Before Registering:

If your institution IS a member of NCHC:
Unless you hold a current NCHC Institutional or Professional membership, you must sign up as a "Contact" to be affiliated with your institution and receive member pricing for event registration. Sign up as a Contact Here

If your institution is NOT a member of NCHC:
 Please proceed as a "Guest". Members receive a 50% discount on all NCHC event registrations - contact the NCHC Office for more details on joining!

Download Institute Brochure

INSTITUTE AT A GLANCE

This project of NCHC’s Place as Text Committee takes participants to Charleston, South Carolina, to investigate the intersection of its contested history, cultural tourism,
environment, and economic development. Charleston, founded in 1670, is home to the first and largest historic district in America and is credited with beginning the historic
preservation movement in the United States. The city has celebrated its status as one of Condé Nast magazine’s best tourist destinations in the world, while National Geographic cites it as the former slave-trade capital of North America. Institute participants will interrogate these contrasting narratives using City as Text™ to uncover, interpret, and analyze the tensions that are pertinent to disciplines across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.

The Contested Narratives in Charleston Institute is designed for honors and non-honors faculty and administrators who wish to incorporate interdisciplinary and field-based elements into their courses and programs. Alumni of earlier NCHC Institutes have used City as Text™ pedagogy in disciplines ranging from the arts and social sciences to math and science. Ideal as integrative learning modalities, these experiential strategies include reflective practices and writing assignments that can be adapted for use in student orientations, campus assessments, and professional development workshops. Identifying and transferring principles of integrative experiential learning are important goals of this Institute. 

INSTITUTE SCHEDULE

Participants should arrive in Charleston in time for a prompt 2pm start on Sunday, May 21.

• Sunday, May 21:
  Introductions and initial explorations of downtown Charleston; debriefing seminar followed by opening reception. Writing time in the evening and dinner in small groups.
  
  
• Monday, May 22:
  Brief meeting to discuss participants’ Walkabout assignment and to organize travel routes. Morning explorations of downtown Charleston; afternoon explorations of areas outside of the peninsula, such as Park Circle and Sullivan’s Island. Late afternoon group discussion. Dinner in small groups followed by writing time.
  
  
• Tuesday, May 23:
  Brief meeting to discuss participants’ Observation assignment and to organize travel routes. Moring excursion to the International African American Museum; afternoon explorations of historic Charleston Plantations such as McLeod, Boone Hall, Magnolia, Middleton Place, and Drayton Hall. Late afternoon group discussion. Dinner in small groups followed by writing time.
  
  
• Wednesday, May 24:
  Daylong workshop. Morning sessions to discuss participants’ Turning Point assignment and hear from honors faculty at the College of Charleston about their Discovering Our Past project. Afternoon workshop on the application of City as Text pedagogy to participants’ home campuses. The institute will wrap up with a closing dinner.
  
  
• Thursday, May 25:
  Departures. 

COSTS AND DEADLINES

PROGRAM FEE: $950 (includes $350 non-refundable deposit).
*An additional admission fee of approximately $26-$30 on Day 3 is not included in the program fee.

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT DEADLINE: May 8, 2023
This cost covers Institute reading materials, instructional fees, opening reception, and final group dinner. It does not include travel to and from Charleston, hotel accommodations, local transportation, or most meals.

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS

There are still rooms to book in the NCHC block at the Embassy Suites hotel, but not for long!  If that block fills, there are many other great hotels in downtown Charleston.  The facilitators are happy to connect if you have any questions.

Charleston is accessible by plane or car. Transportation from the Charleston International Airport to the hotel is available by cab or Uber/Lyft. Participants can expect to walk during much of the Institute, in addition to using public transportation, taxis and Uber/Lyft during the Institute excursions. These costs are not included in the registration fee.

The Institute hotel is the Embassy Suites by Hilton, Charleston Historic District, 337 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29403. The phone number is (843) 723-6900. Direct links for booking online will be provided after registration is complete. To get the special group rate discount, you must make your reservation by May 8, 2023 and identify yourself as part of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) group.

Discounted hotel nightly rates are $219 for May 21-24. Participants may arrive in Charleston on May 21 provided they are ready to begin the Institute activities promptly at 2:00 PM. Departures should be scheduled for Thursday, May 25. The hotel offers a free breakfast each morning. 

FACILITATORS

Richard Badenhausen, Westminster College
rjb@westminstercollege.edu

Leslie Kaplan, University of North Florida
leslie.kaplan@unf.edu

Salvatore Musumeci, The McCallie School
smusumeci@mccallie.org

Refunds

All requests for refunds MUST be submitted in writing to the national office and RECEIVED no later than 11:59 PM CST by the dates listed below. Telephone requests WILL NOT be honored. Written requests for refunds will be processed as follows:

• Received by March 17:              Full refund, less a $350 per person administrative fee
• Received on/after March 17:     No Refunds