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Academic Program

The India Center curriculum educates students about the region, its history, and its unique character, while also providing a frame of analysis so that students may understand their experiences in a larger global context.

First semester LIU Global students must take a Global Studies Seminar (Global Issues: Indian Perspectives) (4 credits), Writing Course (2 credits), Hindi language (3 credits), Yearly Seminar: Theory, Culture and Representation (3 credits), and electives for a total of 16 credits. Students choose from other available courses, a directed independent study project, or an internship for this elective credit.

Second semester LIU Global students and study abroad students follow a slightly different academic course load. They are expected to take a combination of directed independent study projects (up to 7 credits), Global Studies Seminar (Globalization, Development and Change),Theory Culture and Representation Courses, elective courses.

A large part of the curriculum is built around the many educational field trips throughout the semester. Short and long field trips to a variety of locations are an integral part of the Global studies coursework. Locations are chosen bearing in mind rich historic and cultural traditions, safety issues and the present global situation, and bearings of the local issues on the global realities.

Fall 2012 semester: Required Courses

  • Global Studies Seminar (Global Issues: Indian Perspectives) (4)
  • Hindi Language (3)
  • Writing Course (2)
  • Yearly Seminar, Theory, Culture and Representation I (3)

*Remaining Credits are for Electives and/or Directed Independent Study

Spring 2013 semester: Required Courses

  • Global Studies Seminar(Globalization, Development and Change) (4)
  • Yearly Seminar,Theory, Culture and Representation II (3)
  • E-Portfolio and Digital Literacy (2)

*Remaining Credits are for Electives and/or Directed Independent Study

Courses (Credits)

  • Global Studies Seminar(4)
  • Hindi Language (3)
  • Writing Course (2)
  • Theory, Culture and Representation (3)
  • Globalization Media and Social change (2)
  • Basic Yoga (2)
  • Environment and Sustainability: Issues and Activism in Indian Context (2)
  • Global Health and Healing Traditions (2)
  • Peace and Reconciliation (2)
  • Living in Indian Culture and Cultural Productions(2)
  • Indian Cuisine - Tasting Culture(2)
  • Integrative Yoga (2)
  • Gender Issues: Indian Context (2)
  • Sustainable Life and Agriculture (2)

ADVISING
Every student has one-on-one advising sessions with a faculty advisor. During the first week of the semester students meet their advisors and establish their advising schedule for the semester.

Once students have decided what they want to study, in consultation with their faculty advisor, they meet on a bi-weekly basis to discuss their learning progress and make the necessary contacts and arrangements for projects and other study opportunities.

ELECTRONIC LEARNING PORTFOLIO and ASSESSMENT
LIU Global electronic learning portfolio (ELP) is a central, cumulative, creative document that contains a chronological mapping of the growing intellectual sophistication of the student over the four years of the program. The ELP is a searchable repository of a student's work, including not only written text but images, sound files, video, presentations and hyperlinks that enable fast and flexible cross-referencing between sections of the portfolio. Interviews, poetry, accounts of failures as well as successes, fiction, and other imaginative and creative elements are encouraged.

Not only is the ELP an effective means of managing and documenting individual learning, it is a social networking tool that puts students in "conversation" with experts, tutors and peers. As students from all centers share the fruits of their unique learning experiences with one another and reflect on the resulting conversations, they strengthen the global Friends World learning community, while acquiring sophisticated technological and communication skills that will be required of them in a wireless, global economy. These digital portfolios stay with students not only through their tenure with the Friends World Program, but also as they move into their careers or on to graduate school.

ASSESSMENT
Portfolio assessment is carried through weekly entries and a final portfolio evaluation. Content, format and the level of analysis is taken into account by the academic advisors.

All students are expected to write a semester learning plan, to have advising sessions (at least one every other week), to bring journal entries to show evidence of progress, and to present an Electronic Learning Portfolio at the end of the semester. The semester evaluation becomes part of the student's official transcript. It lists the coursework and credits earned, and it is accompanied by a narrative description of the student's work.