, and thinking While grades cannot reflect the full amount of
carefully about one's experience to understand it learning student’s experience, they are nonethe-
more thoroughly from a vantage of being to less a tool by which instructors are able to give
some degree (spatially, temporally, etc.) a bit re- students feedback as to their performance. Alt-
moved from the situation. The vantage of dis- hough we prefer to give only qualitative feedback
tance often allows us to consider the situation (written comments and consultations), we are
from multiple perspectives of which we were pre- also required to provide students with quantita-
viously not aware. tive assessments, i.e. grades. Therefore, in this
program, students are provided both.
In addition, through reflection, we can often We would hope that students could focus their
more clearly and more fully consider the many attention mostly on the qualitative assessment, as
components involved, as well as the implications. grades reflect only partially how much has been
Reflection also involves asking what ones values learned.
have to say about, or how they are affected by,
the experience. Grades are determined by the course instructors,
however students are expected to provide input
Social Analysis into the evaluation and assessment process. At
“Analysis” is “the division of a complex whole the beginning of the semester, professors will give
into its component parts or constitutional ele- students the grading rubric they use to assess pa-
ments [for the purpose of] discovering or uncov- pers and presentations.
ering qualities, causes, effects, motives, or possi-
bilities, often as a basis for action or for a judg- Assessment Criteria
ment.” (Webster’s New Dictionary of Synonyms). An excellent academic paper/project is one that
Social analysis is concerned with issues and has taken the following into consideration:
themes that occur and make up the worlds lived Analytical approach and critical depth - con-
by groups of people. Such themes could include cisely and penetratingly asking the WHY,
racism, security, violence, peace, or faith, for in- HOW, WHAT, WHERE AND WHO questions.
stance. Social issues would be a bit more specific, ·Incorporation of multiple perspectives and
possibly elements within themes, including for multidisciplinary approaches that show their
instance, hunger, unemployment, inflation. Social relations.
analysis looks at these issues by considering the Use of additional references, e.g. books, out-
policies that affect these issues. side class contacts, newspapers, radio, TV, etc.
Evidence of effective review of assigned read-
It also considers the economic, social, political ings.
and cultural structures of a society, ultimately Discovery of new ideas, showing initiative in
reaching beyond issues, policies and structures to seeking knowledge.
the system in which all these are interrelated. Creative, concise, articulate presentations,
which reflect well thought-out arguments and
People are analyzing when they start asking ques- a clear understanding of the issues under dis-
tions like: “Who made the rules influencing this cussion.
situation?” “Why do those rules and patterns go Bibliographies and footnotes, proper spelling,
unquestioned?” “Who would benefit and who grammar, and punctuation.
would lose if those rules and patters were Participate actively in all learning opportuni-
changed?” “What happens to people who try to ties (in and out of class).
change the rules and patterns?” “Who has the Incorporation of affective (feeling) aspects in
resources or claims authority in this situation?” relation to issues and experiences in personal
and community life including how the student
feels about the issue.
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Page 14
Grades We expect that you will both make your unique
contribution and also will respect and encourage
Explanation of Grades others to share their views as valid contributions
We believe that good evaluation of student work to the learning process. Your comments and
is an art and not a science. The grading system we contributions to class discussion will be more
use attempts to be as explicit as possible regard- insightful if you come prepared and if you active-
ing the ways in which you are evaluated. ly and carefully listen to your classmates’ contri-
butions.
Augsburg University uses a numerical grading sys-
tem using the following definitions: A large portion of your participation grade will
include the quality of your interaction with guest
Grade Grade Points Description speakers. This includes showing up on time,
A 4.00 Excellent showing appropriate respect for the speaker
(including dressing appropriately and respectful-
A- 3.67 ly), remaining engaged in the presentation (e.g.,
B+ 3.33 leaning forward, retaining eye contact, smiling),
and, most important, asking timely and
B 3.00 Good
thoughtful questions.
B- 2.67
Student Rights and Responsibilities
C+ 2.33
Students with formally diagnosed learning or
C 2.00 Satisfactory physical differences have legal rights to course
C- 1.67 modifications. If you qualify, please note this on
the Health/Medical questionnaire in your Glob-
D+ 1.33 al Gateway account, and you will be contacted
D 1.00 Poor by CGEE staff to manage the accommodations
necessary for you to have a successful semester.
D- 0.67
F 0.00 Failure Honesty Policy
Students are expected to follow the Augsburg
Class Participation Honesty Policy, which is printed in the Appen-
As CGEE depends on collective and participatory dices section of this manual. Except when the
learning, class attendance is required, but is not assignment expressly encourages group work, it
sufficient. As participation accounts for a signifi- is assumed that all course work will be your own.
cant portion of your course grade, it should be You are not to copy the work of others. All stu-
evident that participation is highly valued by the dents will be given a copy of the policy at the
instructors. In this regard, please take note of the beginning of the semester and each student will
following points in relation to class participation: be asked to "pledge" that she or he has read it
and understands it. The first occurrence of pla-
It is not the quantity of participation that is most giarism will result in the failure of the assign-
important; rather it is the quality of your partici- ment. A student who commits plagiarism a sec-
pation that will be weighted most heavily in de- ond time will fail the course.
termining your participation grade.
Diverse views are important and desired as they
deepen our understanding of the world and how
others view it.
Return to ContentsSouthern Africa Spring 2019
Page 15
Incomplete Grades Before the end of your semester abroad you
An incomplete grade may be given only in the should go to Parchment Document Exchange
case of serious emergency. To receive an incom- and create an account. This is all you need to
plete grade, a student must receive permission do. After grades have been reported Augsburg
from the program’s Program Coordinators; must University will access your account have your
file a form stating the reasons for the request, the grades sent to your home school. The first tran-
work required to complete the course, the plan script will be sent free of charge.
and date for completing the work, and comments
from the instructor; and must gain the approval of You can also use Parchment to request your
the Registrar (at Augsburg and the Registrar at own copy, if you need a one for your scholar-
the home school if applicable). If permission is ship program, or in the future when you are
granted, the necessary work must be completed applying for grad school and need a transcript.
in enough time to allow evaluation of the work by Subsequent transcript requests will be charged
the Academic Director and filing of a grade before a fee of $7.
the final day of the following semester. If the
work is not completed by that date, the grade for
the course becomes a 0.0.
Credit and Transcripts
Each course is worth four credits. Most students
will take four courses for a program total of 16.
Credit is granted and transcripts issued by Augs-
burg University.
Transcripts are sent electronically via Parchment
Document Exchange (unless your school does not
accept electronic transcripts).
Return to ContentsSouthern Africa Spring 2019
Page 16
RELATED COMPONENTS OF THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Orientation Cape, students will visit various places, including
The program officially begins in Johannesburg on the visit to the Calabash Trust Women’s’ Empow-
Sunday, February 10, and we expect your arrival erment Centre, Addo National Park, and the Steve
in Johannesburg by that time. Since a lot of the Biko Centre. From there the group will travel by
orientation and group-building activities occur bus to Cape Town for a week of program activities
during the first days, late arrival can detract from and one free day.
these aspects of the program. The first few weeks
of the semester will be orientation to the pro- The schedule in South Africa is very full, which
gram in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Wind- leaves little time for free time. In Jo’burg, students
hoek. This time has several purposes: 1) to begin find they have the least amount of free time, as
developing a living-learning community; 2) to be- they do a homestay as well as going through ori-
come familiar with some basic information about entation sessions and academic programming. In
the two countries; and 3) to become familiar with Cape Town, students will have at least one free
the coursework and the program's methodology. day, during which students usually climb the infa-
mous Table Mountain, visit the Waterfront, or
You will find that the programming is intense and relax on the beautiful Camps Bay beach among
that the schedule is very full, so rest when you other activities.
can on the flight to South Africa.
Accommodations in South Africa
South Africa Seminar While in South Africa, the group usually travels by
The program spends two and a half weeks in combi (10-22 passenger vans), and fly from
South Africa. During the first week of the program Jo’burg to Eastern Cape, and Cape Town to Wind-
students will be in Johannesburg. The following hoek. Your accommodations will include staying
week students will travel to Eastern Cape for two at local hotels or guesthouses. Most accommoda-
days of programming, then spend a week in Cape tions will have paid laundry available.
Town. The travel seminar in South Africa provides
students with a chance to fit their educational The Center for Global Education and Experience
experiences in Namibia into the larger context of reserves the right to change the group's itinerary
Southern Africa. Students will again have the op- or arrangements in the event that it becomes nec-
portunity to incorporate real life experience with essary or advisable to do so (due to weather,
academic work, experiencing how the issues strike, illness, or other causes in the region). Any
raised in the classroom, as well as in meetings alterations will be made with no additional cost to
and visits, relate to the lives of South Africans. the student.
In the past, the daily itinerary in Johannesburg The Living/Learning Community
has included visits with speakers who were active CGEE semester students work together to form a
in the liberation struggle, as well as the Freedom living/learning community. As the group lives to-
Park Monument, and the Apartheid Museum. gether, travels and takes classes together, it is
Students live with families in Soweto for one important that students develop a positive and
weekend to gain some experience with Johannes- respectful environment amongst themselves.
burg’s largest former Black township.
During the two days programming in Eastern
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Page 17
Although each group is different, we hope that a Students are matched by the Homestay Program
feeling of a community and togetherness will de- Coordinator early in the program. Matches are
velop. Students will have opportunities to teach made with a mind to personality and any special
and learn from each other as well as share good needs, whether the student’s or the host family’s.
times together. It is important that community As with the families, an orientation is also provid-
members support each other in rough and con- ed for students before the program to similarly
fusing times, listen, and be willing to sacrifice in- brief students in general about the homestay pro-
dividual needs and wants for the sake of the larg- gram, its objectives, logistical information, and
er whole, so that each person can learn as much guidelines. At that session, students will receive
as possible. other important information as well as have the
opportunity to ask further questions about the
In order to facilitate a healthy community, the program.
group meets once a week. As a community mem-
ber, you will share responsibility for organizing Objectives of the Homestay Programs
and attending these events. These meetings are a Develop an understanding of the diverse reali-
time for everyone to touch base with each other, ties of life in Namibian and South African ur-
to discuss community issues or topics, and to ban and rural settings.
have fun. Usually, two students are in charge of Compare and contrast your own family struc-
planning and leading the event each week. As ture with Namibian family systems.
members of the living/learning community, you Understand the nuances of culture, communi-
will also be responsible for participation in house ty life, and gender roles and the relationship
tasks groups and the creation of general house with the history, politics, economics, and de-
guidelines in order to insure the general mainte- velopment of the countries.
nance and safety of the CGEE - Namibia house. Incorporate real life experience with academic
work.
Homestay Programs Establish meaningful relationships with mem-
One of the most rewarding and challenging parts bers of Namibian and South African society.
of your semester will be the time you spend living
with Namibian and South African families during Soweto Homestay
homestays. You will have three homestay fami- Occurring during the first week in South Africa,
lies: one in Soweto, South Africa, one in Wind- the homestays with families in Soweto provide an
hoek, and one in a rural Namibian community. invaluable insight and experience with the history
of apartheid in South Africa. Soweto was the for-
Our host families go through a close screening mer black township outside of Johannesburg, and
process before they are chosen. Some of the is almost a city unto itself, with three to four mil-
families will have hosted CGEE students in the lion people. Students spend the weekend with the
past, and some will be new, as we are continually families, doing whatever the family has planned.
recruiting new families to replace those that This may include visiting a park, shopping, visiting
move away, that are unable to host, etc. friends, etc. The stay usually lasts one full week-
end beginning Friday afternoon and ending Mon-
All families, old and new, are required to attend day morning. Students are placed two students to
an orientation conducted by the Homestay Pro- a household.
gram Coordinator before the homestay program.
In that session, families are briefed in general Urban Homestay
about the home-stay program, its objectives, lo- The second family stay will be with a family in
gistical information, health and safety, as well as Windhoek. It occurs within the first three weeks in
other general guidelines. Namibia. Referred to as the Urban Homestay, the
home-stay generally lasts approximately one
week.
Return to ContentsSouthern Africa Spring 2019
Page 18
During this time students will attend classes dur- A CGEE - Namibia staff member will be in reg-
ing the days, and spend evenings and weekends ular contact with each family or student at
with their family. Students are placed one student least once every two days.
per household. The Urban Homestay Program has
proven to facilitate comfort within the greater Cultural Adjustment
Windhoek community as well as provide opportu- The cultural context and family structures of the
nities to learn from and experience the great di- Namibian families you will be staying with during
versity within the capital city and create lasting the home-stays will likely be very different from
friendships. your own. At times you may feel uncomfortable
with the accommodations, differences in food,
Rural Homestay and social interactions. These characteristics may
The final homestay program will occur with a cause you to feel pushed past your comfort zone.
family in a the village of Outapi, and will occur a They may also cause you to feel isolated and
few weeks after the Urban Homestay. Referred alone. In general, in preparation for this part of
to as the Rural Home-stay, this home-stay gener- the program, we ask that you open yourself up to
ally lasts between five and ten days, again de- the experience, accept the good, the bad and the
pending on the semester program schedule. Stu- unavoidable awkward moments, remembering
dents are mainly matched with families on home- that different is not better or worse, just differ-
steads outside of a rural town. As with the Urban ent. Below are some suggestions to help con-
Homestay, students are generally placed one per front such feelings…
household. This experience often proves to be
the most challenging, and most rewarding of the Suggestions to help you feel more at home and
whole semester. part of the family:
Walks – Take walks with one or more family
Logistical Information members. Visit neighbors, go to church or to
We are providing you with the following infor- the market, and get acquainted with the area.
mation so you can anticipate some of the details Homework – Help the kids with their home-
for this part of the program: work. Have them help you understand their
Orientation sessions prior to each Homestay culture.
Program will be conducted and will include Talk – Ask about neighbors, weddings, funer-
information on cultural patterns and practic- als, etc. Learn common words in the local lan-
es, as well as basic information related to in- guage, and practice some English/local lan-
ter-cultural activities and issues in the context guage.
of the community in which you will be resid- Work – Be willing to help out. Most families
ing. appreciate it when you show interest and
The group will receive basic language training assist in their daily tasks—tending to fields or
to facilitate communication in the local lan- livestock, fetching water, pounding grain,
guage for the rural homestay. This is not a food preparation, crafts production, etc.
full language preparation program; the focus Play – Play with the children in the family and
here is more on cultural orientation. in the neighborhood. Play soccer, shoot mar-
At least one family member will speak basic bles, share songs, learn traditional dances,
English juggle, fold paper toys or play games.
Most families will have few of the conven- Photos – Photos from home are great conver-
iences common in other parts of the world sation starters and means for sharing about
such as telephones and vehicles, and in the family, school, work, etc.
rural areas, running water and electricity. Cook – Learn to prepare traditional dishes.
Vegetarian and restricted diets can be accom-
modated. However, we encourage you to be
flexible and eat what the families prepare.
Return to ContentsSouthern Africa Spring 2019
Page 19
TENTATIVE CALENDAR FOR SPRING 2019
The following calendar maps out the semester in a general way. It is a tentative schedule, as things
can and do change at times in the course of the semester. Upon arrival you will receive a detailed day-
by-day schedule.
Saturday, February 9 Depart the U.S.
Sunday, February 10 Arrive Johannesburg, South Africa
Week 1 February 10 - 16 Orientation and Johannesburg programming
Week 2 February 17 - 23 February 18 - 20: Eastern Cape
February 21 - 23: Cape Town
Week 3 February 24 - March 2 February 23 - 27: Cape Town
February 28: Travel to Windhoek
February 28 - March 3: Orientation
Week 4 March 3 - 9 Team-building, Start formal classes
Week 5 March 10 - 16 Classes and Urban Family Stay
Week 6 March 17 - 23 Classes
Week 7 March 23 - 30 Classes and Travel to Luderitz
Week 8 March 31 - April 6 Classes
Week 9 April 7 - 13 Rural Homestay and Etosha Travel
Week 10 April 14 - 20 Rural Homestay and Namibia Travel
April Spring 19 - 28: Spring Break (free week for personal travel)
Week 11 April 21 - 27 April Spring 19 - 28: Spring Break (free week for personal travel)
Week 12 April 28 - May 4 Classes
Week 13 May 5 - 11 Classes
Week 14 May 12 - 18 Classes
Week 15 May 19 - 25 Classes and travel to the Coast
Week 16 May 26 - June 1 Classes (Wrap up)
Week 17 June 2 - 7 Final projects, Re‐entry
June 8 Depart Windhoek for U.S.
Please note: If you are planning on traveling after the program on your own, you will be free as of the last day of
the program. Transportation will be provided by CGEE to the airport. If you choose to travel on your own past this
date, you will need to arrange your own transportation.
The Center for Global Education and Experience reserves the right to change the group's itinerary or arrangements
in the event that it becomes necessary or advisable to do so (due to weather, strike, illness, or other causes in the
region). Any alterations will be made with no additional cost to the student.
Return to ContentsSouthern Africa Spring 2019
Page 20
DOCUMENTATION
If you are under the age of 18, or are not a U.S. Visas
citizen, please contact our CGEE - Minneapolis Republic of South Africa: The South African gov-
office as there are special documentation proce- ernment does not require U.S. citizens to have pre-
dures you will need to follow. approved visas before entering South Africa. You
need only a valid passport as proof of citizenship.
Passport If you are a citizen of another country, you may
Citizens of all countries must have a passport to need to acquire your own visa for South Africa if
travel to Namibia and South Africa. If you have necessary. Please contact the Minneapolis office
one, be sure that it is valid through at least De- ASAP if you are not a U.S. citizen.
cember 8, 2019, as both Namibia and South Afri-
ca require that all visitors have a passport that is Since you will only be there for less than 90 days,
valid for six months past the scheduled date of you will enter as a TOURIST. Please mark “tourist”
departure. on your arrival form – THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
You will need to upload a copy to the Passport Our staff will have your Namibian visa
Information questionnaire in your Global Gate- ready for you when you get to
way Account. We suggest that you make a copy South Africa.
of the photo page to carry with you (in a sepa-
rate place from your passport) when you travel. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE IT BEFORE YOU
You can also scan the photo page of your pass- LEAVE THE U.S.
port and save it someplace that you can easily
access and print it if necessary. As a further safe-
guard, you may want to bring to Namibia a certi-
fied copy of your birth certificate in case you
need to reapply for a lost or stolen passport dur-
ing the semester. Bringing this with you is far
easier than getting these documents to you once
you've left.
Return to ContentsSouthern Africa Spring 2019
Page 21
HEALTH INFORMATION
Please be aware that this program is physically If you are allergic to sulfa drugs, it is essential
and emotionally demanding. For example: cli- that you obtain and wear a Medic Alert bracelet
matic changes; high temperature, and/or high or necklace. Go to http://www.medicalert.org.
humidity; change in altitude; exposure to unfa-
miliar bacteria due to change in diet; long days See a Doctor before You Go
and intense schedules; and extended travel in For recommended vaccinations and other health
cramped vehicles. precautions you should take before departing for
your destination, please check the Centers for
These factors, combined with potential strains Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at http://
from culture shock, living away from regular sup- www.cdc.gov/travel/. Since we are not medical
port groups of friends and families, and intensive professionals, we cannot make recommenda-
interaction with other group members can affect tions that will be applicable to all individuals in all
your health in ways you do not anticipate, putting places, so you should make those decisions with
stress on the body and emotions which make you a doctor. If you have ongoing health issues, it
more susceptible to illness. We ask that you as- would be wise to check with your regular doctor
sess your physical and emotional health carefully. about vaccines and other precautions.
We encourage you to be open with yourself and It’s important to schedule your appointment
with us regarding your health and medical histo- right away, if you haven’t already. If you don’t
ry. Giving prior consideration to how your travels already have a regular family physician, google a
might affect you can be very important in main- list of travel clinics in your area.
taining your health during the semester. Pre-
existing or past conditions will not exclude you Some helpful online resources:
from participating in the program; rather, in dis- US Department of State web pages on ser-
cussing them now you are more likely to have a vices for American citizens abroad:
healthier and more rewarding study abroad expe- www.travel.state.gov
rience. Centers for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/
travel
If you have a condition in your medical history World Health Organization: www.who.org
that may call for treatment while you are abroad, International Society of Travel Medi-
or something a physician should know if you are cine: www.istm.org
being treated/prescribed drugs for any other con- Travel Health Online: www.tripprep.com
dition that may arise, it would be very helpful if HTH Worldwide: an insurance company that
you could have this written up by your personal specializes in insurance for international trav-
physician and bring it with you in a sealed enve- elers, offers advice on the issues you might
lope. This way if you do need treatment in Na- encounter abroad in a series of short
mibia or South Africa, you can give this to the Youtube videos.
doctor there. This will expedite the best treat-
ment possible
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