4. University of Perugia for Foreigners: Cultural Activities
The other type of institution a foreign student could attend for a short course is a University for Foreigners [Università per Stranieri]. There are two such universities: one is located in Perugia and the other in Siena. I know nothing about the Foreigners’ University at Siena but I have just attended the University of Perugia for Foreigners (Università per Stranieri di Perugia. It boasts a long and illustrious reputation as the oldest Italian institution involved in teaching and research activities as well as in the diffusion of Italian language and civilisation. Unfortunately for those of us who attended the one-month course, a discrepancy existed between reputation and reality.
To put it bluntly, the University of Perugia for Foreigners did NOTHING in terms of extra-curriculum activities for those of us who attended the one-month intensive language course in September this year [2006]. I believe the same held true for students taking other levels of this one-month course, although I had heard that an instructor in one of the other classes did take her students on a tour of Perugia, but this did not seem to be policy. The university claims to organise weekend trips to “the most important cities and guided visits to historical and artistic monuments of Perugia and Umbria” [pg. 25 of the brochure Italian Language and Culture Courses]. It may do so at other times of the year for those in the Erasmus programme, but there were certainly no guided visits to any site in Perugia or Umbria for those of us who attended in September. One of our instructors took pity on us after we had complained about the diffident treatment we had received, and she was kind enough to give us a quick impromptu tour of the Palazzo Gollanga [the main building] on our last day. Otherwise, there were no organised “cultural activities”.
It seems that the university contracts out to two agencies, one of which is Atena. As the university-approved agency, Atena books accommodation for students and sponsors tours of Perugia and dinners at local restaurants. When I enquired from Canada about these activities I was told by Atena that the university also sponsored excursions. In fact, the university has a Travel Agency organise weekend trips. During September none of these excursions was within Umbria, probably because there was little profit in such short tours. I can’t blame a commercial Travel Agency for wanting to maximise its revenue by arranging long-distance trips, and certainly the excursion to Venice was excellent. At 104 euros [± $150 US] it was well worth the price for those who could afford it. Obviously not too many students could, because the bus was far from full. In fact, many of the occupants were not students.
If there were cultural events sponsored by Atena or by any other agency for those of us attending the one-month course in September, the university certainly did not publicise them either by posters or announcements in the classroom. The only announcement concerning the weekend excursions was a notice among other notices on a board as one approached the stairs of Palazzo Gollanga. No notices were displayed in the other buildings where classes also took place. This would have been important because not all students used the Atena or even knew of its existence. In fact, none of us knew anything of what Atena was offering – if it did offer anything in September – and I doubt if my classmates even knew about the excursions run by the Travel Agency if I had not mentioned them. There seemed to be a total disconnect between the two agencies and the university. One would think that if the Administration were really interested in offering cultural activities it would have co-ordinated the offerings of the two agencies and promoted them to the students by class announcements. Instead it did NOTHING.
I believe that the reason for this lack of interest on the part of the Administration is that the university’s main focus is the Erasmus programme. In this programme, European students take the same university courses as their Italian counterpart. The one-month courses help prepare students to fit into the student body, and I believe that those Erasmus students studying with us did indeed have activities arranged for them. However, most of the people in my class were not in the Erasmus programme, but were older, “mature” students. I believe that the Administration saw us as financial fodder to service a cash-strapped university. Such an attitude explains the total lack of interest the Administration showed in the non-Erasmus students both in terms of co-ordinating cultural activities and in overseeing our instruction in the classroom – which I shall describe in a future blog.
To put it bluntly, the University of Perugia for Foreigners did NOTHING in terms of extra-curriculum activities for those of us who attended the one-month intensive language course in September this year [2006]. I believe the same held true for students taking other levels of this one-month course, although I had heard that an instructor in one of the other classes did take her students on a tour of Perugia, but this did not seem to be policy. The university claims to organise weekend trips to “the most important cities and guided visits to historical and artistic monuments of Perugia and Umbria” [pg. 25 of the brochure Italian Language and Culture Courses]. It may do so at other times of the year for those in the Erasmus programme, but there were certainly no guided visits to any site in Perugia or Umbria for those of us who attended in September. One of our instructors took pity on us after we had complained about the diffident treatment we had received, and she was kind enough to give us a quick impromptu tour of the Palazzo Gollanga [the main building] on our last day. Otherwise, there were no organised “cultural activities”.
It seems that the university contracts out to two agencies, one of which is Atena. As the university-approved agency, Atena books accommodation for students and sponsors tours of Perugia and dinners at local restaurants. When I enquired from Canada about these activities I was told by Atena that the university also sponsored excursions. In fact, the university has a Travel Agency organise weekend trips. During September none of these excursions was within Umbria, probably because there was little profit in such short tours. I can’t blame a commercial Travel Agency for wanting to maximise its revenue by arranging long-distance trips, and certainly the excursion to Venice was excellent. At 104 euros [± $150 US] it was well worth the price for those who could afford it. Obviously not too many students could, because the bus was far from full. In fact, many of the occupants were not students.
If there were cultural events sponsored by Atena or by any other agency for those of us attending the one-month course in September, the university certainly did not publicise them either by posters or announcements in the classroom. The only announcement concerning the weekend excursions was a notice among other notices on a board as one approached the stairs of Palazzo Gollanga. No notices were displayed in the other buildings where classes also took place. This would have been important because not all students used the Atena or even knew of its existence. In fact, none of us knew anything of what Atena was offering – if it did offer anything in September – and I doubt if my classmates even knew about the excursions run by the Travel Agency if I had not mentioned them. There seemed to be a total disconnect between the two agencies and the university. One would think that if the Administration were really interested in offering cultural activities it would have co-ordinated the offerings of the two agencies and promoted them to the students by class announcements. Instead it did NOTHING.
I believe that the reason for this lack of interest on the part of the Administration is that the university’s main focus is the Erasmus programme. In this programme, European students take the same university courses as their Italian counterpart. The one-month courses help prepare students to fit into the student body, and I believe that those Erasmus students studying with us did indeed have activities arranged for them. However, most of the people in my class were not in the Erasmus programme, but were older, “mature” students. I believe that the Administration saw us as financial fodder to service a cash-strapped university. Such an attitude explains the total lack of interest the Administration showed in the non-Erasmus students both in terms of co-ordinating cultural activities and in overseeing our instruction in the classroom – which I shall describe in a future blog.
posted by Toby1939 at 9:37 PM
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