General information

  • Want to use your French outside of the classroom? 
  • Want to learn about contemporary issues from around the French-speaking world?
  • Want to meet a fun group of like-minded francophones?
  • Want to receive credit for attending exciting French-language events in and around Columbia?

...then Passeport Culturel is for you - click here to join our GroupMe

 

OVERVIEW:
The Passeport Culturel is experiential learning curriculum that culminates in a capstone research project. This original project will be an outgrowth of guided extracurricular experiences in which the student will have participated over the course of one to three semesters. P.C. is completed under the supervision of a faculty mentor using a hybrid course design (face-to-face meetings with cohort and professor along with on-line content and discussion). 

It's simple! Just join our GroupMe calendar and attend events as your schedule permits. The French faculty will maintain a calendar of PC events offering around 3-6 hours of programming per semester. Each event counts toward the contact hours associated with the eponymous capstone course (FREN 4993). For each of the 10 events you “attend” (we have many events archived in our PC library) you will submit an activity journal consisting of reflective writing in French on the events you choose to attend.  

Attending PC events before the course actually enrolls is a way to work toward the 10-event requirement, BUT you may enroll in Passeport culturel FREN 4993 without having attended any prior events. During the semester when you are enrolled in PC you will complete the remaining hours of coursework required for this three-credit experience. PC is designed to guide you through an in-depth, semester-long research project, the subject of which may be based on experiences drawn from your PC journal.  PC is a hybrid course, taught in French online with asynchronous elements, Zoom meetings and face-to-face meetings depending on the semester and cohort.  

 

  • Your first step is to start showing up for PC events. You can attend as many or as few events as you choose, but you need to attend 10 total events by the time you complete FREN 4993. The great part is you can fulfill this requirement over the course of several semesters. In order to signal your intention to participate, you can sign up for our GroupMe chat. Each semester’s activities will be listed there along with other important updates and information. Check back often, as we are always adding new events. 

Click here to join our GroupMe

Any French faculty can help, but Dr. Sipe is typically the person to ask (siped@missouri.edu) 

Many students take two semesters to complete the required 10 hours of events, however others complete the requirements for the course in one semester.  

No, you can go to events now (we keep track of your attendance) and receive credit when you enroll. The course is typically offered in the spring.  

Yes, but we count the hours you have spent at events toward your total contact hours. Because many students have typically done around half of the work “up front” by attending PC events, the class portion of PC meets less frequently. 

Anything and everything French! From gastronomic events to film screenings, to chats with interesting people from around the Francophone world. We often try to plan field trips and other events in conjunction with our French Honors Society, Pi Delta Phi, and the French Club.