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Pictures from the Mexico GBE
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Registration     Passports & Visas     Program Costs     Travel Reservations   

Accommodations     Host Institution    Academic Program      Country Links     

Financial Aid     Last Year's BPE 8000A Students   Advice  Deadlines     Contacts   

Registration

BPE 8000A is a 1.5 credit course offered between March 13-17, 2006. First Year students will then have 45 credit hours of 700 level courses and 1.5 credit hours of 800 level courses for their First Year. For ASC purposes, the grade for this course will count as a First Year grade for the spring semester.  Second Year students will be given credit hours for this course in the spring of their Second Year and the grade will count as usual for ASC purposes. The 1.5 credit hours will count toward the 30 credit hours needed in the Second Year. 

All graded materials must be completed before 5:00 PM, Monday, March 20, 2006.

   For Second Year Students:

20 slots have been reserved for Second Year students for BPE 8000A. You can register for this course during pre-registration and during the add/drop periods. As of November 15, 2005, 9 slots had been filled in pre-registration. You can check current registration numbers on myDarden at the the Registrar's site.

 The deadline for registering is the last day of add/drop, 4:30PM, Friday, January 20, 2006. 

If any slots remain available for BPE 8000A (or any other GBE sections) after this deadline, First Year and Second Year students can drop/add this (or any other open GBE) from 1:30PM, Monday, January 24, 2006 to 4:30PM, Tuesday, January, 25, 2005. Information on open slots for all GBEs will be available through the Registrar's myDarden site.

Students are not permitted to go to the same country in First Year and Second Year. The faculty expects that no student will attend a GBE in their home country. 

   For First Year Students:

15 slots have been reserved for First Year students for BPE 8000A. 

Between 3:30PM, Tuesday, November 15, 2005 and 2:00PM, Thursday, November 17, 2005 students will have the opportunity to register for BPE 8000A. Information on how to register for the courses will be sent by e-mail to all students by the Registrar on Tuesday, November 15, 2005.

 If more than 10 students register for the course, a random selection will take place to choose the 10 students. Those selected by this registration will be notified by 2:00PM, Friday, November 18, 2005. 

 If, at the end of this selection process,  there are openings available in any other GBE, and if you were not already selected by the lottery for a GBE, there will be an opportunity to register for this or any other GBE that still has openings. Selections will be made through a second registration that will be held from 2:00 PM, Friday, November 18, 2005 to 2:00 PM, Monday, November 21, 2005. A list of open slots for each GBE will be available at the start of this registration. Those selected will be notified on Tuesday, November 22, 2005. 

                                                                                                                                                                              Program Costs

Program Costs for the Mexico GBE do not include air travel. All students must make their own air travel arrangements. Information on air fares and reservations will be available in early January. 

Program Costs for this year are $655 and include hotel accommodations, transportation, most breakfasts and lunches, cultural events, and translation services.

A preliminary non-refundable deposit representing 20% ($132) of the program cost will be due by 5:00 on Friday, February 3, 2006. Payment of the remaining 80% of the program costs must be made no later than 5:00PM, Friday, February 17, 2006. If you would like to pay by credit card you can download and complete a credit card: credit card payment form. This form should be returned to Will Goldsmith in Room 136 of the Faculty Office Building. If you wish to pay the program costs in cash or by check (please make your check out to The Darden Foundation), please do so by visiting Will Goldsmith in Room 136 of the Faculty Office Building; he will provide you with a receipt.

In order to participate in a GBE each student must complete and return three University of Virginia travel forms: a Travel Waiver Form, an Insurance Verification Form and an online ISO Registration Form. The deadline for completing these forms is 5:00PM, Friday, February 17, 2006. You can pick up copies of these forms from Will Goldsmith in Room 136 of the Faculty Office Building or you can download them here - Waiver Form and Insurance Verification Form. In addition to the required medical insurance coverage, Darden provides additional emergency coverage at no cost to GBE participants.  If you are covered by Chickering Insurance, UVA's student health insurance, you are covered for international travel but must still complete the insurance form. In addition to the required individual medical insurance coverage, Darden provides additional emergency coverage at no cost to GBE participants.

Finally, UVA's International Student Office requires all students traveling abroad on University-related activities to register with them. Please read the information and fill out the registration  form at: http://www.virginia.edu/iso/studyabroad/gradstudentsabroad/phpform.html

 

  Visas and Passports

   United States citizens:

If you are a United States citizen you do not need a visa to travel to Mexico. However, if you do not already have a passport, you will need one. For more information on obtaining a passport, visit the State Department's passport website: 

http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html 

There are several  companies that you can use to expedite getting a passport. The one used by Darden faculty is:

http://www.travisa.com/ 

   Non-United States citizens:

Visa policies for entering Mexico differ for citizens of countries other than the United States. You can find out more about specific visa policies by visiting the Mexican  embassy's website, 

http://www.embassyofmexico.org/

For information on the locations of foreign embassies in the United States, see:

http://www.state.gov/www/travel/consular_offices/fco_index.html

Travel Reservations

You must make your own airline reservations.  Obviously, the earlier you make your plans the less expensive the air fare is likely to be. You will be told specifically when and where to arrive in February, but plan on being in Mexico City no later than mid-day Sunday, March 12. Projected cost for air fare will be available in the Financial Aid portion of this site in January.

  Here are some websites that offer online travel reservation services:

http://orbitz.com

http://www.11thhourvacations.com

http://www.expedia.com

http://www.travelocity.com


http://www.cheaptickets.com




Accommodations

Host Institution

Here is the website for (IPADE) Instituto Panamericano de Alta Direccion de Empresa Mexico: http://www.ipade.mx .

Academic Program


Each GBE has a formal Orientation component that will meet approximately three weeks before the GBE begins. The Orientation serves several purposes. It allows all students going on the trip to meet one another; it introduces the Darden faculty GBE leader, Peter Rodriguez; it provides an historical and cultural overview of the country and region to which you will be traveling; and it resolves any outstanding logistical problems or questions; and provides any pre-course reading assignments.
                    

The program for this year's GBE as well as an overview of the activities is available at the following site: http://www.ipade.mx/mede/evescuelas.htm

Financial Aid

If you are registered to participate in a GBE at the close of the add/drop deadline of Friday, January 20, 2006, you will be eligible for a student budget increase of a fixed amount according to the approximate travel, living, and program fees costs of this GBE. With this increase in your budget you may borrow up to the budget increase as a GATE Loan. You may request the loan after the close of the add/drop period on Friday, January 20, 2006.


After Friday, January 20, 2006 please send an e-mail to Amanda Mills at, millsa@darden.virginia.edu with your name, Social Security number, year at Darden, whether you are a citizen of the United States or not, and your GBE destination. You may then immediately file your GATE loan application on-line from the third-party loan section of the Financial Aid website: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/financialaid/sy/sy_loans.htm. A promissory note should arrive at Amanda Mills' office for you to sign within 10 business days. The money should be available within a month. 


Below is the budget for  the 2006 Mexico GBE:

Airfare*                           $500                      

Program Cost and misc.        $850              

Total                                  $1350                          

*from Dulles International Airport

Airline price estimates based on air fare search at: http://edit.yahoo.com/config/ytravel?resform=YahooFlightsR using the flexible dates section and specifying mid-March.

Country Links

In order to give you more information on Mexico and Mexico City, here are some very useful sites to visit.

http://www.mexonline.com/ 

http://www.mexicocity.com.mx/mexcity.html 

http://www.mexicocity.com/ 

http://www.banxico.org.mx/siteBanxicoINGLES/index.html 

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mx.html 

Deadlines

Registration:                                          Friday, January 20, 2006


Program Cost Deposit                               Friday, February 3, 2006

Final Program Costs Payment:                    Friday, February 17, 2006

Insurance, Waiver, and ISO Forms:              Friday, February 17, 2006


Advice 

"Make sure to befriend IPADE students--hang out with them and go out every night so you get to know the citizens of Mexico City. The students will want to show you around and have a good time with you."


"Wear nice pants, shoes and shirts...forget jeans, but no need for a sports coat either. Bring a light coat--it does get cold outside at night."

"Forget shorts/swimsuits, unless you want to work out."

"You'll need comfortable shoes for exploring the city and ruins."

Second Year Students Who Attended the Mexico GBE Program Last Year

Antar Al-Qawwee, Michael Crome, Jason Freed, Jack Hagar, Travis Larrier, Marita Regina Limlingan, Yusuke Nagai, Ben Remmert, Jeffrey Sexstone, Kimberly Thong, Jeff Toromoreno, Alison Twiss

 

A. Jon Megibow
Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA  22906-6550
(434) 924-4783
Fax (434) 924-0717
megibowj@darden.virginia.edu

Annelise Tew
Administrative Assistant
Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA  22906-6550
(434) 924-7265
Fax (434) 924-0717
tewa@darden.virginia.edu

L. Jay Bourgeois III
Paul M. Hammaker Research Professor
Director of the Tayloe Murphy Center
Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA  22906-6550
(434) 924-4833
Fax (434) 924-0717
bourgeoisj@darden.virginia.edu