Washington Semester: LSUS’ ‘2nd campus’
Gregg Trusty

Students who enroll in Dr. Bill Pederson’s Washington Semester must be prepared to walk around the District of Columbia ... all around what Pederson calls the “second campus of LSUS.”

Pederson, professor of political science and creator of the Washington Semester, is already gathering students for next spring’s 20th Anniversary adventure to the nation’s capital.

“(Washington Semester) is a way for students, faculty and citizens from the community to have fun learning about the American heritage,” Pederson said. “We visit all the major sights everybody knows about – the White House, the Washington Monument – but we also see sights most tourists don’t get to see.”

Pederson said at least half the program takes place “off the beaten path,” and in all the neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

“By the end of the first week,” he said, “our students are giving directions to tourists.”

The semester is run by the American Studies program, which houses the American Studies Chair, the first endowed chair at LSUS. In 1999, Pederson was named to the chair. The American Studies program was recently certified by the Louisiana Board of Regents as the International Lincoln Center. It is the first of its kind in the world, and has year-round programming.

LSUS offered the first independent Washington Semester in the South, one that is still the least expensive in the nation.

Pederson estimates the semester costs about $1,500, including housing, side trips, airfare and tuition for six credit hours. Food and incidentals are extra.

In addition to covering nearly every street in Washington, the semester includes three side trips to other historic locales. Students attending the 2003 semester will visit Philadelphia, Monticello and Richmond, Va.

Students are not limited to attending the semester only once. “Students can earn 24 hours of credit over four years,” Pederson said.

The semester is open to all students, regardless of their major, including graduate students. Moreover, students from other universities may attend, and it’s not mandatory that “students” enroll in a class.

“For those not taking a class,” Pederson said, “it’s the least expensive way to see Washington.”

For information, contact Pederson at 797-5138 or wpederso@lsus.edu.