OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PANEL
REPORT 
September 2011

I. MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
										Graduate School of Business
A. Reinstate semester  program		Eff. Fall 2011
HEC (Hautes Etudes Commerciales), Paris (Fall 11 units, Spring 13 units)
Approved for 5 years.  This is the 11th semester program for MBA students reinstated in 2010-11.  
Students attend HEC, a highly-ranked graduate business school in the outskirts of Paris.  
International students are 83% of the MBA student body.  The primary language of the MBA 
program is English, and 90% of the courses are offered in English.  Between SP04 and FA08, 10 
students studied at HEC-Paris.  HEC requires students to earn at least 18 ECTS units (9 USC units--
6 classes).  In the 10-week fall semester, students may earn up to 11 USC units; in the 12-week 
spring semester, they may earn up to 13 USC units.  HEC provides information to assist students in 
finding off-campus housing.  Students may use the International Exchange Program coordinator. 

Chair comments:  The low evaluations for the academic questions were concerning, but the 
reputation of HEC helps the expectations of increased rigor.

B.  Review Short Trip		Eff. 	Spring 2012
GSBA 554: Digital Strategies for Sustainability in Global Markets (3)
Approved for 3 years.  Chair review.  MBA students travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi during spring 
break as part of GSBA 554, "Digital Strategies for Sustainability in Global Markets."  Students work
during the USC part of the course researching a company, visit it during the trip, and provide a 
consulting report afterwards.  One-day visits to various companies are pre-arranged.  Students stay 
in hotels and are accompanied by a USC faculty member.  

Chair comments:  The experience was well received by students.
II. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE	
A.  Review International Summer Program		Eff. 	Summer 2011
Graduate Studies Abroad Program in China (2 or 6, max 8)
Approved for 1 year.  Graduate and advanced undergraduate Architecture students study in 
Shanghai for 7 weeks, earning 8 unts:  2 units of ARCH 499 Computation Workshop and 6 units of 
ARCH 605a.  (Students may take only one course.)  Workshop explores the use of digital 
fabrication techniques in  Shanghai.  Classrooms (workshop and lecture) are at Tongji University of
Architecture.  Students stay in L'otel, a business hotel which is about 30 minutes from Tongji 
University by metro.  ARCH 499 teaches two new design technologies:  parametric and algorithmic
design.  A weekend tour to nine cities will be offered.  Prof. Leach will be present throughout, 
along with additional faculty for parts of the program.  In 2010, 11 USC students (along with 
students from other universities, including Chinese students) attended and took only ARCH-605a 
for 6 units.  

Chair comments:  Reviewers expressed reasonable concerns about the lack of student 
feedback. The director's report mentioned students in ARCH 605a were in the studio many hours 
of the day, thus affecting the advantages in being in a foreign country. A week was added to the 
course to provide more opportunities.

B. Review	Semester Program		Eff. 	Fall 2011
Asia Architecture and Urbanism	(15)
Approved for 3 years if location is same as previous semesters.  Semester program for undergrad 
architecture majors following the same structure as the semester programs in France, Italy, and 
Asia (summer).  Students take ARCH 316, 402, 424, 425, 426 and earn 15 units in a 15-week 
program.  Students will travel to Korea, Taiwan, and China (Hong Kong, Pearl River basin), with 
the semester base being in Shanghai.  Students also went to Japan in 2010, but that will not be 
possible in 2011 due to the natural disasters there.  Students take ARCH 415 prior to departure.  
Several USC faculty, including Prof. Liang, program director, teach the courses, with contributions 
from Asian educators.  Arrangements are being planned with various universities to provide 
facilities and academic enrichment such as seminar sessions.  Co-curricular support will be 
provided by USC American Academy in China. Students stay in hotels arranged by the program 
director.  In Fall 2010, 17 students attended, and 20 students plan to attend in Fall 2011.  

Chair comments:  Overall the program's details are better articulated than in the past, and the student experiences seem valuable.
III. COLLEGE OF LETTERS ARTS & SCIENCES
				Anthropology
A. Review Short trip		Eff. 	Summer 2012
	ANTH 301: The Performance of Healing (4)
Approved for 5 years.  Chair only review.  Course has been approved as a new course:  ANTH-
301 "The Performance of Healing.".  "Problems Without Passports" course.  Students spend 2 
weeks in LA and 2 weeks in Brazil, where they have an experiential education concerning spiritist 
healing.  They examine the performance of healing and learn anthropological skills.  They stay in
hotels and are accompanied by a USC faculty member.  

Chair comments:  The course has been successfully offered three times and the course content and evaluations are very good. Information given to students is clear. The OSP chair feels that successful, ongoing programs like this should be reviewed less frequently than newer or less effective programs.

					German
B. New Semester/Year Program		Eff. 	Spring 2012
Boston University's Dresden Studies Program (DRUSP) (16-20)
Approved for 3 years.  Year or spring program in Dresden through Boston University.  Students take
a 6-wwek intensive German course through Boston University International Programs and then 
enroll in 16 weeks at Technische Universitat Dresden (TUD).  This program will be especially 
useful to German minors, since the only remaining program in Germany (in Berlin) requires four 
semesters of German (this program requires two semesters of German). These less advanced 
students take three German language and literature courses offered by TUD for international 
students.  More advanced students may take regular TUD courses with native students.  Students 
live in a dorm near campus.  BU Dresden provides administrative, programmatic, and health and 
safety support.  German RA's live with the students.  Excursions include weekend trips to Prague 
and Berlin.  

Chair comments:  The program proposal was very detailed, especially the academic 
rationale. The experiences in Vienna informed the program's development quite well, and the 
degree of immersion seems appropriate. This should be a great learning experience.
		East Asian Languages and Cultures
C.Review International Summer Program	Eff. Summer 2012
USC Chinese Summer Program in Beijing (4 or 8)
Approved for 3 years.  Three-year full review of ISP in Beijing.  Students may attend for 4 weeks, 
taking either EALC 204 or 304 (first session) or EACL 206 or 306 (second session), for 4 units, or 
may attend for 8 weeks, taking two courses and earning 8 units.  Students live in a university dorm 
(university may change for 2012 to be more centrally located).  Excursions are provided.  Courses 
are taught largely by local instructors, but under the supervision of a USC instructor and using USC
 materials.  USC instructors taught the courses offered the first four weeks, and local instructors 
taught the second four weeks, under the supervision of the program director.  

Chair comment:  The student evaluations are positive and the director's comments reflect a desire to improve orientation. Overall it looks like a strong program.

									East Asian Studies
D.Review International Summer Program	Eff. Spring 2012
Global East Asia (4)
Approved for 3 years.  Three year review.  Students take EASC-360, Global East Asia, (4 units).  
They spend 4 weeks studying in either Japan (Tokyo, Meiji University), China (Shanghai, Fudan 
University), or Korea (Seoul, Ewha Womens' University). There are excursions locally and to other 
cities in the country, all accompanied by USC faculty who teach the course. As preparation, they 
take two language or area studies courses in East Asia.  All travel expenses were paid (scholarships
are funded in part by the Freeman Foundation).  Students live in international dorms and/or 
hotels.  There was some interaction with local students in classes most years.  Student interest has 
been greatest for China and Japan.  There has been consistency in the USC professor in most of 
the countries for the last two or three years.  Some language instruction is provided.  Program was 
offered in China in 2009, in all 3 countries in 2010, and in China and Korea in 2011 (due to the
tsunami in Japan).  An average of about a dozen students (7-16) went to each country.  

Chair comments:  The director's report was very thoughtful and they syllabi were very clear. All problems
noted in the student evaluations (language, travel-related) seemed minor compared to the overall excellence of the program