Field Trips & Site Visits

Silvia Giorgi's Renaissance Art class visiting Palazzo Medici Riccardi in downtown Florence

Field Trips and Site Visits 

NYU Florence faculty use local site visits and field trips as an extension of the classroom by supplementing the course content utilizing the rich array of locations and resources that the city of Florence and Italy provide.

Site Visits and Field Trips for the purposes of these guidelines are defined as follows:

FAQs

Why do we have Academic Field Trips (FT) and site visits (SV) for some of our courses?

The faculty and the staff of NYU Florence want to provide students with a unique learning experience that benefits from the local resources that are available.  Professors have the option to integrate a FT or SV into their course curriculum if it benefits the learning of the course content.   Other courses may opt instead to invite a guest speaker to visit a class session.  These visits or guest speakers are part of the regular course material and count for one class session. 

Are Academic FTs and SVs different from the field trips and site visits organized by the Office of Student Life?

Academic FTs and SVs are part of the required course curriculum.  They are considered part of your class time.  Our colleagues in the Office of Student Life also plan enriching and interesting field trips and site visits.  These are not required for a course and often these have limited space.  Students are asked to sign up for these via the Florence Flyer and availability to participate is on a first come, first serve basis. 

When are these FT’s, SV’s or guest lectures scheduled?

Academic FTs are usually scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. 

Academic SVs are usually scheduled during your regular class time and are usually held at a location in the historic city center.  Guest Lectures will take place during regular class time unless otherwise specified on your syllabus.

Please carefully review the dates in your course syllabus and check for potential course conflicts that may occur between scheduled FTs, SVs or Guest Lectures.

We ask that you do not book personal travel until you have reviewed your syllabi carefully.

When am I supposed to receive the information about a FT, SV or Guest Lecture?

These activities will be listed along with your weekly lecture topics in your course syllabus.  Further information for FTs or SVs like the meeting time, meeting location or estimated return to Florence will be sent  mid week, usually on a Wednesday, via your NYU.EDU email.  This practical information will help you arrive on time for your scheduled activity.  Please do not hesitate to contact florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu if you have any questions.

May I join an Academic FT or SV even if I am not enrolled in the class?

FT and SVs are course-specific and considered class time.  The activities are reserved for the students enrolled in the class. If you have any questions about this policy please contact florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu .

If I cannot attend my required FT or SV due to illness or I am late to the meeting point, who should I contact?

Prior to the day of the FT or SV — If you are feeling unwell or have some other valid excused absence (religious observance, course conflict)  and know this in advance that you will not be attending an Academic  FT or SV please let us know by sending an email to : florence.academicsupport@nyu.edu 

On the day of the FT or SV — If you are late to the meeting point and/or you feel unwell the day of the scheduled FT or SV, please contact the trip assistant at the phone number listed in the email that you received from the OAS. 

Absences without a valid reason are considered unexcused and may be penalized with a deduction from the student’s final course grade.


Is lunch provided by NYU Florence during  FTs and SVs? Should I pack a lunch or find a place to eat during the lunch break?

Normally, lunch is not provided during FTs and SVs. We encourage students who want to bring their own lunch to do so.  Otherwise, we will be sure to stop for a lunch break in an area where you can choose a place to purchase food at your own expense.  If a meal is included in the FT or SV activity, we will notify you of this in advance in the email sent with the activity logistics.

How should I dress for a FT or SV?

We always suggest wearing comfortable shoes and clothes.  Most of our FTs and SVs include a lot of walking from one activity to the next.   Check the weather forecast in advance for the location you will visit to see if heavy or light clothing is necessary.  Bring an umbrella or waterproof jacket in case of rain. if you would like to, bring a bottle of water and something to snack on.