St. Louis, Senegal Academic Program – Academic Year 2008-2009 – IAP Program Handbook
The St. Louis, Senegal Academic Program is offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in conjunction with the Universite Gaston Berger in Senegal. This IAP Program Handbook supplements handbook(s) or materials you receive from the Universite Gaston Berger as well as the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and provides you with the most up-to-date information and advice available at the time of printing. Changes may occur before your departure or while you are abroad.
Questions about your program abroad (housing options, facilities abroad, etc.) as well as questions relating to your relationship with your host university or academics (e.g. course credit and equivalents, registration deadlines, etc.) should be directed to International Academic Programs at UW-Madison.
This program handbook contains the following information:
Contact Information 1
Program Dates 4
Preparation Before Leaving 5
Travel and Arrival Information 8
The Academic Program 8
Movies 18
Living Abroad 18
Contact Information
On-Site Program Information
Your primary contact in Senegal will be Professor Baydallaye Kane, a professor of English at the Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis (UGB). He has been working with the UW-Madison program since its inception in 1992.
Dr. Baydallaye Kane
Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis
B.P. 234
Saint-Louis, Senegal
Tel (office): 011-221-33-5149
E-mail:
Home phone: 011-221-33-961-5765
Cell phone: 011-221-77-520-9893 or 221-77-450-0306
Student Mail can be sent to:
Name of Student
c/o Baydallaye Kane
Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis
B.P. 234
Saint-Louis, Senegal
Africa Consultants International (ACI)
Baobab Center
Karla Giuliano
221-33-825-3637
UW-Madison Information
International Academic Programs (IAP)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
261 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Tel: 608-262-2851 Fax: 608-262-6998
Web: www.studyabroad.wisc.edu
For Program Advising & Grades:Andrea Muilenburg
IAP Study Abroad Advisor
Tel: 608-265-2915
E-mail: / For Financial Matters:
Judy Humphrey
IAP Financial Specialist
Tel: 608-262-6785
E-mail:
Emergency Contact Information
In case of an emergency, call the main IAP number (608) 262-2851 between 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; after-hours or on weekends call the IAP staff on call at (608) 516-9440.
Embassy Registration
All program participants who are U.S. citizens must register at the U.S. Embassy before departure as this will help in case of a lost passport or other mishap. You can register on-line at <https://travelregistration.state.gov>. If you are not a U.S. citizen, register at your home country’s embassy or consulate.
U.S. Embassy in Senegal
All program participants who are U.S. citizens must register with the U.S. Embassy before departure, as this will help in case of a lost passport or other mishap. You can register online at https://travelregistration.state.gov. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please register with your home country’s embassy.
U.S. Embassy
B.P. 49
Avenue Jean XXIII
Dakar, Senegal
Tel: 221-823-4296
http://usembassy.state.gov/dakar/wwwhemben.html
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Program Dates
Academic Year, 2008-09
September 2-6, 2008 / Pre-departure orientation in MadisonSeptember 27, 2008 / Arrive in Dakar, Sénégal.
September 29-October 26 / Family home stay begins in Dakar (four weeks). Program at Baobab Center. Events in Dakar will include: town “sorties”, cross-cultural orientation, and Wolof instruction
October 26, 2008 / Arrive in Saint-Louis; Orientation: Tour Saint-Louis, Introduction to Senegalese culture (no credit), French review (no credit), Wolof instruction (for credit)
Late October/early November / Classes begin at the Université Gaston Berger.
Schedules of instruction will be decided with UGB professors upon arrival in Saint-Louis. The French and Senegal culture classes will be approximately 2 weeks. Wolof instruction will continue through June.
Holiday (Tabaski)
Approximately December 21 – January 5 (TBA) / Christmas break
January 2009 / Fieldwork Report: The first progress report on your fieldwork project is due. This one-page report should describe your topic, plan of action, and how you will involve advisor(s). Submit report to Jim Delehanty during his annual visit to UGB.
March 1, 2009 / Submit Course Equivalent Request Form (CERF) to IAP
March 15, 2009 / Fieldwork Report: The second progress report on your project is due. This two-page report should outline the direction the project is taking, specific progress that has been made, problems encountered or anticipated, and a plan of action for the spring semester. Submit by email to Jim Delehanty and Jo Ellen Fair.
Late March – early April / Spring Break
June 30, 2009 / Classes finish and exams are completed. Official ending date of the program. Students are required to remain actively involved in the program until this date.
August 25, 2009 / Fieldwork project submitted to Jim Delehanty and Jo Ellen Fair in Madison.
Preparation Before Leaving
Refer to the Pre-Departure Checklist on pages four and five of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook for essential information.
Immigration Documents
Passport
A passport is needed to travel to Senegal and to obtain your student visa. Apply immediately for a passport if you do not already have one. Passport information and application forms can be found on the U.S. State Department website (http://travel.state.gov/passport). If you already have your passport, make sure it will be valid for at least 6 months beyond the length of your stay abroad.
Visa
You are required to obtain a student visa to study in Senegal. The IAP office will provide you with forms and instructions. A letter from the Universite Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis is required to obtain the student visa. This letter will be mailed to you during the summer. In addition, two original passport photos must be submitted with your student visa application. Submit your visa application to the Senegalese Embassy approximately two months before your departure date.
Handling Money Abroad
Access to Cash
Past participants brought their money in travelers’ checks and cashed these checks at the bank in Saint-Louis as they needed money. In addition, the Baobab Center recommends students arrive with some cash (dollars or euros) as well. CFA, the currency in Senegal, are hard to obtain outside Africa. Currency exchanges at many European airports rarely carry CFA. However, most cab drivers at the Dakar airport will gladly take your euros or dollars. Once you are in Dakar you can obtain CFA at any bank.
When on campus, Baydallaye Kane is able to provide you with a secure place for any large amounts of traveler’s checks that you might have.
Using credit cards and debit cards in ATMs
Machines that accept CIRRUS are more common than those that accept PLUS debit cards. VISA is accepted in more places than AMERICAN EXPRESS or MASTER CARD. Refer to the general handbook for more information on credit and debits cards before going abroad.
Packing
From November to May, Senegal has a pleasant sub-tropical climate, warm, dry and sunny during the day but with an unexpectedly cool breezes in the evenings.
Recommended clothing items
Sweater, jacket or sweatshirt
Normal summer clothes -- skirts, dresses, and long shorts that cover the knee; shirts, T-shirts, sleeveless tops and dresses, pants -- in a lightweight material. Cotton, linen, and other natural fabrics breathe better than many man-made fabrics.
Bring sandals and more sturdy shoes for hiking and considerable walking.
Swimwear
This is a primarily Islamic country; women will most likely wear knee- to ankle-length clothing and shirts that cover the shoulders when in town. Dress on campus is often more formal than in the States. Women especially tend to dress rather nicely.
Miscellaneous
Back pack (one for campus and a large one for traveling)
Battery operated clock/watch
Batteries for all battery-operated belongings. (Although available, the quality is generally poorer. Familiar, name-brand batteries are more expensive).
Calculator
Camera
Flashlight (there are a lot of power outages!)
Water bottle
Journal
Micro-cassette or regular size recorder
Money belt
Mosquito net (Once you arrive in Senegal you can buy a hook and glue it to ceiling. Past participants recommend buying a large one with a rectangular top)
Pens, pencils, paper clips or stapler, thumb tacks, masking/scotch tape, rubber bands, scissors (The quality of these items, especially pens, is poor in Senegal)
Swiss army knife
Toilet paper (bring one roll with you, can get more there)
Pocket Kleenex packages
Tampons (these can be hard to find in Senegal)
Toiletries (limited brands are available so bring your own if you're picky)
Towels
Water filter
Iodine tablets
Wet wipes
Zip-lock bags
Medical Supplies/First Aid
Bug repellant
Condoms, spermicide, and water-based lubricant (if you plan to be sexually active)
Contact solution and other supplies (contact solution is very hard to find in Senegal)
Disposable needles if you need injections (i.e.: Diabetes)
Extra pair of eyeglasses or prescription and/or extra contact lenses
Hand lotion
Hydrogen peroxide
Iodine crystals for water purification -a substitute can be purchased in local pharmacies
Medicines (aspirin, cold tablets, sore throat remedies, Pepto-Bismol, vitamins, hydro-cortisone cream for bug bites and scratches, hydrogen peroxide, Band-Aids, yeast infection kits, athlete’s foot cream, Maalox, laxatives, Femstat 7, Boric acid, Neosporin, Diaper Rash Cream, etc.)
Prescriptions (in original bottles with letter from doctor about prescription)
Thermometer - digital; mercury is illegal on airplanes.
Vitamins
Sun Screen and Aloe/Sunburn cream
Gifts/Photos
Gifts-anything you would like to give to your home stay family in Dakar or friends at UGB, (i.e. hats, T-shirts, post cards, stickers, nice set of bed-sheets or some other similar gift for the home); pictures of yourself that you can give away - According to past participants, pictures are very important in Senegal!
Travel and Arrival Information
For this program, students are responsible for making their own flight arrangements to Senegal. Students must inform IAP and African Consultants International (ACI) of your arrival date and time. ACI’s contact information can be found on page 2 of this handbook.
The Academic Program
General Information
Orientation in madison
You are required to attend a one-week orientation at the UW-Madison before your departure. This is scheduled for Tuesday-Saturday, September 2-6, 2008. During this orientation, you will learn in greater detail about the academic program and begin to plan your Senegal fieldwork. You will work with the Resident Director, Baydallaye Kane; UW-Madison faculty members, Jim Delehanty and Jo Ellen Fair; your IAP Study Abroad Advisor, Andrea Muilenburg; past participants and others. Please read the academic section of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook prior to participating in this site-specific orientation. Come prepared to ask many questions about the program and about Senegal.
During the Madison orientation, you will also take short introductory classes in Wolof and discuss campus life and the university structure in Saint-Louis. Various Wisconsin experts will lead discussions on important issues such as culture shock, safety and security, travel, health, religion in Senegal, etc. This orientation is also run in partnership with past participants eager to talk with you about their recent experiences in Senegal. A full schedule of the orientation will be sent to you over the summer.
Students, parents, family members, and friends are invited to a special “Parents Day” picnic in Madison on the Saturday afternoon of the orientation, September 6, 2008. This activity, a culmination of the orientation, will take place at Burrows Park in Madison. Burrows Park is located at 25 Burrows Road and is close to the UW-Madison campus. A Senegalese family in Madison usually prepares traditional Senegalese food for lunch, which is provided by the program. The program will begin at 10:00 a.m. and wrap up by 3:00 p.m. We advise any family members coming to this event to make hotel or housing reservations prior to arrival as this is a home football game weekend.
Program participants coming to Madison for the week-long orientation are eligible to reserve housing at the UW Short-Course Dorm, at 608-262-2270. Participants may contact the Study Abroad Advisor for more information about hotels and other accommodation options in Madison.
Orientation program in dakar
Your academic program in Senegal will start with a four-week orientation in Dakar at the Baobab Training and Resource Center. The orientation will be organized by Africa Consultants International (ACI), a training and consulting organization whose purpose is to provide more equitable access to the resource, information, technology and skills necessary for economic and social development in Africa and to improve human communication and understanding.
Staff from ACI will meet you at the airport and transport you to an apartment for your first night or two in Senegal. You should plan to depart from the United States on Friday, September 27 in order to arrive in Dakar on Saturday, September 28, 2008.
Following the first night or two in an apartment, you will live for the remainder of the time in Dakar in a home with a Senegalese family. ACI arranges the home stay.
The month-long orientation program in Dakar includes:
§ An introduction to the city, major landmarks and basic services (telephone, transportation, markets)
§ Information concerning the medical facilities available and what measures you should take to stay healthy during your stay in Senegal
§ Cross-cultural sessions, introducing you to some of the customs and practices of Senegalese society and the cultural values and beliefs they are based on.
In addition, you will participate in an intensive course in the Wolof language, which will meet for a total of 50 hours during the four weeks in Dakar. Participation in Wolof language classes is mandatory, even if your college (for non-UW-Madison students) does not award academic credit for this African language.
Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis (UGB)
Following the orientation in Dakar, Baydallaye will assist you in traveling to Saint-Louis, where you will live and study at the Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis. This university opened in 1990-91 and is the smaller of the two universities in Senegal. The facilities, including classrooms and dorms, are all relatively new, and the student body is approximately 2,000. The campus is located in an arid region some 14 km inland from the colonial capital city of Saint-Louis, which is situated on an island in the Senegal River. Saint-Louis is therefore about a 10-15 minute ride from campus by bus. Saint-Louis and its old colonial French buildings are quite picturesque; the town has hotels, restaurants, markets, dance clubs, banks, libraries, and museums.