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Foundation for Santa Barbara City College "Showcases" Middle East Studies Program New Major at Santa Barbara City College seeks to promote awareness of others' cultures On Wednesday, November 1, the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College will host a reception which introduces the new Middle East Studies Program. Santa Barbara City College's newest major discipline combines the study of art, architecture, history, politics, government, and religions of the Middle East. Although courses in the history and politics have been offered at the college for years, a Middle Eastern Studies major will be available beginning next year. The Foundation periodically hosts events on campus for invited* Foundation supporters and community members having an interest in the programs of Santa Barbara City College. These showcases bring visitors onto the campus, allowing them to meet faculty and learn about certain courses and curricula.This event will take place from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in the John Dunn Gourmet Dining Room, and will provide an overview of the program by its founders, Elizabeth Mizrahi, M.A., and Manoutchechr Eskandari-Qajar, Ph.D. Ms. Mizrahi has been an instructor of history and Middle East studies at Santa Barbara City College since 2004. She has worked with Project Interchange in Washington, DC and with the American Sephardi Federation in New York City. Dr. Eskandari-Qajar has been on the Santa Barbara City College faculty since 1992, teaching courses in history and political science. He is advisor of the campus Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society chapter and won the Stanback-Stroud Diversity Award from the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges. Dean Alice Scharper, who oversees the social sciences, will speak of the importance of global studies and global awareness. Throughout October, Santa Barbara City College sponsored its first Middle Eastern Cultural Appreciation Month, featuring panel discussions, film screenings and a festival of music and dance on campus. Hundreds of students have attended the various activities, which was planned by a committee of students and program faculty. A Study Abroad program in Turkey and Greece in the spring of 2007 will help to inaugurate the new Middle East Studies major, allowing students an opportunity to understand Minoan culture through the interpretation of its frescos on the Island of Crete, visit government officials in Ankara, Turkey's capital, and study Western Civilization in the cradle of that civilization in Greece. Santa Barbara City College has been offering study abroad programs for more than 33 years. *Note to media: This is an invitation for you to cover the event/program. Please do not put the word out for attendance. Thank you! For more information, contact: |