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Tufts in Talloires
May 12 – June 27, 2008
 Tufts in Talloires, a six-week summer program for college students from Tufts
and other universities, offers students a dynamic group of courses taught by
Tufts faculty. Students enrolled in this program choose two courses from a
selection of undergraduate offerings — most of which are taught in English. Past
courses have included The European Community, Alpine Botany, and the Art of
French Cinema. These courses are designed to take advantage of Talloires’ ideal
location in the center of Europe, as well as its striking alpine setting, which
inspires reflection and thought.
Talloires’ proximity to the important international center of Geneva allows
students to venture out of the classroom and benefit from visits to a multitude
of international organizations, museums, and historical monuments in the area.
The Priory’s Woodworth library is stocked with 2,500 volumes, newspapers,
reference texts, and videos. Computers are available for word-processing,
accessing email, and web browsing to support the studies and research of
students and faculty.
In addition to coursework, a wide variety of optional outdoor activities, weekly
hikes into the Alps, field trips, and organized events offer each student the
opportunity to explore the unique Haute Savoie region of France. Students
enjoy one-on-one interaction with their professors within the classroom and
during field trips and other cultural excursions.
2008 Course Listing
 Tufts in Talloires professors are selected from Tufts University faculty on the
basis of their commitment to superior teaching and scholarship. The Tufts in
Talloires faculty, under the leadership of Professor Gérard Gasarian, Academic
Director of Tufts in Talloires, are committed to utilizing the resources and
setting that Talloires and the surrounding region offer to their particular
fields of study. The opportunity to interact with professors both in and out of
the classroom, such as on a hike, or in a local café, lends to the program’s
congenial sense of community.
Each course meets for at least 36 contact hours and is the equivalent of one
Tufts course credit (usually three or four semester hours of credit at other
universities). Students from other universities should check with the
appropriate administrator on their campus regarding the transferability of
credits.
In addition to work for academic credit, students are also offered the
opportunity learn or improve their French through small group, non-credit French
language classes. These are designed to help students develop their French
language skills and learn about French culture in a low-pressure environment.
AST-9T: Exploring our Cosmic Origins – Insights from an Alpine Perspective
In the last 50 years, scientists have made great strides towards understanding
the emergence of the Cosmos, Solar System, Earth, and Life.
 Yet, many gaps
remain in our understanding of cosmic history that continue to challenge our
most basic assumptions. In this course, we will consider the grand sweep of
cosmic evolution through classroom and field explorations of our astronomical
environment. Through telescopic observations, we will examine variations among
planets of our Solar System, the Sun as a variable star, regions of stellar
birth and death, the oldest objects in our Milky Way galaxy, and other galaxies
millions of light-years away from us. Our alpine setting in Talloires will also
afford hands-on studies of the Earth as a dynamic and evolving life-bearing
planet. This latter attribute will enable us to explore the rapidly growing
field of astrobiology, where we will consider the prospects for life beyond
Earth. The course will culminate with a field trip to the Mont Blanc
Observatory in Chamonix. WILLIAM WALLER
View Intro |
View Syllabus
CD 62: Childhood Across Cultures
A key goal of
childrearing is to make sure that every child has a chance to be an active and
productive member of his or her community. But what does this mean in everyday
practice? This course examines research and theories on selected aspects of
children's personal, social, emotional, and cognitive development in the context
of various social and cultural settings in which they live, including home and
community contexts, peer groups, school and educational settings, recreational,
religious and community institutions, as well as a broader socio-cultural
context. Classes will include lectures, discussion, films of family life and
guest speakers. In addition, students will engage in interviews and
observations of children and families in the Talloires region and will
participate in an oral history of childhood project. KATHLEEN CAMARA
 CEE 193: The Alpine Lake: How It Works
Limnology, the study of lakes as systems, is an ideal context or platform for
understanding how the sciences can be applied to understand ecosystems. In
addition, because their water quality is largely determined by their watersheds,
lakes are also great settings for analyzing how humans impact the natural
environment. The proposed course provides an introduction to lake science which
will cover the central elements of physics, chemistry and biology necessary for
such work. In particular, we will investigate how a lake’s watershed and
underlying geology, as well as the “overlying atmosphere,” determine its water
quality. In order to focus our studies, the students will employ Lac d’Annecy as
their laboratory. This will include field trips (1) to explore the lake’s
catchments and (2) to make measurements of water quality indicators in the lake
itself. A major deliverable of the course will be the production of a group
“State of the Lake” report summarizing the data and information compiled and
analyzed by the students. We believe that this report will be of some value to
the local community. Hence, we will explore ways to make it available to
citizens and groups in the watershed. STEVEN CHAPRA
View Syllabus
CH 184 / SOC 188:
Globalization and Health
This seminar on Globalization and Health has three principal goals. First, we
acquire knowledge of the theories of globalization and its criticisms by reading
current and the historical theory on what globalization is and how it may affect
the world. We will examine the writings of the philosopher Immanuel Kant as well
as the current debates of Rodick, Sen, Stiglitz, and others. Our focus will be
on international community and the European Union, and the globalization
processes affecting them.
Second, we will focus our attention on issues of health in the world and how
globalization could make things better, or make things worst. We will look at
the growing problems of tobacco, obesity, and consumption in the developing
world and how globalization is related. And, third, we will seek to understand
how the effects of globalization on health play out in the context of formal
global community and the growing global civil society. We will examine the role
of the state, the role of markets, and the role of international grass-roots
movements in advocating for health and affecting health policy throughout the
world. RAYMOND HYATT
View Syllabus
EC 30: Environmental Economics and Policy
 This course introduces students to the uses and limitations of
economic analysis in formulating effective environmental policies. Economic
theories related to natural resources will be discussed, emphasizing that
economic concerns do not necessarily conflict with environmental goals.
Alternative approaches to environmental regulation will be contrasted, with a
focus on the diverging policies of the United States and European Union.
Specific applications in the course include global climate change, environmental
taxation, the management of renewable and non-renewable resources, and pollution
policies. BRIAN ROACH
View Syllabus
ENG 10: Non-Fiction Writing
In this course, students
will work on their writing by composing and discussing weekly papers on subjects
that take advantage of their life in Talloires. Students will write
autobiographical papers on aspects of their experience, descriptions, profiles
of individuals they have met, and reflective pieces. They might describe a
particular walk or mountain, or interview and profile a member of their host
family. For inspiration and as a guide to writing about the self and about the
Annecy area, students will read sections of Rousseau’s Confessions, and
other works about the region. By writing, reading, and discussing their work,
students should improve their capabilities as writers, and deepen their
experience in France.
MICHAEL ULLMAN
View Syllabus
 ENVST 105: The Hills are Alive: Flowers of the Alps and Beyond
The Talloires region is
home to hundreds of floral species that shape human culture as sources of food,
medicine, environmental indicators, and inspiration in art and architecture.
This course enables students to answer the perennial question "What plant is
that?" We cover the bases of plant identification, drawing on plant life history
and flower architecture to key out local species and recognize major plant
families by sight.
Traveling to world-class
wildflower displays in the Talloires uplands, we get first-hand experience with
alpine flora, ecology, climate change, and the basis of scientific evidence.
Students become adept at spotting important plant families, recognizing plant
uses throughout the world. GEORGE ELLMORE
View Syllabus
FAH 009:
Nineteenth-Century French Art
This course traces the rise of Impressionism in the 1860s, a period of major
social and cultural change. We study its themes of work and leisure, in response
to the growth and development of Paris. “The painting of modern life” is seen in
the work of Degas, Manet and others; nature seen in changing light in the work
of Pissarro and Monet; and domestic life in the work of Cassett, Renoir, and
Morisot. Post-Impressionism develops in the response to its precedents, in the
work of Seurat, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cézanne, all of whom have a profound
influence on 20th century art. KARYN
ESIELONIS
FR 21/22:
Communiquons en français en France (French Composition and Conversation I or II)
This course aims to promote oral and written fluency. Consistent
application in spoken and written French is the focus of the continuing grammar
review. For insight into French culture the readings will come primarily from
the French national and local newspapers and magazines to highlight the
historical, social and cultural aspects of France and Haute Savoie. Through
weekly writing assignments students will recount their experiences and reflect
on them. The term project will be to produce a newspaper. Careful preparation
and active participation are essential. Course work includes reading articles
and short prose, grammar exercises, weekly papers, occasional short
presentations, a mid-term and a final.
Taught in French. EMESE
SOOS
View FR 21 Syllabus |
View FR 22 Syllabus
FR 32 or 191: Readings on Nature in French Literature II
This course exploits the natural beauty of Talloires by focusing on the theme of
Nature in 19th and 20th century French literature.
Beginning with 18th century meditations by Rousseau, students read
selections that examine the connection between human beings and their natural
environment.
 Owing to Rousseau’s pastoral rêveries, many writers such as
Lamartine, Hugo, Nerval and Rimbaud derived their inspiration from sublime or
scenic settings such as those found in the Alps surrounding Talloires. This
“return to nature,” however, is often derided and thwarted by satirical
tendencies enhancing the banality and even bestiality of rural life, as
evidenced by Baudelaire's allergic reaction to Nature. The course includes the
novel, short story, film and poetry, and aims to strengthen students’ oral and
written expression. Pre-requisite: French 21 or equivalent. This FR 32 course
can be taken as FR 191, with an Independent Study option for those students who
have already taken French 32 at Tufts.
Taught in French. GÉRARD GASARIAN
View Syllabus
NON-CREDIT FRENCH CLASSES
Beginner and Intermediate Conversation
These non-credit courses are offered twice a week and are individualized based
on the student’s level in each group (beginner, intermediate, advanced). The
goal is to help students take maximum advantage of their host family experience
and of their stay in France. In addition to improving speaking skills in a
no-pressure environment, students are given the opportunity to learn more about
modern French culture including customs, the French press, economy, and
politics.
French
Homestay
 All students, regardless of French language ability, live with carefully
selected host families – many of whom have hosted students for numerous years.
By sharing in everyday French family life, students get an inside look at French
culture, enjoy authentic cuisine, and develop an appreciation for unique
customs. Each year, students single out the French family experience as the best
way to strengthen French skills, as well as the most memorable part of the
program. When filling out the Housing Form, students can indicate a home stay
location preference either for homes that are closer to the European Center or
closer to Annecy.
Activities and Excursions
MacGames, Hiking, and Chamonix
Tufts in Talloires students have many opportunities to learn about the region
through organized activities and excursions. A wide variety of optional outdoor
activities, weekly hikes into the Alps, community service projects, and
organized events offer each student the opportunity to explore the unique Savoy
region of France.
Many of the courses offered in Tufts in Talloires are enhanced by day or weekend
excursions. These trips are offered in order to enrich students’ experiences.
Past course-related trips have included Paris, Geneva, Lyon and other important
European cities.
 Discover the French Alps on an overnight hike that sends students in search of colorful alpine flowers and
wildlife with local mountain guide Bernard Martin. Students will walk through
lush valleys, climb mountain peaks, and stay overnight in a chalet. Previous
hiking experience is recommended. This excursion is limited to 15 students and
is offered at an additional cost.
Students have 12 hours of class per week. This leaves 156 hours to study, eat,
sleep, get to know the French host family, hike, bike, run, and so much more.
Talloires’ location in the French Alps and on the shores of Lake Annecy – the
cleanest lake in Western Europe – provides ample opportunity to enjoy the
mountain air.
Aside from outdoor activities, students can be found sipping espresso while
reading Rousseau at countless outdoor cafés, or studying Botany at the beach in
the sun. Talloires’ location in the French Alps and on the shores of Lake
Annecy, the cleanest lake in Western Europe, provides ample opportunity to enjoy
the mountain air.
Students also have the opportunity to explore the city of Annecy on their own.
Known as the "Venice of France,” Annecy's old city is built on a series of
narrow, flower-lined canals. In the summer, the city comes alive with festivals,
concerts and special exhibits. There is much to explore and enjoy in Annecy.
For students who would like to venture beyond the Savoy region, trains run from
Annecy to all points in France. The city of Lyon, France’s capital of
gastronomy, is only a two hour train ride from Annecy. From Lyon, Paris is a
three hour train ride on France’s high-speed train, the “TGV”.
Registration, Housing and Scholarship Forms
We will accept registrations for Tufts in Talloires 2008 beginning December 3,
2007. We will only accept complete registrations.
The program fee for 2008 is $5,500. This fee includes tuition for two courses,
room and full board with a French family, group airport transfer, and bus
transportation between the French home and the European Center on class days.
Field-trip fees in addition to the program fee apply to some courses. Not
included: airfare, optional weekend excursions, and items of a personal nature
(books, excess baggage charges, passport fees).
Scholarships are available. For more information and for
registration forms, please visit our
Registration page.
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