Four summers ago, Dr. Tony Fellow, chair of the Department of Communications, took nine Cal State Fullerton students to study in Florence, Italy. The Florence program has now grown into one of CSUF’s largest study abroad programs.

“We already have received more than 140 inquires for summer 2009, and deposits have already been paid long before the April 13, 2009 deadline,” Fellow said.

Called the International Media Workshop in Florence, Italy, the program is co-sponsored by the Department of Communications at California State University, San Bernardino. The presidents of Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills have told Fellow they also would like to be part of the program. “We are slowly getting students from other CSUs and UC campuses throughout Southern California,” Fellow said.

Course Offerings
This summer’s offerings include: Comm 300, Visual Communications, which will focus on The Renaissance and the Media; Comm 334, Feature and Travel Writing (students can also receive credit for Comm 351), and Comm 426, Global Media System which will focus on Italian Cinema, Fellow’s hobby.

Classes are taught by Fellow and Cal State San Bernardino Professor Robin Larsen. “Robin is an outstanding teacher, and we just clicked from the first moment we met each other. She has become one of my most trusted friends,” Fellow said. “Students really appreciate the camaraderie between us.” Fellow also praised former Associate Dean Fred Zandpour who made this all happen over the years. He currently has Dr. Zandpour working on Intersession study abroad programs in South Africa and Latin America.

Students will spend two weeks at CSUF beginning June 22. Not only will they begin their courses of study, but each student will receive training in video cameras and production since many of their assignments are visual. Fellow said some students produce pieces in Italy for World Press, a popular television show produced by Titan Communications and hosted by Fellow.

Students will depart for Italy on July 4 where classes will be held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, giving students time to travel in Europe on long weekends.

Field Experiences
Included in this year’s package are guided day trips to the Chianti wine district with lunch and a winery tour with tasting, and to Siena, home of the famous Palio. In addition, guided visits to the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi await students. They also will have a pass giving them unlimited free entry to the State Museums in Florence and will not have to wait in any lines to enter the museums.

There also will be a three-day, two-night trip to Rome, including round-trip transportation, two-night accommodation in a tourist-class hotel with daily breakfast, entrance and guided tour of the Vatican museums, and half-day guided sightseeing tour including the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, a group meal and the service of a tour manager.

Lodging in Florence
In Florence, students will be housed in twin-bedded rooms with four students typically sharing a two-bedroom apartment with cooking facilities.

An orientation program upon arrival consists of an orientation meeting with AIFS staff. Students will receive information packets containing handbooks, maps and other information. And a welcome reception will be held in their honor.

Throughout the program students will have access to the AIFS office on site in the Study Center and the AIFS program coordinator, who will work with the faculty and students to provide information, personal advising/counseling, fax and mail services, and 24-hour emergency contact service.

Fellow and Larsen also host numerous luncheons and dinners throughout the students’ stay in Florence. Fellow also hosts a dinner for students with friends who are Italian artists and scholars in Arezzo, Italy.

Application Deadline
Deadline to apply is April 23, 2009. Applications can be obtained from Linda Lui in the Dean’s Office, College Park 450, or Dr. Fellow (College Park 400) or Dr. Zandpour (College Park 460-27), international coordinator for the Department of Communications.

Fellow, a former summer director at Cal State Florence, said he was inspired to begin the program following one of President Milton Gordon’s state of the university addresses in which he said he would like to see every student some day study abroad for a semester. He said the president and Chancellor Charles Reed have been very supportive of this program. He said the chancellor asks about the program after each summer trip.

“This study abroad program has been the greatest teaching experience of my 24 years in university education,” Fellow said. “All of our students last summer said it changed their lives.”

Last summer students got a special treat. Gaddi Vasquez, ambassador to the United Nation for water and agriculture and friend of Fellow and his wife, Clara, was stationed in Rome. He and his wife invited the students and Dr. Larsen to his villa one Sunday afternoon. Students said the talk by Vasquez was inspiring and had an impact on their lives.

“All the students last summer said this trip changed their life,” said Fellow, whose family hails from Caserta and Compobosso, Italy, said. “I love sharing the country of my family with our students.”