Standards of Conduct

To live and study abroad successfully, the American student must have perseverance, a sense of humor and adaptability. He or she must suspend judgment and avoid generalizations, at least until the Spanish people have allowed him or her an understanding of their way of life. Given the freedom and individual responsibility of students in European countries, all members of the Hamilton group must conduct themselves so as to reflect credit on their college and country. It is assumed that emotionally mature undergraduates understand what constitutes such behavior without written rules for every occasion.

A member of the Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain should remember that he or she is going to Spain as a student, not as a tourist engaged in unreflective sightseeing. Summer vacations, three to four weeks at Christmas, and two weeks at Easter offer ample opportunity for travel. Students who determine their schedule of studies by contact hours, who expect to be spoon-fed the content of their courses, and who envision many long weekends should not join the Hamilton program.

Since the program is rigorous and makes great demands on its students, only persons in good physical and mental health should apply. The recommendation from the APUNE (AAPS) and psychiatrists in Spain concerning enrollment in Study Abroad programs states: "We, the directors-in-residence and administrators of the member programs of the Association of American Programs in Spain (APUNE/AAPS), with the support and concurrence of Dr. Marcos Broschi, Dr. Margarita Loewe, Dr. Manuel Fernández Criado and Dr. Juan Campos Avillar, and based on many years of accumulated experience, wish to remind students contemplating study in Spain that such an endeavor requires maturity and emotional stability. The adjustment pressures and relative independence that accompany residence in another country are likely to exacerbate rather than alleviate emotional problems. The study abroad experience should not be thought of as therapy for those who have suffered emotional difficulties within their native environment." –April 1990

Students are expected to attend all classes. A student who absents himself or herself excessively or is regularly late to class will be denied credit for the course.

Students should make every effort to enter into the Spanish way of life. They should participate in the Spaniards’ daily customs as well as remain attuned to the native sense of morality and justice.

Students are expected to use Spanish as their habitual means of communication among themselves and with other American students, and are required to sign a pledge to this effect. The director-in residence’s insistence on the constant adherence to this rule constitutes a significant and, in fact, unique aspect of the administration of the program.

The director-in-residence reserves the right to suspend from the program any student who does not comply with these rules. Final decisions concerning dismissal are made by the Hamilton College Committee on Academic Standing.