Global Village Learning Community

About the Global Village

The global Village
More Important Features

The Global Village LC is limited to only 25 students!

Apply today at: lc.charlotte.edu

Some examples of activities we’ve participated in together as GVLC:

  • Volunteer at the UNC Charlotte International Festival and attend on-campus events together (e.g., lectures, art exhibitions, film festival, etc.).
  • Pizza and international movie night (sponsored by the Department of Sociology)
  • Service learning projects (on and off campus) related to course material
  • Visit Levine Museum of the New South and other uptown destinations

Students’ engagement in the social community is addressed both in class and out of class as they develop relationships with faculty, other students and members of various communities interested in global issues. Students in the Global Village LC will enroll together in a series of courses that fulfill General Education requirements and they will also participate in service learning.

Course Work

During the academic year Global Village Learning Community students enroll in 3 courses as a group (2 in the fall, 1 in the spring). Students will individually select additional courses each semester (a typical full-time student takes 12-15 credit hours).

Fall 2024

  • SOCY 1511 Local Social Science: Sociological Approaches to Local Issues (for GVLC students only!) Taught by Dr. Diane Zablotsky
  • Section LC1 meets Mon/Wed/Fri from 12:20 – 1:10 PM

Spring 2025

  • SOCY 1501 Global Social Science: Sociological Approaches to Global Issues (Instructor TBD), (Section Information TBD)
  • CTCM 2530 Critical Thinking and Communications (for GVLC students only!) Taught by Dr. Diane Zablotsky (Time TBD)

*NOTE: all courses fulfill general education requirements.

Optional Study Abroad Programs

After your first year at UNC Charlotte, you are eligible to participate in a study abroad program. GVLC students will have priority registration for the study abroad programs. Both study abroad programs offer the opportunity to get hands-on international experience and to consider global issues from a new perspective. If you are a GVLC member in 2015-16 and want to wait until later in college to participate, you will still be given priority registration! The Department of Sociology offers two study abroad programs:

  • Manchester, England. A 5-week summer program worth 6 credit hours. (GVLC students are eligible the summer after their first year)
  • The Netherlands. A spring break study abroad experience worth 3 credit hours. (GVLC students are eligible beginning their sophomore year)

Both study abroad programs offer the opportunity to get hands-on international experience and to consider global issues from a new perspective. GVLC students are given priority registration!

Manchester, England: “Community and Identity in a Changing City”

This is a 5-week summer program worth 6 credit hours. (GVLC students are eligible the summer after their first year)

The program in Manchester will give students the opportunity to learn key theories and concepts in urban and community sociology; apply this knowledge to the study of contemporary Manchester; and participate in experiential learning with community organizations. The program’s location in the diverse and dynamic city of Manchester is an ideal location for students to explore community, identity, and social change.

To supplement program activities and coursework, students will also have opportunities to individually explore other areas of the United Kingdom or other European cities. Students will routinely have long weekends of unscheduled time to explore opportunities individually (e.g. weekend getaways or day trips).

In addition to weekly class meetings, part of the coursework will consist of collaborating with a local community organization dedicated to the restoration of Manchester’s Victoria Baths. Service learning increases students’ understanding of the disciplines they are studying as well as gives them the opportunity to apply their classroom material in a societal context and gain understanding of those whose life experience differs from their own. The program will also visit sites of cultural and historical importance in Manchester and includes three day-trip excursions to surrounding cities such as York and Liverpool, among others.

The Netherlands: “Comparative Cultural Sociology”

This spring break study abroad experience is worth 3 credit hours. (GVLC students are eligible beginning their sophomore year).

The Netherlands provides an ideal setting for studying a range of sociological issues and is an especially interesting source of comparison with the United States. While both countries confront a number of similar issues, they differ in many respects. Whereas the United States is a large, relatively market-oriented society with weak state intervention and a decentralized system of education, for example, the Netherlands is a smaller, more civic-minded society with stronger state intervention and a more centralized educational system. While the US holds a prominent position in the international arena, the Netherlands occupies a much less conspicuous place.

Relative to other continental European countries, the Netherlands is open to foreign, including American and Anglophone, culture. As a result, the Netherlands will provide a welcoming setting in which students can study and practice the art of comparison. Topics will include globalization, immigration, education, sexuality, cultural heritage, music, and the arts.

Is Global Village LC for you? If:

  • You are interested in majoring in a Social Science (e.g. Anthropology, History, Sociology, Political Science)
  • You are interested in other peoples and cultures
  • You are interested in taking courses focused on global issues during your freshman year (all four courses will count towards your General Education requirements)
  • You would like to connect with international students and organizations on campus
  • You would like to learn from professors who have done research in other countries
  • You would like to engage in service learning in your coursework. (Service learning is volunteer work that is directly connected to academic coursework)
  • You would like to increase your understanding of social institutions and cultures both here and in other parts of the world
  • Your are interested in pursuing a career that has a global dimension
  • You would like to spend part of your first summer studying in another country

…then the answer is YES!

For more information about the Global Village Learning Community, please contact:

Dr. Diane Zablotsky
Incoming GVLC Coordinator (2024-2025)
Fretwell 460F
Dept. of Sociology
Phone: 704‑687‑0070
Email: dlzablot@charlotte.edu

Dr. Stephanie Bradley
Outgoing GVLC Coordinator (2023-2024)
Fretwell 490B
Dept. of Sociology
Phone: 704‑687‑7818
Email: sbradl19@charlotte.edu

Department of Sociology:
Phone : 704‑687‑7806
Fax : 704‑687‑1397