Overview of the León Center
The University of Washington León Center is administered by the College of Arts & Sciences. It is staffed year-round by an On-site Coordinator, and is supported on campus in Seattle by the Director of Program Development and the Executive Director.
The Director of Program Development in Seattle can advise faculty on matters of program length, activities to supplement coursework, student orientations, and budget. Program Directors should contact the Director of Program Development regarding program scheduling, including the availability of space at the Center. In conjunction with the Director of Program Development, our On-site Coordinator in León will assist with arranging student housing, excursions, and special permissions for program visits.
If you are considering proposing a study abroad program, please keep in mind that the University of Washington Study Abroad Office has established deadlines for when proposals and budgets must be turned in. For the most up-to-date information, please consult their Proposing a Program webpage.
The Director of Program Development can help you create a budget for your program or conference in León. If you would like to put together your own budget, this Budget Guidelines Sheet can be used to estimate the cost of your program. You may also want to consult the UW Study Abroad Office’s Creating a Proposal Budget webpage for additional information.
It is possible to arrange a 2-5 credit Spanish language and/or culture class as part of your program in León, given by local faculty at the University of León Language Center. Students can either be enrolled directly in an appropriate class at the University of León Language Center, or participate in a class open only to your students (provided that at least 10 of your students are at the same level of Spanish). Upon arrival in León, students will be given a placement test by the University of León Language Center in order to enroll them in a class at the appropriate level. At the end of the program, the Director of Program Development will report the grades for the Spanish class to the Program Director, and you should include them on the grade report you turn in to the Study Abroad Office.
PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to award SPAN credit for the Spanish class in León, you must contact the Chair of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, Donald Gilbert-Santamaría (donalgs@uw.edu), for permission.
Program Directors should plan to arrive at least 1 day before the program start date, provided your program begins in León. If your program ends in León, you should also plan to stay at least 1 day after the end date, to be present for student departures and tie up any loose ends.
Although there is an on-site coordinator in León to assist you, Program Directors are expected to be the first point of contact for their students. This includes being available for students in the case of weekend and evening emergencies. We strongly encourage Program Directors to plan any personal travel prior to or following the completion of the academic program in León. When it is necessary for program faculty to be absent, arrangements should be made with the On-site Coordinator in León to assist with student emergencies.
Program Directors will stay in apartments in or near the city center, and housing will be arranged by León Center staff. If you have a special housing request, please let the Director of Program Development know as soon as possible so that we can try to accommodate it.
There are two options for housing in León: homestays with local families, or placement in a university residence hall. Please let the Director of Program Development know which housing option you prefer for program participants, so that we can make appropriate arrangements.
Program Directors planning to bring family to León are responsible for arranging for child care (if necessary). Although our On-site Coordinator in León may be able to suggest child care options, León Center staff cannot guarantee the quality of any provider or organization.
The University of León Language Center offers a package of excursions to important sites, normally in the north of Spain. If you sign up for them your students will join other students from the Language Center.
If you want site-specific excursions for your program, Program Directors should communicate their excursion information/needs to the Director of Program Development as soon as possible- at least two months before the start of the program. This is especially important if you plan to visit sites requiring reservations or special permission.
If you make changes to the dates and/or locations of your excursions after reservations have been made, please be aware that the prices originally quoted for the trip cannot be guaranteed. Changes in reservation dates for transportation and hotels can often be costly and may prove impossible at certain times of the year.
Seattle: It is required by the UW Study Abroad Office that Program Directors hold a number of orientation sessions in Seattle prior to departing for León. These sessions should include the specific issues covered on the pre-departure information page for students. As part of these sessions, Program Directors should impress upon participants that their individual actions in León affect the entire group, and that they represent the University of Washington and the León Center itself while participating in the program.
The Director of Program Development is available to attend one or more of your orientations in Seattle to cover León-specific information and answer any participant questions. This is especially recommended for those directors who are new to leading a program in León.
León: During the first few days of the program, our On-site Coordinator in León will conduct a student orientation session. This orientation will cover León Center rules and various aspects of living and studying in León.
The León Center is not staffed to provide clerical support to Program Directors. Our On-site Coordinator cannot provide assistance with typing, photocopying, running errands, or assist with personal travel arrangements.
We recommend that Program Directors bring a laptop to León, as the Center is outfitted with high-speed Wi-Fi and you will be able to print wirelessly to the León Center printer. The León Center does have one computer on site, though it is intended for student use.