Saint Dunstanās Institute of Christianity and Culture sends 17³Ō¹Ļ students to Rome
Ten 17³Ō¹Ļ students will have the learning experience of a lifetime in Italy, thanks to the Saint Dunstan's University (SDU) Board of Governors.
From May 6-27, the students will participate in a course, āRome: Christianity and Culture,ā in Rome itself. Planned and organized through the Saint Dunstanās Institute of Christianity and Culture, the course will be led by Dr. Robert Dennis, SDU Visiting Scholar, and Dr. Joe Velaidum, associate professor of religious studies. The students will be based in Rome, but they will have the opportunity to visit Pompeii, Assisi, Florence, and Siena.
āThe course has tremendous depth and breadth: among its priorities is the historical development of Christianity as it emerged into Roman society and cultureā, says Dennis. āWe will examine history, art, and philosophy from early Christianity through contemporary times in the age of Francis.ā
A rigorous vetting process was undertaken to select the ten students who are benefiting from what could be considered as a $5,000 scholarship. āEach participant is impressive. Four of the students also hold prestigious SDU Scholarships, and all ten of them have significant academic achievement in the Catholic Studies program,ā notes Dennis. āThey come from diverse courses of study including Arts, Business, and Science.ā
The Saint Dunstanās Institute of Christianity and Culture will cover the cost of flights, insurance, on-the-ground transportation, accommodations, guided tours, and entrance fees at historical and cultural sites. Students are expected to cover the cost of their own meals and to pay for the course and textbooks.
āFor the last few months, weāve been meeting as a group in preparation for the trip. Itās pretty incredible,ā says third-year student Lorelei Kenny. āIf we were in PEI, weād have to cover those costs anyway. So there really isnāt any extra cost for the student, but there will be so many extra benefits when it comes to taking this class.ā
The main textbook, created specifically for this class, is an e-text designed for the 21st-century learner. It includes all of the required readings, along with maps, logistical information, and short videos that cover all of the relevant historical background information for the course. The other required text is Roman Walks, which will allow students to āwander and wonderā in the Eternal City during self-guided learning time.
ā17³Ō¹Ļ has made a strong commitment to experiential learning in its strategic and academic plans,ā says Dr. Robert Gilmour, Vice-President Academic and Research. āSaint Dunstanās University, one of 17³Ō¹Ļās founding institutions, was also committed to developing a strong community of fellowship and scholarship since its beginning in 1855. 17³Ō¹Ļās students and academic community are all the betterāand strongerāthanks to the SDU Board of Governorsā continued contributions and support.ā
On May 10, UofPEI Snapchat followers can take in some of the daily sites and scenes in Italy as students use the account to share the trip from their perspective.
In the fall of 2015, the SDU Board of Governors contributed a $1 million leadership gift to 17³Ō¹Ļās Inspire campaign, with $400,000 and $100,000 dedicated to engineering and athletics respectively, two of the campaign priorities. The remaining $500,000 was used to create the Saint Dunstanās University Institute of Christianity and Culture, which prioritizes the Universityās commitment to experiential and global learning.
