General Information
Application Deadline
The deadline has passed for SPI applications but there is still room left in some courses. Applications will be accepted until courses are full and a waiting list is available for full courses.
Course Requirements
All SPI participants are expected to attend class sessions, engage in class activities, and complete the basic reading assignments. Additional requirements for those earning graduate credits will be included in the course syllabus. The deadline for completion of SPI 2008 academic coursework will be February 1, 2009 for part-time and non-resident students. Coursework for full-time students is due before the start of the fall semester.
Course Material
Course syllabi and introductory readings will be available on-line prior to SPI for those registered for courses. Those who do not have access to the Internet will receive these materials upon their arrival. Course readers will be distributed the first day of each class. Additional books listed in the syllabi can be purchased ahead of time or at the University Bookstore after arrival.
Continuing Education Units
SPI courses can be taken for Continuing Education Units (certifying participation in non-credit continuing education programs) at $10 per unit, or for Continuing Education Hours (for professional licensure requirement) at $10 per course. If you are interested in getting continuing education credit, please let us know so that you can receive your certificate while you are here.
Lodging
All SPI participants who choose on-campus housing will be lodged in dormitory or apartment suites. The two or four-person suites are air-conditioned with single or double bedrooms that share living room, kitchen, and bath facilities. Arrangements for off-campus lodging are the responsibility of the participant. Information on area hotels/motels/apartments is available upon request.
Food
In addition to special meals each session – a continental breakfast at registration and the Frontiers in Peacebuilding Luncheon – participants staying in campus housing will have their weekday noon meals prepared by EMU food service. For other meals, food may be purchased at stores near campus and prepared in your suite. Restaurant meals are also an option.
Transportation
Eastern Mennonite University is located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Unfortunately, there is no public transportation between EMU and the nearest international airport, Washington Dulles, located about 120 miles away. To get to campus, you will need to request an SPI pick-up, hire a taxi or rent a car.
Activities
Come prepared to take part in the life of the SPI community. Please bring traditional dress, special foods, music recordings, or musical instruments from home. You may enjoy sharing a skill, teaching a song or game, showing slides or video of your work, leading a seminar, reciting poetry or telling a story. We encourage everyone to bring photos of family, home, and work, if possible. Community life is an important part of the SPI experience.
International Entry to the United States
All international persons coming to the U.S. to attend SPI will need to carry a valid passport. The U.S. government will require many of you to obtain a nonimmigrant visa before you arrive in country. You will want to apply for either a J-1 Visa or a Visitor Visa. Please start the process early because obtaining visas can take many months. To check requirements, please consult the website: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Traveling_to_US.html.
Eastern Mennonite University
is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, drug-free campus
