General Information
Application Deadline
The deadline for applications is December 15, 2008.
Applications will be reviewed by an admissions committee and decisions made by February 2, 2009. International applications needing an early response may e-mail or fax for consideration after January 9, 2009. Applications received after December 15, 2008 will be processed until the first day of the SPI course, as space permits. We maintain a waiting list for each course, and qualified applicants who apply after the course is full may be placed on that waiting list.
Course Requirements
All SPI participants are expected to attend class sessions, engage in class activities, and complete the basic reading assignments. Additional requirements for those earning graduate credits will be included in the course syllabus. The deadline for completion of SPI 2009 academic coursework will be February 1, 2010 for part-time and non-resident students. Coursework for full-time students is due before the start of the fall semester.
Course Material
Course syllabi and introductory readings will be available on-line prior to SPI for those registered for courses. Those who do not have access to the Internet will receive these materials upon their arrival. Course readers will be distributed the first day of each class. Additional books listed in the syllabi can be purchased ahead of time or at the EMU Bookstore after arrival.
Continuing Education Units
SPI courses can be taken for Continuing Education Units (certifying participation in non-credit continuing education programs) at $25 per course, or for Continuing Education Hours (for professional licensure requirement) at $10 per course. If you are interested in getting continuing education credit, please let us know so that you can receive your certificate while you are here.
Lodging
All SPI participants who choose on-campus housing will be lodged in dormitory or apartment suites. The two or four-person suites are air-conditioned with single or double bedrooms that share living room, kitchen, and bath facilities. Arrangements for off-campus lodging are the responsibility of the participant. Information on area hotels/motels/apartments is available upon request.
Food
Included in enrollment fees are a continental breakfast at registration and the Frontiers in Peacebuilding Luncheon. Participants staying in campus housing will have their weekday noon meals prepared by EMU food service as part of their lodging costs. For other meals, food may be purchased at stores near campus and prepared in your suite. Restaurant meals are also an option.
Transportation
Eastern Mennonite University is located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Unfortunately, there is no public transportation between EMU and the nearest international airport, Washington Dulles, located about 120 miles away. To get to campus, you will need to reserve a seat on the SPI shuttle, hire a taxi or rent a car.
Activities
Come prepared to take part in the life of the SPI community. Please bring traditional dress, special recipes, music recordings, or musical instruments from home. You may enjoy sharing a skill, teaching a song or game, showing slides or video of your work, leading a seminar, reciting poetry or telling a story. We encourage everyone to bring photos of family, home, and work, if possible. Community life is an important part of the SPI experience.
International Entry to the United States
All international persons coming to the U.S. to attend SPI will need to carry a valid passport. The U.S. government will require many of you to obtain a nonimmigrant visa before you arrive in country. You will want to apply for either a J-1 Visa or a Visitor Visa. Please start the process early because obtaining visas can take many months. To check requirements, please consult the website: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Traveling_to_US.html.
Eastern Mennonite University
is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, drug-free campus
