Course offers insight into Egypt

Opening the eyes of students beyond books and the four walls of the classroom is a passion of University of Houston-Clear Lake Associate Professor of Criminology Everette Penn. Through the class, “Egypt in Transition: Ancient Civilization to Modern Society,” Penn and his faculty partner Associate Professor of Sociology Mike McMullen bring the history and modern culture of Egypt to life when they take students on a two week trip to Egypt.

“Combined with what we learn in the classroom, this trip is an eye-opening experience that really changes the students’ lives,” explained Penn.

Penn, McMullen, 11 students and family members were the third UH-Clear Lake contingency to spend two weeks in Egypt this summer. Not only did the group have the opportunity to visit almost every historic region and landmark in the country but they also had the chance to get to know the Egyptian people.

The first opportunity for cross-cultural interaction came before the students’ boarded the aircraft for Egypt.

“Each student enrolled in our spring 2008 course selects a topic, such as the U.S. presidency, women’s issues or domestic violence, and prepared a lecture that was presented at the Fulbright Office in Egypt,” said Penn. “We connected each student with an Egyptian student so they could exchange ideas and discuss the topic before we departed. While on our trip, both the UH-Clear Lake student and the Egyptian student lectured on the same subject from each culture’s perspective.”

Penn and McMullen also have come to realize the importance of giving students free time while in Egypt.

“During the second year of this trip, we learned that the students really wanted to have time to interact with the people,” said Penn. “Our 2008 itinerary left most nights free for our students to explore. They got together with their Egyptian counterparts and others they met during the two weeks which gave them a better understanding of the Egyptian society and culture.”

While the trip may be the highlight of their months together, Penn emphasizes that this is a fully credited course that lasts through the spring and summer semesters. Upon returning to the United States, students worked on and presented a reflective paper on the subject they lectured on while in Egypt.

“The students’ final paper includes both the U.S. and Egyptian perspectives of their selected topic,” said Penn. “We really believe in the ‘EAR’ learning model which stands for education, action and reflection. ‘Egypt in Transition: Ancient Civilization to Modern Society’ is based on this model.”

“Both Dr. McMullen and I really appreciate the opportunity that the Dean and Provost have given us and the support we have received from UH-Clear Lake,” Penn added. “We’re already looking forward to our 2009 trip and are hoping to expand this program to all members of the University of Houston System family.”

For more information about the Egypt in Transition course, visit http://hshs.uhcl.edu/CC/Egypt.  To contact Penn, visit http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/penn.