Study abroad with Penn State—in Iceland
Organizational Communication in Iceland Spring 2022
CAS 352/499
Across the world, organizations are being affected by climate change, from the automobile industry, which is starting a transition to eclectic vehicles to organizations in coastal areas that must adapt their practices to the threats of increasingly erratic and dangerous weather systems. Iceland, the land of fire and ice, offers a unique glimpse at a people and landscape dealing with a changing global climate.
Home to massive glaciers, active volcanoes, and a thriving tourist industry, Iceland serves as the perfect backdrop for understanding how organizations must adapt their practices to work with their natural environment for survival.
On this faculty-led program, you will see and learn how climate change, as both a political issue and a physical reality, impacts organizational communication and practice.
We will study this from multiple perspectives, including crisis response, resilience and adaptive practices, interorganizational alliances, and more.
You will visit rare and disappearing sites that are home to the North Atlantic puffin, humpback whale, and Europe's fastest retreating glacier, Sólheimajökull.
You will become more fully aware of how pervasive the impact of climate change can be and how the reciprocal effect of climate change and organizational communication.
Itinerary
April 22, Departure
April 23, Arrival and acclimation in Iceland
April 24, Reykjavik: Golden Circle
April 25, Reykjavik: Waterfalls, Volcanoes, Glaciers
April 26 Travel to Akureyri
April 27 Akureyri: Day Trip to Lake Myvatn
April 28 Akureyri: Day Trip to Husavik
April 29 Return Home
Expenses
International program costs, estimated at $2,000 - $2,300 (subject to change), will be applied to your bursar account upon enrollment in the course, and are charged in addition to tuition paid. Grants and scholarship monies may be retroactively available through Penn State. Underwriting for each program is provided by Penn State Abington to maximize opportunities for our students to study abroad. Program costs include round-trip airfare, local ground transportation, all lodging, and some meals.
A valid passport is required for international travel. Non-U.S. citizens may require a visa in addition to their passport. Non-U.S. citizens should consult their embassy for information and may ask the Office of Global Programs for guidance.
About Embedded Courses
Traditionally, “study abroad” meant that students spent a semester in another country and attended classes at an accredited university. Short-term, faculty-led courses with an international travel component are viable alternatives as they offer solid academic international experiences at a reasonable cost with a reduced time commitment.
Students who are enrolled in a course within a faculty-led embedded course are taking an internationally focused class that includes a ten-day travel component. These study abroad programs are anchored on Penn State Abington’s campus with travel occurring over fall or spring break. Course material and lectures prepare students both academically and culturally for the short international excursion to the country of focus in the program.
Penn State Abington is committed to providing meaningful opportunities to study abroad. Exposure to other cultures is a vital step toward becoming a global citizen.
The goal of the courses with an international travel component is to embed the students into the life and culture of the university and the country they visit. Therefore, including international faculty and students at the host institution in academic and cultural activities is a highly regarded and critical component of all of Abington’s faculty-led programs.
