CSU in Paris Spring Break

TRAVEL DATES: MARCH 8- 17, 2024
Application due Nov 17

This ALT scheduled, interdisciplinary, faculty-led, study abroad course (WLC 340/540) over Spring Break 2024 is designed to complement the regularly scheduled spring term courses ART 375/UST 375 and ART 495 all of which focus on Paris. This can also be a standalone international experience for students interested in Paris.  All participants will enroll in the two credit field studies course (WLC 340/540) providing a dynamic learning experience. French language skills are a plus but are not required.

During this course, students will receive an introduction to the city by seeing first-hand the design of the city, its organization, various neighborhoods, the metro system, and the many changes it has experienced over the centuries.  Students will learn to "read" the city, observing vestiges of the past that are still evident in Paris. But they will also appreciate the aspects of Paris that illustrate its constant evolution and plan to become a modern city for the future.  The group will visit many of the iconic Parisian sites including monuments, museums and parks, but free time will also be scheduled for students to work on their field study projects or pursue personal academic interests. 

Apply	Academic Program	Eligibility	Program Fee and Costs	Billing
Financial Aid	Scholarships	Passport/ Visa	Health, Safety, and Insurance	Contact

Academic Program

All approved applicants will enroll in the 2-credit field studies course (WLC 340 /FRN 340 or WLC 540) and participate in the FIVE mandatory class sessions on Friday evenings. The first four sessions will deal with the practical logistics and an introduction to Paris, the City of Lights. Students will also use the sessions to identify the sections of Paris they would most like to visit for their field study projects.  For their field study projects, students will work in groups to develop and then give a guided tour of a Parisian neighborhood to students in the program.  For each guided tour students will explain the evolution of the neighborhood, describing its role in important historical and cultural events including film, art, music and urban development, and linking that history to physical evidence in the city. Upon return to Cleveland, groups will also present their projects at a final open meeting on-campus. 

Required class sessions are on Friday evenings from 6:00 pm - 7:50 pm
January 19 
February 9
February 23
March 1
April 26 

These MANDATORY pre-departure sessions will help to optimize the short time we will have in the city over Spring Break.  Students will also acquire the intercultural skills needed for successful interaction with French culture through the introduction of concepts such as culture shock and critical incidents. No French language background is required for this course.

Eligibility

This program is open to all students in good standing. Priority consideration will be given to students enrolled in the Spring 2024 courses ART 375/UST 375 or ART 495. All prospective participants must submit an application to the Center for International Services and Programs and pay the $250 non-refundable deposit. 

Requirements: 

• 2.0 GPA/ 3.0 GPA (graduate student)
• Successful completion of at least one semester of study 
• Good financial (Bursar) and social (Student Conduct) standing
• Pay the $250 program deposit (non-refundable unless inadmissible or unrecoverable costs are already spent) 
• Be in possession of a valid passport or have applied (current processing times are 3-4 months); we required proof of passport or passport application submission no lafter than Oct 1

Cost

The program cost is $3499.  It will include:

• Roundtrip group airfare
• Accommodation in the 14th arrondissement (doubles/triples/quads) 
• Breakfast and dinner at the hostel
• Airport transfers and a Paris Metro pass
• Museum pass as well as a guided walking tour and boat ride down the Seine
• ETIAS 

The cost does not include CSU tuition for the required 2-credit course, WLC 340/FRN 340 or WLC 540 which could fall into the tuition band. For more information on tuition, please visit the website of the CSU Bursar. 

The program fee may change due to increases in airfare and/or the exchange rate. Students should budget an additional $400 for lunches, souvenirs, and sightseeing not included in the program cost or required as part of the academic component. Visits to the following destinations are not mandatory for the class and therefore are not included in the program fee: ballet, Palace of Versailles, any concerts/opera, the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, or the Foundation Louis Vuitton. Students wishing to visit these places during their free time should plan for an additional $100 (estimated) for these activities. 

Additionally, students are personally responsible for passport, visa fees (if necessary), and health insurance with international coverage. Travel insurance if desired, is also the students' responsibility. 

 

Tentative Daily Itinerary

Travel takes place over spring break 2024. Please make every attempt to NOT schedule a Friday class in the Spring 2024 semester. If a Friday class cannot be avoided, students are required to seek permission from their professor(s) to miss class on Friday March 8 and accept and/or any negative consequences of missing class. 

Fri. March 8               Afternoon departure from Cleveland (ask for permission to miss any classes scheduled on this day) 

Sat. March 9             Morning arrival in Paris.  Walking tour of city to include Quartier Latin, and Luxembourg Gardens.  Visits to Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame Cathedral.  In the evening, we will take a boat ride on the Seine

Sun. March 10            Walking tour of le Marais (medieval Paris) with "Paris Walks" guide.  Visit to Cluny Museum.

Mon. March 11           Montmartre, most of the day will be open for students to work on "Reading the City" projects.

Tues. March 12           Museum of the Arab world, Paris Mosque, Visit to an open air street market.  Optional evening visit to Eiffel Tour.

Wed. March 13          Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elys¨¦es. Orangerie, Tuileries Garden.

Thursday, March 14  Musee d'Orsay, Rodin Museum

Friday, March 15        Fondation Louis Vuitton or Pompidou Center

Saturday, March 16    Free day. Students may not leave France.  P¨¨re Lachaise Cemetery

Sunday, March 17       Group departure and return to Cleveland
 

Billing

After acceptance into the class, students will be billed for the remaining program fee on their CSU student financial account via CampusNet. This balance is due with the spring payment due date. Students may enroll in the Spring Budget Payment Plan via CampusNet to spread out their payments Please contact the Bursar's Office with any payment questions. 

Once accepted into the class, a student's participation is guaranteed and there can be no program fee reimbursements for withdrawals. 

Financial Aid

Students may use Spring financial aid to pay for the program fee, after the initial $250 program deposit is made.  With the addition of these expenses to your spring semester fees, you may be eligible for additional financial aid. Please contact All-in-One with any financial aid questions. 

Scholarships

The Center for International Services and Programs offers a scholarship to qualifying students on faculty-led programs. Eligible students can apply for the CISP Education Abroad Scholarship by downloading the application from the web. The deadline is October 1.

The Darwin and Myra Smith Family Gift Fund may also award scholarship money for this spring break program. The deadline is Nov 30.

Students with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences may be eligible to apply for a Bonnie and Peter Raquet High Impact Learning Fund. See the College website for details. 

The Ohio International Consortium offers an OIC short-term study abroad program scholarship for undergraduate, Ohio residents with at least a 2.5 GPA. The deadline is Jan 3.

Pell grant recipients may apply for Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship. Applications are due the first Tuesday in October.

Contact Michael Almony in All-in-One Enrollment Services with any financial questions and to determine how your current financial aid package may be applied. 

Do I need a Visa?

If you are not a United States citizen (even if you are a Permanent Resident), you may need a visa to enter France. Visit the French Consulate of Chicago's website to find out if you need a short term tourist visa to enter France. If you have any questions regarding visas, please contact thew CISP. At the time of this writing, U.S. citizens do not need a visa to enter France however, in 2024, the European Union is expected to roll out a new online registration process for all travelers called ETIAS ; think of it as an electronic visa. More information will follow in the coming months. 

Presently, U.S. passport processing times are running 4 ? months with standard processing or 3 months with expedited processing (extra $60). All students will need a passport to travel abroad and must present their passport copy or receipt of their passport application having been submitted before October 1st. 

 

Application and Deposit

Apply NOW 
Applications are due by November 17

Deposit NOW 
look for " CISP Faculty-led Program Abroad " Applications are not complete until a deposit is paid. 

 

Note on acceptance and withdrawals

Once emailed as an accepted participant on a CSU faculty-led study abroad program, a student becomes financially and academically responsible to the group and the University.  The remaining program fee (minus the application deposit) is assessed to each participant's CSU student account, accessible through CampusNet and becomes irreversible.  There are no voluntary withdrawals, as each student is needed to make up a group and cover the program expenses. 

Once admitted on a faculty-led program, there will no refund of any of any kind for a withdrawal.  Expenses begin being paid out on behalf of the group as soon as a program is considered a "go" and the application decisions are announced.  If an applicant is unsure about making a financial and/or academic commitment to a faculty-led program, doubts should be cleared up BEFORE submitting an application.

Safety 

For the health and safety of our entire CSU community, all travel will comply with CDC guidelines and any in-country and program-specific requirements

CDC International Travel Guidelines 
CDC Recommended Immunizations and Vaccines for travelers to France
CDC profile of France 
US Department of State Travel Advisory for France 
France information (Embassy of USA in France)

For general information on pre-planning consideration please visit our health and safety resource page. 
 

Insurance

Please explore our resources for insurance. We urge every student to purchase travel insurance and to consider a "cancel for any reason" coverage. 

Supplemental Insurance- International SOS - Assistance and referrals plus Zurich accident and sickness 

Cleveland State has an membership with International SOS (11BCAS000010) as part of the IUC Inter-University Consortium of Ohio's public universities. Any CSU traveler going abroad with university approval may use International SOS services and benefits before, during, or after travel. Easily access the services by downloading the assistance app to your phone. You may also obtain information from their website or by calling the dedicated scholastic client line in Philadelphia (215) 942 -8478. Once abroad, there are additional International SOS call centers around the world waiting to assist.  Call the Paris Assistance Centre from inside France + 33 (0)155 633 155. 

Travel accident and sickness insurance secured by Cleveland State on your behalf is included in your program fee as a secondary policy to any current health insurance you carry. 

Contact

Dr. Tama Engelking
Emerita, professor of Record for Paris program
Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures
t.engelking@csuohio.edu

Dr. Marian Bleeke
Associate Professor of Art History
Director of General Education
m.bleeke@csuohio.edu  

Julie Good
International Programs Manager
j.a.good88@csuohio.edu
216-687-3910