Electric Power Development & Environmental Management in New Zealand
Mini-Term Course Program
Nov 22– Dec 15, 2007
The New Zealand Mini-Termcoursewill be offered during next year's Fall break. Under the direction of Prof. Kenney (Economics), the course explores the technical, economic, environmental, sociopolitical, and cultural issues in electric power generationand transmission in New Zealand.There are openings for 16 students (from all majors and class years) who will work in multi-disciplinary teams to assess alternative approaches to natural resource management.
The country of New Zealand, renowned for its natural beauty, consists of two islands (about 2/3 the landmass of California) located 1000 miles southeast of Australia. On the tour of power generation sites, several in remote wilderness locations, the group willtravel over 2500 miles in two 10-passenger vans. The odyssey begins on the NorthIsland in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, and ends in Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island. In between, the students meet with public officials,electricity market and environmental regulators, representatives of indigenous peoples (Maori), power company management, and plant operators at ten power stations (includingan underground hydroelectric plant, a thermal plant that burns both natural gas and coal, and two wind farms with 200 wind turbines on a mountain ridge north of Wellington).
In addition to the power station tours, the students have many opportunities to experience the culture and to explore the many natural wonders of New Zealand. Group activities include: visits to museums; living on a sheep station at the base of Mt Cook (at 12,300 feet, the highest peak in the Southern Alps); and a half-dozen hikes through rain forests and active geothermal fields, along endless beaches, and around pristine mountain lakes, glaciers, and volcanoes. Students will also have free time for “adrenalin rush” activities (e.g., bungy jumping, jet boating, white water rafting). Because the mini-term program ends on December 15, many students choose to add a visit to Australia before returning to the U.S.
Extensive documentation on the course program and itinerary in 2006 (not expected to change significantly in 2007) is available at the Blackboard Web site for the course. If you would like to browse the Web site, you can obtain guest access by doing the following. Open Internet Explorer and enter online.union.edu in the location bar. When the Blackboard entry page opens, click on the Login button, then the Preview button, and then on the Courses tab. Enter 06-WI.TAB-333T-01 in the Course Search dialog box and click on the Go!button. Clicking on New Zealand Mini-Term Abroad displays a menu of buttons, including Course Information and Course Documents. The Course Information folder contains itinerary and lodging information and albums of photographs from previous program experience. The Course Documents folder contains lots of subfolders with course content and an Overnight Stays folder that contains links to additional information about lodging and the places we will be visiting.
Requirements for the course include: (1) participation in a series of pre-departure seminars one eveningper week during Fall term; (2) maintenance of a detailed journal during the stay in New Zealand; and (3) completion and presentation of a team-project analysis that draws upon both Web- and library-based research and field research in New Zealand. In order to receive Section IV Gen Ed credit, students must have completed Anthropology 110 prior to participation in this mini-term program. Anthropology 110 is offered during theSpring term and will also be offered in the Fall term.
The $3000 course fee covers housing, meals, and all course-related travel and activities in New Zealand. In addition, students are responsible for airfare (to and from New Zealand) and anypersonal expenses.
An information session will be held Thursday, April 5 at 12:30 in SS 014. Applications are due in the International Programs office no later than Friday, April 20. Preference in selection will be given to students who have completed Economics 228 (Environmental and Natural Resource Economics), which is being offered during the Spring term (MWF 10:30). Any questions about mini-term arrangements should be directed to Prof. Kenney (Social Sciences 210C, ).