The Union College Mini-Term in Senegal is an interdisciplinary program involving a variety of departments and programs: Africana Studies, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Sociology, Anthropology, Visual Arts, Environmental Science, Women's and Gender Studies, Religious Studies, Film Studies.
Students experience Africa firsthand through Senegal, the westernmost point of the continent (over 500 kilometers or 330 miles of Atlantic coastline). Senegal is a vibrant cultural crossroad between the Middle East (Islam was introduced to Senegal in the 11th century), Europe (Senegal was the former capital of French West Africa), and the Americas.
Program description
The 3-week program in Senegal is open to all students and offers four main opportunities:
1. Students intern as observers or volunteers in a variety of sites, including hospitals, schools, orphanages, NGOs, and microlending agencies.
2. Students attend a series of lectures at the West African Research Center (WARC): a crash course in Wolof; local culture (traditional wrestling and spiritual beliefs); Arts (cinema, music, hip-hop, etc.); local health care system; local education (public school, private school, Koranic school, etc.); the concepts of homecoming and homegoing; religion.
3. Accommodations. Students reside with host families in Dakar for two weeks and in different hotels for one week during excursions. WARC and the Program place two (2) students per family.
4. The program offers a series of cultural and historical excursions with guides.
- A city tour of Dakar, including a visit to the Museum of Black Civilizations, Dakar Cathedral, the Dakar Regional Express Train (TER) station, marché Soumbédioune (an open market known for its art galleries)
- Museum of Black Civilizations - A pan-African museum celebrating black cultures around the world.
- African Renaissance Monument & Museum - A 160-foot monument symbolizing African liberation.
- Dakar Regional Express Train (TER)- A modern transportation system reshaping Dakar's urban landscape
- Gorée Island - A UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to art galleries, the Slave House built by the Dutch in 1776, a historical museum, and the 18th-century Saint Charles Church.
- Lac Rose/The Pink Lake - A UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its pink-colored lake and the historic Paris-Dakar rally.
- The traditional health center of Keur Massar (a tour of the garden filled with world medicine plants)
- Keur Moussa Monastery - A visit to this unique monastery known for its fusion of African and Western musical traditions.
- Toubab Dialaw - A picturesque fishing village that is home to the Sobo Bade Arts Center, founded by Haitian poet and playwright Gérard Genet. Students participate in dance, ty-die and drumming workshops.
- The Reserve de Bandia - A wildlife reserve that is home to giraffes, buffaloes, rhinos, zebras, crocodiles, hyenas, impalas, gazelles and other species.
- Touba - The sacred city of Mouridism and the burial place of Sheikh Ahmadu Bamba MBacke.
- A typical African village (Tene-Toubab, the village of Prof. Ndiaye)
- Saloum Delta & Toubakouta - An environmental exploration of mangroves, Sipo Island and a bird sanctuary.
Course of Study / MLT-341T
The Senegal Study Program contributes to Union College's vision and commitment to inspire our students for the 21st century. Students learn about and discuss the complex history and culture of Senegal from pre-colonial times to the present. It examines the ways in which contemporary Senegal has been shaped by African traditions, by Islam since the 11th century, and by the West, primarily through the French colonial legacy.
Pre-requisites
Students are required to have a 2.5 cumulative GPA in order to apply to this program. Students are required to maintain this cumulative 2.5 GPA until the program departure date.
Pre-departure activities
Before the trip to Senegal, students participate in pre-departure activities, including
- Film screenings and discussions during Union's fall semester
- Cultural group experiences with Senegalese food and music
Course credit
Students get 1 credit, usually a LANGUAGES AND CULTURES (LCC) for the Common Curriculum, out of any Union mini term. With the Senegal mini-term, we continue to submit additional CC designations. Indeed, the Senegal mini-term is aligned with Union's Common Curriculum and includes two areas of inquiry:
- Justice, Equality, Identity and Difference
- Global Challenges.
Calendar
(For specific dates, contact the International Programs Office, Old Chapel, Third Floor.)
- Information Session in April
- Application Deadline in April-May
- May: Accepted students must select "commit" or "decline" at the International Programs online application site to confirm participation
- Fall term: Orientation seminar meetings
- Program begins shortly after Thanksgiving
- Program ends before Christmas
For More Information
Students may contact Professor Cheikh M. Ndiaye, ndiayec@union.edu and/or Professor Deidre Butler, butlerd@union.edu
