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Rusticatio Application

Download the 2010 Rusticatio Application

"...[T]his course opened a whole new world of Latin study, and it really drove home the realization that the Romans were living, vibrant people, not just soldiers and aqueduct builders..."

"The Rusticatio was exactly what I hoped it would be: a week of speaking 'tantum Latine' in a very nurturing atmosphere...I'm thrilled at the fact that we really did speak Latin the whole time!"

"This is the single most useful experience in all my study of the Latin language. Not just the invaluable knowledge I received, but the cognizance that I'm not alone, or weird, for wanting to use this language communicatively."

"An incredible experience with a community of learners of a variety of ages and backgrounds."

July 18-24, 2010
Charles Town, West Virginia

SALVI (Septentrionale Americanum Latinitatis Vivae Institutum, or North American Institute for Living Latin Studies) proudly presents Rusticatio—a week of total immersion in the Latin language with high-energy conversation exercises at Claymont Mansion, Charles Town, West Virginia (greater Washington, D.C.).

Program Dates: July 18-24, 2010. (Arrival: Sunday, July 18, between 3 and 6 p.m.; Departure: Saturday, July 24 between noon and 3 p.m.)

Eligibility: you are eligible to attend this workshop if you have already learned Latin on paper and are interested in developing active command of the spoken language. Please note that Rusticatio is not an introductory Latin course and thus it is not for people who have no knowledge of the language. Typically, participants have completed, at a minimum, the equivalent of two years of traditional college-level or four years of a high school Latin program. It is not necessary to have previous experience speaking Latin.

Location: we will reside and conduct our workshop sessions in the historic mansion house on the Claymont Estate. Built in the 1830s by a nephew of George Washington, the Claymont Mansion remained in the Washington family until the Civil War.

Costs: $895 per person, all-inclusive, covering tuition, shared lodging, full board, and instructional materials. Transportation to and from Claymont is not included. There is no application fee, but a non-refundable deposit of $100 will be required within a month of confirmation of your admission in order to hold your space in the workshop. The tuition balance will be due one month before the start of Rusticatio. (If you are admitted within a month of the workshop, payment in full will be due immediately.) If you withdraw from the workshop after you have paid in full, your tuition, minus the $100 non-refundable deposit, will be refunded as long as you let us know at least one month before the start date of the workshop.

How to Apply

Submitting an application does not guarantee admission to Rusticatio. Applicants will be notified of acceptance after a review of their application. The admissions committee will give special consideration to people at the beginning of their professional careers or who represent under-served communities. The admissions committee makes its first round of admissions decisions four months before the start of Rusticatio. After this, the committee will review applications as they are received. Invariably there are more qualified applicants than there are spaces, so the earlier you submit your application the better.

All participants will complete a more detailed health questionnaire at the time of registration and will be required to sign a liability waiver for insurance purposes. We will also provide a media release form asking participants' consent to use any and all photos and video taken at Rusticatio for use on our website and/or for other promotional purposes. Any of these forms may be requested in advance.

Rusticatio head instructor and curriculum director:

Nancy E. Llewellyn is Associate Professor of Latin at Wyoming Catholic College. She holds a Ph.D. from UCLA, an M.A. from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome (where she also studied at the Gregorian University with Reginald Foster), and a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College. Since 1998, she has led numerous workshops on spoken Latin for students and teachers in California, Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

Sodales Program

Eligibility: You may only apply to be a sodalis if you are an alumna/us of Rusticatio.

The purpose of our Sodales ("Buddy") Program is to help first-time participants navigate the experience of Rusticatio. Your role as a sodalis is to orient your first-time Rusticatio participant buddy to the daily routines of Rusticatio, familiarize her/him with the Claymont Mansion and grounds, be available to answer questions, and generally be a source of support during the experience.

Please note that every sodales relationship will be different: some first-time participants might only want or need a sodalis for the first day or two; some sodales relationships might continue throughout the entire week. Just let your particular relationship develop organically and take its natural course. As a sodalis you will receive a thorough orientation and ongoing support from Rusticatio instructors and staff.

If you are selected for our Sodales Program your tuition will be reduced by $100. Only alumnae/i of Rusticatio are eligible to apply. The number of sodales will be determined by the number of first-time participants enrolled in the workshop.