Dear students:

My name is José-Luis Gastañaga, Associate Professor of Spanish here at UTC. I will be the director of the faculty-led Summer Study Abroad Program in Alcalá de Henares (Spain) this summer 2020. Time is getting short so, if you are interested, read the information below and contact me immediately.

Alcalá de Henares is a beautiful, picturesque and traditional city 22 miles northeast of Madrid. It is the home of one of Spain’s most old and prestigious universities: the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, founded first as an studium generale in 1293 and later recognized by the Pope as a university in 1499. However, it is not only the university; the entire historical center has been designated by the UNESCO a World Heritage Site and the city is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, the famous author of Don Quixote.

Students who choose to participate in the program take up to 9 credit hours if they go for a month (June) and up to 15 credit hours if they go for two months (June & July). One of these courses will be a UTC course, while the rest will be taken with professors from Alcalá. Classes are from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm from Mondays to Thursdays. When not in class students take advantage of their weekends to explore the area and travel. Alcalá’s strategic location in the middle of the Peninsula and so close to Madrid makes it an ideal departing point to travel to other places. There is bus and shuttle train services that connect Alcalá with Madrid and with Madrid’s airport (Barajas) too.

Opportunities for language and cultural immersion are many. Notable among them is the homestay system that allows students to stay with local families and share meals and other experiences with them.

There is of course more to talk about this program, and this is related to your current level of Spanish and future plans, so the best we can do is to meet in person in my office to discuss how this program can help you. My office hours are at Brock 208D Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 3 pm. Stop by or email me ([log in to unmask]) for an appointment. It will be my pleasure to talk in person with you about the benefits of study abroad and how this program can fit your plans.

Jose-Luis Gastanaga
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