Navajo Nation

Field Study Spring/Summer 2010

What Is a Field Study?

A Field Study is a unique program type that offers students the flexibility to tailor an international experience to their individualized interests, studies, and life plans. Academic coursework and daily activities center around an inquiry-based project developed by the student, with assistance from the Field Studies office and faculty mentors.

Field study programs are purposely structured to facilitate cultural immersion through interaction, observation and critical thinking. In order to maximize cultural immersion, students typically live with local host families, travel via public transportation, and are expected to participate in local communities to conduct their research or creative project. This model allows students to take related credit within their own major/minor and practically apply classroom learning in an international or cross-cultural setting.

Field Studies are a great fit for responsible students who are interested in understanding another culture through thoughtful questioning, interaction and distance mentoring. Student groups are small, consisting of six to eight students and a field facilitator (a returning student), each working on individual projects.

Diné Bikéyah, Navajoland

Homeland to the Diné (Navajo), the Navajo Nation inhabits a vast land of beauty bounded by sacred mountains and great rivers within the four corners region of the Southwest. The Navajo are recognized as the largest tribe in the U.S., with their reservation representing 36 percent of all Indian lands.

While living on Navajoland, students not only have the unique opportunity to live with a local host family and learn about the rich Navajo culture and history, they may also work closely with the tribe’s Diné Policy Institute (DPI) and other Navajo institutions to research key issues affecting the Navajo people today.  

Semester
Spring/Summer, all, and Winter (depending on student interest)  

Dates
90 days during the semester or spring and summer terms (specific dates will be decided upon among the accepted group)

Opportunities for Study on the Navajo Field Study

• In partnership with the Diné Policy Institute, students create a research project according to their unique interests and area of study. Students may act as interns for the institute, which provides the ideal environment to build relationships on the reservation and contribute their research findings for greater use. Students are required to provide their own transportation and are expected to volunteer regularly at the institute.
• The Diné Policy Institute has identified need for research in the following areas: economic development, government development, social development (e.g., family issues), environmental issues, safety and security, international issues, indigenous rights, education, health, government services, and a host of other topics.
• Many opportunities are available to returned Field Studies students who choose to develop their research ideas into polished papers and presentations. These include a post-field writing class, the BYU International Inquiry Conference (winter semester), and Inquiry: The Journal of Student Cross-cultural Research, among others.
  

Earning Course Credit

• Students are required to enroll in ten credit hours while in the field (six credit hours for graduates). In most cases, some in-field coursework will count towards a student’s major or minor requirements.
• As a part of the ten credit hours, students are required to take a one-credit-hour class offered through the Field Studies office.
• Coursework is established through course contracts: course sections created specifically for the student in collaboration with mentoring faculty.
• In conjunction with the preparation class, an optional two-credit-hour, post-field writing class (IAS 361) will fulfill the GE Advanced Writing requirement. Students may also receive GE Cultural and Global Awareness credit by taking the preparation class.
  

Application Process

1. Attend a Field Studies information meeting.
2. Fill out the online application at http://kennedy.byu.edu/online/app. A letter of intent, a resume, two Letter of Recommendation forms, and a $25 application fee are required pieces of this application.
3. Attend a series of strategy sessions where students work with the Field Studies coordinator and program facilitator to plan the timing, preparation, project, and coursework for the ideal field experience.
4. Meet with other applicants in a group discussion session.
5. Selected students will then be invited to attend an acceptance meeting.
   

The earlier the student begins the application process, the earlier field studies staff is able to assist them in becoming strong candidates for acceptance.

Preparation for Field Study

Thorough preparation is essential for a successful Field Study experience. By the time of the actual field experience, candidates for the Italy Field Study are expected to:

• Enroll in a Navajo language class (strongly recommended, though not required).

• Be familiar with theory and methods as appropriate to the proposed project.
• Enroll in IAS 360R, a three-credit-hour Field Studies preparation course, the semester directly preceding the field experience (the preceding spring term for fall programs). Participants will consider cross-cultural communications, research design and ethics, and relevant information regarding the specific communities they will be working in.
• Have the proposed project reviewed and approved by the Field Studies office and the BYU IRB (institutional review board).
  

How Much Does this Field Study Cost?

• Estimated costs associated with a Field Study on the Navajo Reservation include:
• Ground transportation costs ($30–50/week)
• BYU tuition (ten credit hours/semester, divided evenly across spr/sum terms)
• HTH Travel Insurance ($120 due upon acceptance into program)
• Living Expenses ($250–350/month)
• Application Fee ($25)
• Acceptance Fee ($100)
  

What Funding Is Available?

Field Studies students are good candidates for funding, both pre- and post-field, because of the research or creative project focus. Possible funding sources may include:

• Awards through the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies (http://reddcenter.byu.edu/Awards.dhtml)
• ORCA scholarships for student research (http://orca.byu.edu)
• BYU ISP-Field Studies Scholarship (application available during preparation class)
• Honors thesis funding 
• College and department funding (such as Mary Lou Fulton grants) 
• University scholarships
• Federal Pell Grants and Stafford Loans 
• Non-BYU scholarships and grants (http://www.fastweb.com or google.com)
  

Interested Students Should Contact:

Mary Baker, program facilitator
101 HRCB
(801) 422-1488
navajo.fs.byu@gmail.com
http://kennedy.byu.edu/isp

ISP
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu