Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies
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The Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome (ICCS) is an overseas study center in Rome, Italy for undergraduate students in fields related to Classical Studies. It was first established in 1965 by ten American colleges and universities; as of 2007 the number of member institutions has now grown to 113. It is sometimes called the Centro, the Italian word for center.
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[edit] Structure
Each member institution furnishes a "faculty representative" to the Centro; from these, five are elected to sit on a governing board called the Managing Committee, currently under elected-chair Professor Michael Maas of Rice University. The Managing Committee hires a Professor-in Charge (PIC) for each year, and three subordinate faculty, usually an Associate Professor, an Assistant Professor, and a Graduate Student Instructor, who are responsible for instruction. Students at individual member universities should contact their faculty representative for further information (a recommendation from the faculty representative is required with every application).
The Centro offers competitive admission to North American undergraduate students to study the Ancient City, Greek or Latin literature, Italian language, or (Renaissance and Baroque) Art History. Initially administered by Stanford University (and housed at Via Ulisse Seni 2), the Centro is now administered by Duke University and housed at Via A. Algardi 19. A group of 36 undergraduate students is competitively selected as Centristi each semester; the faculty is drawn from American colleges and universities.
The Centro has received financial support from the Danforth Foundation, The Old Dominion Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, its consortium of colleges and universities, and former students. One of its founders was the American Classicist Brooks Otis, in whose memory the center's library is named.
[edit] Faculty
Normally there are four faculty members at ICCS Rome: a senior 'Professor in Charge' (PIC), two junior professors (often an associate professor and an assistant professor), and a graduate student assistant. Faculty are hired competitively at the annual meetings of the American Institute of Archaeology/American Philological Association in January. Faculty duties vary in accordance with the organizational plans of the PIC, but the course load is nominally two courses per semester except for the graduate assistant, who teaches a 1-1 load with additional resident supervisorial duties. The professors live in ICCS-rented apartments in the neighborhood, while the graduate assistant lives on the premises of the ICCS.
[edit] Coursework
Indubitably, the heart of Centro coursework is the Ancient City course. Worth two credits and demanding an exceptional amount of time, this course teaches the history of Rome with a focus on its topography, ancient and modern; in short, this course is Roman history as it could only be taught in Rome. Although they are supplemented by a weekly lecture, field trips provide the core of the class, with two to three six-to-ten-hour excursions per week. Each student also must give two on-site presentations, which help further emphasize the physicality of the field.
In addition to the ancient city course students must take two additional courses (some choose to take a third). One class must be in either the Greek or the Latin language. Currently Centro provides two electives, Elementary Italian or Renaissance and Baroque Italian art history; however, Francesco Sgariglia, the program's current director, is developing ideas for new classes that would give Centristi more exposure to contemporary Italian culture, such as 'Italian Cooking.'
Art History is taught by Paul Tegmeyer, a faculty member of John Cabot University. The class consists of a weekly lecture Thursday afternoon and a field trip on Friday mornings, normally to a museum or church. Paul Tegmeyer paints the history of Renaissance and Baroque Art History in Rome as well as Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel.
[edit] Life at Centro
There are only thirty-six students int the program per semester. Students live in a small three-story building that previously served as a convent in Monteverde Vecchio. Breakfast, dinner, and most lunches are eaten together on all weekdays; the bedrooms are small; the long and frequent field trips for the Ancient City course mean that class time is heavily weighted.
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