Summary
Costa Rica offers diverse adventure opportunities where students will have the opportunity to apply concepts of human anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, and nutrition to physical activities such as surfing, hiking, zip-lining, mountain biking and rock climbing.
Travel Dates
January 3 - 24, 2021
Locations
San Ramon, La Fortuna and Nosara, COSTA RICA
Required In-Person Orientation
*each school can note date here, and note that it is on their own campus
Required Online Orientation
There will be a required online orientation for this course in late October. The date/time of the orientation will be communicated by October 15. Every effort should be made to participate in the live orientation session, as it will be interactive, provide a chance to virtually meet the course professors and other participants, and should be considered the first class meeting. Students who do not participate will be required to view the recorded session once it is available.
Minimum Enrollment: 16
If the course does not meet the minimum enrollment, students will be given the option of switching to another course (as space is available) or withdrawing their application and receiving a refund of the program deposit.
Maximum Enrollment: 26
Accessibility Information and Requirements:
Students should be prepared with proper apparel and fitness to walk up to 6 miles with varying levels of inclines and uneven terrain. When biking, you can expect steep inclines where you may need to dismount your bike and walk to the top of the hill. Significant time will be given to complete the bike route and a sag vehicle will be available for those needing assistance. It is not expected that you have any prior skills for surfing but you should be able to swim to safety (classmate, surf instructor, shore) in the event you lose your board. While it is rare for surfers to wear lifejackets, regular lifejackets aren’t recommended for surfing but specific surfing jackets can be purchased before the course begins. When ziplining, you may be uncomfortable if you have a fear of heights. Costa Rica’s terrain is considered rough in comparison to the Midwest area of the United States. Please consider your physical capabilities before enrolling in this course. The instructors will do their best to accommodate your needs within reason but there will be times which will require you to be self-supportive of your mobility. It is advisable to disclose your accommodations to the instructors before enrolling in this physically demanding course.
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UMAIE (pronounced “U-may”) is the Upper Midwest Association for Intercultural Education, a consortium of six colleges and universities offering intercultural courses during the January Interim. UMAIE was founded in the fall of 1963 when several colleges adopted the 4-1-4 academic calendar. The UMAIE pioneers recognized that they could expand the international curricula, control costs, and increase participation in study abroad if several campuses cooperated in offering courses overseas. This vision has enabled hundreds of students to study abroad every January since 1964. Current UMAIE member schools are Augustana University (Sioux Falls, SD), Elmhurst College (Chicago, IL), Hamline University (St. Paul, MN), St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA), St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN), and St. Thomas University (St. Paul, MN) |
Academic Overview
Students will experience Exercise Science in Costa Rica. Costa Rica offers diverse adventure opportunities where students will have the opportunity to apply concepts of human anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, and nutrition to physical activities such as surfing, hiking, zip-lining, mountain biking and rock climbing. Students will apply their technical skills learned by assessing various physical performance metrics measured during activities. Soccer will be explored from the human movement and Sport Management perspectives at a local Costa Rican soccer club. Nutrition concepts will be explored through discussion and a hands-on experience at a Costa Rican organic farm along with meal planning for physical adventures. Students are expected to have moderate fitness levels to successfully complete this course.
Prerequisites
St. Thomas, St. Kate's, Elmhurst, St. Ambrose, Hamline students: No prerequisites.
Augustana University: students will be required to take a prerequisite course for Scientific Intersections
Course Equivalency
*Each campus can list their own course equivalency here
About the Professors
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Dr. Scholten has been an Associate Professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Augustana University for five years. His previous experience includes ownership/management of a fitness/physical therapy business for seven years, commercial exercise equipment sales for two years, clinical exercise physiology for two years and prior to AU, and 6 years as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sioux Falls. His expertise, gained from previous experience, includes areas of fitness management, clinical exercise physiology and education. He has taught courses within the general curriculum at the University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University |
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Mrs. Joy Scholten is the wife of Shane Scholten. She has undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Exercise Science and a MS degree in Recreational Therapy. Her expertise working with adaptive populations and experience in health coaching make her an ideal addition to instruct students in learning new physical skills and encouraging them to develop strong intellectual skills for making behavior changes related to physical exercise.
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Required Readings
Selected biomechanics, nutrition, and physiology topics related to proposed activities, historical text on soccer, ACSM texts
Students will be required to purchase the Dartfish app ($7.99) which will be utilized to analyze human motion. Within this app, students will be able to assess cycling, rock climbing, surfing, etc. by measuring velocity, acceleration, joint angles and more using the tools within the app. This will be the primary tool used for the assignments related to biomechanics. More information related to Dartfish can be found at: https://www.dartfish.com/mobile
Evaluation
Selected biomechanics, nutrition, and physiology topics related to proposed activities, historical text on soccer, ACSM texts
Students will be required to purchase the Dartfish app ($7.99) which will be utilized to analyze human motion. Within this app, students will be able to assess cycling, rock climbing, surfing, etc. by measuring velocity, acceleration, joint angles and more using the tools within the app. This will be the primary tool used for the assignments related to biomechanics. More information related to Dartfish can be found at: https://www.dartfish.com/mobile
1. Site reports – 20%.
2. Daily Reflective Journal – 20%.
3. Final Course Project – 30%.
4. Assignments – 20%.
5. Course participation and attendance – 10%.
Program Estimated Cost
$X,XXX - $X,XXX
Cost estimates will be available on or after April 1, 2020. Final costs will be available in late October.
There will be a $500 deposit, due at the time of application. Please see the Cancellation Policy tab for information on when this deposit is refundable.
Included in the Program Cost
International airfare
Hotel accommodations in twin/triple rooms
Ground transportation
All entrances and activities required for class
Breakfast daily
Application Procedures & Deadline
Applications will open on April 1, 2020·
To Apply:
1. Select the Apply Now button at the top to start your online application.
2. Login using your username and password
3. Complete all the application requirements. Your application will not be considered complete until ALL requirements have been completed.
All applications received by the Priority Application Deadline will be sent to the faculty in a batch at the end of the priority application period. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after the priority deadline for programs with space still remaining until the final application deadline of October 1, 2020.
Priority Application Deadline
April 15, 2020
Final Application Deadline
October 1, 2020
Passport Requirements: All course participants must have a current, valid Passport that expires no less than 6 months from the date the program returns. A legible scan of your passport must be submitted to your home school Study Abroad Office by October 20, 2020. STUDENTS WHO APPLY AND ARE ACCEPTED IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER AND DO NOT HAVE A CURRENT PASSPORT MUST EXPEDITE THEIR PASSPORT APPLICATION. Students who do NOT submit their passport by the deadline will be subject to a $100 Late Passport fee.
Visa Requirements: Please note that a visa IS NOT required for U.S. Citizens to travel to the country(ies) included in this course. Citizens of countries other than the United States or people who have Travel Documents (Issued by the United States or any other country) should contact their school's Study Abroad Office as soon as possible.
U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories: The U.S. Department of State uses levels to indicate risk in travel to particular locations. Please see the
U.S.Department of State website for more information on the particular locations of this course.
U.S. Department of State STEP Enrollment: The U.S. Department of State has a Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The UMAIE Consortium encourages all travelers to ensure that they are enrolled before travel. Some students' home campus Study Abroad Office may enroll student travelers automatically. Please check with your home campus Study Abroad Office for more information on your school's process, and see the
STEP website for more information and to enroll.
Health and Travel: The Center for Disease Control issues travel vaccine recommendations by country. Please see the
CDC Traveler's Health website for more information on the particular locations of this course.
Medications and Travel: NOTE HERE ANY RESTRICTED MEDICATIONS FOR TRAVEL
CISI Insurance: All UMAIE participants will be enrolled in an international emergency and medical insurance policy with CISI through their home institution. Please see your home campus Study Abroad Office for more information.
Flight Deviations: Airline tickets are booked as Group Tickets. If a student wishes to deviate from the group (go early, stay after, etc.), the student will need to submit that request as part of the application. The final date to request a flight deviation is Oct. 1, 2020. Please note that there are additional costs to flight deviations. It will be the responsibility of the student to pay the additional costs at the time the booking is made.
UMAIE Withdrawals and Refunds
Once students have completed a UMAIE application and been notified of their acceptance, the following Withdrawal and Refund policy applies:
Refund Available Withdrawal Date
No cancellation fee and full refund of deposit September 15, 2020 (must be received by 4:00pm)
No refund of $500 deposit September 16 – October 1, 2020
No refund of $500 deposit & refund of RECOVERABLE COSTS ONLY* After October 1, 2020
No refund 30 days or less prior to departure
*NOTE: Students who cancel after October 1 will be charged the full amount for the course up front; recoverable costs will not be calculated until after the group returns in February, at which point students will receive a credit for any portion of the course that was able to be recovered. The ENTIRE COURSE COST, INCLUDING AIRLINE TICKET, may be forfeited.
NOTICE OF CANCELLATION MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING TO YOUR SCHOOL'S STUDY ABROAD OFFICE. The date this is received is the official date of cancellation
Travel cancellation insurance is recommended for students with preexisting medical conditions. This insurance must be purchased at the time of application. Please discuss this with your Study Abroad Office.
If a course price increases by more than 6% over the highest price in the range (due to general inflation or lower enrollment) a student may cancel without penalty.
No refund is given to students who wish to omit portions of the course.
