Study abroad trip to New Zealand

Many students look forward to the chance to study abroad. These students aren't usually biology students, but J.D. Swanson, assistant professor of biology, would like to change that.Several weeks ago Swanson began planning a study abroad trip to New Zealand, where he grew up.The trip would be the first study abroad trip for the biology department and the first UCA-sponsored trip to the South Pacific, he said. The trip would be during the three weeks of May Intersession, as well as the weekends before and after. All 21 days in New Zealand would be on the northern island.

Swanson said New Zealand offers some learning opportunities that can't be found anywhere in the world.New Zealand has popped in and out of the ocean about seven times. It has a very different ecosystem than any other islands, he said.Swanson wants the students to study how New Zealand formed, the effects of the native Maori people on the island and how the colonization in the 16th century affected the ecosystem of the island.Swanson said New Zealand is also unique because there were originally no mammals on the island.

Swanson's itinerary for the trip would take students from the northern part of the island, along the coast and through the center of the northern island all the way to Wellington in the south, from where they would fly back at the end of the trip.Along the way we're going to have a lot of fun, Swanson said. New Zealand is a really unique place where you can surf in the morning, water ski later and snow ski even later in the same day, Swanson said.We're going to be able to do things like walk around on an active volcano and raft through caves to see wildlife, he said.

The itinerary also includes visiting university professors at the University of Victoria in Wellington.Swanson said he had several reasons for designing the trip.One reason for creating the course is that many students have never had the opportunity to travel to one of the most beautiful places in the world, he said.Although the trip is heavily focused on the biology in New Zealand, students from any major can attend, Swanson said. He's seen interest from geography, anthropology and film students.

Danielle McGhee, director of study abroad, said there were certain criteria students had to meet before they could go on the trip.Students must be of sophomore status 30 hours and have a 3.0 GPA. They must also complete the medical form on our application and make sure they are approved to go by a doctor, McGhee said.Swanson expects to take 30 students, but the final number depends on the size of the bus available in New Zealand. Swanson estimated the total cost to be around $4,000 per student.

Plane tickets are $1,200, all the on the ground stuff will be about $1,500 and the rest depends on what UCA charges for the course credit, Swanson said.students should have enough time planning the financial part of the trip.Deposits for the summer faculty led programs are due Dec. 1, but I will work with students on this through January. The deposit is $600. The rest of the money will be due in two increments during spring semester trip orientations, McGhee said.She also said students could receive assistance in financing the trip.

Students can receive Honors TAG money or load money from the UCA Office of Financial Aid. We also have a group on Facebook under 'study abroad' so students can join that to get updated information as it comes out, McGhee said.Biology students who plan to attend will likely receive three credit hours of upper division field study, and Swanson said he would negotiate with other departments for students who aren't biology majors.McGhee said prospective students had to meet the requirements to be enrolled in Swanson's course, or, if they don't want or need biology credit, they can work with other departments to obtain Independent Study credit or whatever they can work out with their department.