Wooster in Besançon

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The Wooster in Besançon program offers beginning and intermediate students of French the opportunity to participate directly in a language-intensive semester or summer program in Besançon, France. Students are directly enrolled in the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée (CLA) at the Universté de Franche-Comté in Besançon where they take intensive French language courses alongside students from all over the world.

Students live with a “Bisontin” family and participate in cultural activities and weekend excursions organized by the CLA, in addition to taking advantage of the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Besançon, a mid-sized city located on the river Doubs and surrounded by the Jura Mountains.

Wooster students often choose to attend this program because it allows them to leave at a beginner level in French and return at an advanced intermediate stage, ready to take upper-level courses in French. The program also permits students to satisfy the language requirement for the International Relations major in a single semester.

Academics

Classes take place in the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée (CLA) which is part of the Universté de Franche-Comté in Besançon.

Students take intensive language courses at the CLA. They will take a language placement test upon their arrival and be placed in a group that corresponds to their language level. There are 25 hours of course work per week involving revision and advanced study of grammar, lexical work, oral and written understanding, oral expression. Each level of courses lasts one month, after which students will be evaluated by their teachers and placed at the next appropriate level. The academic calendar includes courses in the Fall semester (September through December), Spring semester (January through May) and summer (one-month sessions in June and July).

In addition to its “tandems linguistiques” program facilitating language partners between international and French students, the CLA arranges several low-cost excursions and visits to regional and national attractions such as Paris, the Loire Valley, or Strasbourg. The CLA also has information about sports and cultural activities at the University.

Upon their return to campus, students MUST meet with the Chair of the French Department in order to assure the transfer of credit to the Wooster transcript. Students should bring Wooster Credit Transfer forms to the meeting (obtained from the Office of the Registrar or downloaded from the Registrar's website). Credit received on the Wooster transcript depends on the evaluations sent to the Chair by student's Besançon instructors. Normally, students earn the equivalent of 4 Wooster credits during the semester program (3 months) and of 3 Wooster credits during the summer (2 months), but students should be aware that excessive absences or lack of effort in classes in Besançon can result in the awarding of fewer credits. After consultation with the student and consideration of the Besançon evaluation forms, the Chair will forward the Wooster Credit Transfer forms to the Registrar. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT CONTACT THE CLA DIRECTLY ABOUT CREDIT TRANSFER.

Accommodations

The Wooster on-site coordinator organizes your homestay and meal allowances. This person is in close contact with the University and your instructors and will be available to help you as needed, meeting with you from time to time. Before your departure, the coordinator will inform you about schedules, your homestay assignment, train schedules from Paris to Besançon, and other important information. Upon arrival, the coordinator will meet you at the train station, take you to your host family, advise you as to rules and living with your host family, and accompany you to the CLA on the first day of classes. This person will also organize an orientation session.

Housing and three meals per day are included in the program costs. Wooster students live with French host families who provide breakfast and dinner. Students are free for lunch and may choose to dine at the student cafeteria or nearby cafes and restaurants. Semester students will receive a per diem stipend to cover lunch expenses. Summer students will be responsible for their own lunches. Laundry privileges will be discussed on an individual basis with the host family. Once the on-site coordinator has informed you of your host family assignment, you are encouraged to contact your family via e-mail or letter to start to get acquainted.

Application Procedures

You should first apply for off-campus study through the normal OCS processes and then also apply directly to the CLA. Mandatory application and housing forms can be found in the OCS office. Students should verify with OCS that the application is correctly completed before sending the entire three-part application to the on-site coordinator.

Once a student is accepted by both OCS at Wooster and the CLA in Besançon, the secretary of the CLA program will send an enrollment confirmation form (“attestation d’inscription”). This document is extremely important for obtaining the required student Visa.

Please consult the OCS Director for information about obtaining a student Visa for France.

Fees and Billing

Students pay the full Wooster comprehensive fee for this program during the Fall or Spring semesters. This includes housing, three meals per day, and courses. Students are responsible for organizing and purchasing their own travel to Besançon, as well as for personal expenses, books, and in-country travel.

Summer students must pay the CLA directly via a bank check in Euros made out to “Agent Comptable de l'Université de Franche-Comté”. They will also pay their host families directly in cash. A per-day fee is set each year and will be communicated to summer students (22 EUR as of September 1st, 2008).