University of Dallas sends 99 students to Rome

by PegNews wire

The University of Dallas kicked off the 37th year of its Rome Program on August 29 when 99 sophomores left for a semester abroad on the University’s campus near Rome, Italy. More than 80 percent of undergraduate students at UD participate in the Rome Program totaling more than 6,000 students who have participated since it was first offered in 1970.

During their semester in the Rome Program, students take courses from the UD Core Curriculum in the place where much of it happened. They study Western Civilization I, Greek and Roman Tragedy and Comedy, Art and Architecture of Italy and Greece, Philosophy of Man and Western Theological Tradition. The students prepared for this coursework during their freshman year when, along with other assignments, they read Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid and Dante’s Divine Comedy.

“Ask any UD student what was one of the most important things that attracted and attached them to the University and they will promptly answer ‘The Rome Program!’,” said Becky Davies, director of the Rome and Summer Programs Office at UD. “Everything comes together in that semester.”

In addition to this integrated coursework, students studying abroad in Rome will have many opportunities for travel. Group tours to places such as Florence and Venice and a special 10-day trip to Greece will prepare them for independent exploration on other weekends and during “10 day” where students travel to locations such as Paris, Ireland, Budapest and Copenhagen.

The University’s Rome Program started in fall 1970 and, for more than two decades, was housed in several leased properties. As the Program grew and the educational benefits became obvious, the University built a permanent campus. The Eugene Constantin Campus was dedicated in 1994 on 12 acres nestled at the base of the Alban Hills outside of Rome, a place of summer residence for Romans for hundreds of years including the Roman Pontiff.

Since 1985, Eternal Cities (aka Reunione Roma), the popular study tour for alumni, college students, teachers and families has provided the experiences of the Rome Semester in a condensed program. This year it compared the classical sites of Greece with the intimate cities of Tuscany. In 2008 it will contrast Paris and Rome. Other programs for adults have included Shakespeare’s Renaissance and Baroque Italy. In 2008, that program will shift its focus to Dante’s Italy. Additionally, UD’s beautiful permanent campus has allowed the University to develop several widely respected summer programs for high school students such as Latin in Rome and Shakespeare in Italy. The concept has been expanded to other countries as well with such programs as Thomas More in England. The University’s School of Ministry also provides summer programs which attract adults to focus on scripture and other theological studies.

For more information on UD, the Rome Program and the various summer programs abroad, contact the Rome and Summer Programs Office at (972) 721-5181 or udsummer@udallas.edu.

Source: University of Dallas