Oct 28, 2015 By Shon Meade managing Editor 4 min read

Waynesburg University students who are interested in spreading their outreach in the world will have a new option to study abroad in Europe over the summer.

Participating students will leave on June 3 to embark on a six-week trip to study abroad in Rome, Italy.

Jacquelyn Core, vice president for academic affairs and provost, is in charge of planning and overseeing this opportunity. 

Thanks to Core, Waynesburg University has teamed up with the University of Dallas to provide this opportunity to students. There are five spots available for Waynesburg students to fill, but if more are interested that number can increase. 

The University of Dallas has 75 spots, including the ones from Waynesburg.

On average, there are roughly 50 students who take the trip, which leaves the class sizes small — similar to Waynesburg, said Core. There also will not be a language barrier while taking the classes, as they will all be taught in English; however, there will be chances to learn Italian.

Core said that one of the reasons that the timing of the trip works well is because it gives students a chance to go on vacation or do a small internship before leaving for Rome.The University of Dallas has been sending students on this study abroad trip for a few years now, and has had success with it. This will be Waynesburg’s first year joining them.

“The University of Dallas is a great book school with a really long and wonderful literary tradition,” said Core. “The quality of instruction is very high.”

The trip itself will take place on a campus in Marino, Italy, right outside of Rome.

The summer course will offer five different classes, with participants choosing two of them to take. All of the credits earned will be transferable to Waynesburg; however, they will be considered elective credits.

If things work out well this year, there is a chance that the credits might count towards something else in the future, said Core.

One of the class options is a Shakespeare class that will study plays set in Italy, said Core. There is potential as well to possibly act out some of the scenes in the locations that the plays are based in, such as Julius Caesar while in Rome.

Health, Geography and People of the Roman Empire is another class that fits in well with the setting.

The other three choices for classes are Philosophy of the Human Person, Literary Traditions 3: Tragedy and Comedy and God and the City, Faith, and Culture.

As for payment for this study abroad program, students would pay as if they were taking courses and rooming at Waynesburg for a semester. 

The option to use financial aid for this trip is available, but students should note that it would take away from using it back at Waynesburg. It will end up being a flat fee.

Core took some time last summer to visit the campus to see what it may be like for participating students. 

“The campus is absolutely beautiful,” said Core. “The faculty are amazing scholars and the quality of instruction is very high.”

Waynesburg University students will be sharing rooms with students from the University of Dallas. Students will be staying in suites, which consist of two rooms and a bath. The campus is gated for privacy and they have a soccer field as well as a pool that visiting students can use.

The classes on campus aren’t the only things that students will get to partake in.  

There will be day trips to places such as the Roman Forum, the Pantheon and other local places like the Apostolic Palace and the Vatican Museum in Italy. 

“There are lots of opportunities to take in the culture,” said Core. “The food is amazing on the campus — all home made Italian food. It’s an authentic Italian experience.”

In addition to all of that, there will be a trip to Florence, Italy. A week of classes will be spent learning in Rome. Students will also have five days of independence where they can travel around. When going off campus for trips, hotels will be provided for students, said Core

“I think overall it’s going to be a wonderful experience,” said Core. “I hope people take advantage of it.”

There are currently a few students interested in going, said Core, who hopes that more will gain interest in this opportunity.

Interested students can contact Core for more information, and paperwork is being finalized now. Official prices will be out in the next few weeks. Applications are to be filled out by Jan. 2016.