Courses at the CEA GlobalCampus: Florence are designed in conjunction with, approved, and transcripted by the
University of New Haven, which is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the New England Association for Schools and Colleges.
CEA GlobalCampus: Florence
The CEA GlobalCampus in Florence was founded in 2007 as an exciting addition to the CEA GlobalCampus Network. The center is designed to provide a unique interdisciplinary liberal arts education in the matchless historical surroundings of Florence, Italy. With the city acting as their classroom, students take courses offered in both Italian and English, and enjoy an unrepeatable opportunity to actively improve their language skills and further their academic pursuits immersed in a rich, cultural setting with few equals.
Designed to exploit the natural strengths of the city’s history and culture, the curriculum at CEA’s GlobalCampus in Florence focuses on art history, studio and fine arts, history and Italian culture and society. Multiple activities, designed to take the curriculum out of the classroom and into the community, are incorporated into all of the courses. These typically include visits to galleries and museums, the city council chambers, local businesses, food markets, artisan’s workshops, as well as first-hand encounters with architects, writers, curators and Italian students. Even outside school hours students are constantly encouraged to apply the learning experience, drawing ‘real-life’ connections between the subjects they examine during class time and the daily life of the host community. This ongoing, active and reflective structure of study not only helps students gain a better historical and social understanding of Florence and contemporary Italy, but helps them develop the international cultural fluency required to communicate and function effectively in an increasingly globalized world.
In fact the mission of the CEA GlobalCampus in Florence is not simply to provide students with the tools and direction to learn about Italy, but also to reflect and articulate critically on their own national, cultural and social identities. Consequently students are expected to actively participate in their classes (as both individuals and as group-members) since interaction and collaboration will be critical for the students' academic and future professional success. Faculty selected to teach at the CEA GlobalCampus in Florence are therefore committed to fostering the intellectual and cultural growth of the students by engaging them in lively simulated debates, multi-media research presentations and round-table discussions.
Italian Language courses are taught in conjunction with The British Institute of Florence. Founded in 1917, The British Institute of Florence was developed with the aim of developing cultural understanding between the UK and Italy through the teaching of their respective languages and cultures. In 1923 it was granted a Royal Charter and in 1953 was recognized in the Anglo-Italian Cultural Convention as an official representative of British culture in Italy. The British Institute strives to provide students with confidence in spoken and written Italian language through developing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 Semester Sessions Only
Courses taught at the CEA GlobalCampus center in Florence have been designed in conjunction with, and approved by, the University of New Haven (UNH). In addition, faculty appointments have been approved by UNH. After the successful completion of a session at the CEA GlobalCampus in Florence, students will receive credit for their work from UNH. Located in Connecticut, the University of New Haven is a student-focused, comprehensive university and is full accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The agreement between CEA and UNH follows the highest standards of good practice in education abroad and satisfies the rigorous requirements of the University's institutional accreditor. Therefore, credits earned at the CEA GlobalCampus are easily transferable to US-accredited institutions. Learn more about UNH's service as the University of Record for CEA.
Classroom Information
- Classes are taught by international faculty selected by CEA and approved by the University of New Haven.
- Faculty are bilingual (English/Italian) and represent a variety of different backgrounds.
- Periodic exams, homework assignments and final exams will be administered.
- Attendance in all classes is mandatory and monitored by each professor.
- Classes are specifically designed to be taken with other CEA students of equivalent language levels and not with native Italian students.
- Teaching styles in Italy can be very different from those found in the US or Canada. Be prepared to adapt to the different classroom structures and coursework expectations for your school.
- Class size ranges between 10 and 20 students for language courses and electives. These small class sizes will enable you to receive more personalized attention from your instructors.
Grading
Professors at the CEA GlobalCampus in Florence will carefully evaluate student's work and progress throughout their academic session. Written and oral exercises, homework assignments, attendance, classroom participation and performance on exams will be taken into account when calculating the final grade.
The following grading system, modeled off the University of New Haven, is in use at the CEA GlobalCampus in Florence:
CEA Grading Scale |
Letter Grade |
Numerical Grade |
Quality Points |
Low Range |
High Range |
A+ |
9.70 |
10.00 |
4.00 |
A (excellent) |
9.40 |
9.69 |
4.00 |
A- |
9.00 |
9.39 |
3.70 |
B+ |
8.70 |
8.99 |
3.30 |
B (good) |
8.40 |
8.69 |
3.00 |
B- |
8.00 |
8.39 |
2.70 |
C+ |
7.70 |
7.99 |
2.30 |
C (fair) |
7.40 |
7.69 |
2.00 |
C- |
7.00 |
7.39 |
1.70 |
D+ |
6.70 |
6.99 |
1.30 |
D (passing) |
6.30 |
6.69 |
1.00 |
D- |
6.00 |
6.29 |
0.70 |
F (failure) |
0.00 |
5.99 |
0.00 |
W |
Withdrawal |
0.00 |
INC |
Incomplete |
0.00 |
Completion of a course is defined as a receipt of a letter grade (A+ to F) as opposed to Withdrawal or Incomplete.
In order to determine a quality point ratio, each letter grade from a completed course is assigned a quality point value. The quality point value for each grade earned during a semester is multiplied by the number of semester hours assigned to that course. The sum of these points is the total number of quality points earned during the semester. It is divided by the number of semester hours completed to obtain the quality point ratio (QPR).
