Students and Faculty Give Jepson at Cambridge Program High Marks

Seven undergraduates participated in the inaugural Jepson at Cambridge Program this past summer at Cambridge University’s Emmanuel College from July 3 to August 6. Terry Price, director of the Jepson at Cambridge Program, coordinated some of the program's administrative details with the T. C. Williams School of Law, which has offered law students a summer study-abroad program in England for over 30 years.  

Participating Jepson students earned five or six academic credits and chose from three courses in the program: The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law, taught by Price, focused on the philosophy of law in the English tradition; Organizational Leadership: Comparisons Between the UK and the USA, taught by Jepson adjunct professor Charles Metzgar, allowed students to go on site to observe the inner workings of two international for-profit corporations headquartered in Cambridge, Domino Printing Services and Aveva Group; and Legal History, taught by a Cambridge faculty member. “Small classes contributed to an already excellent learning environment,” Price said. 

In addition to their classes, students attended several law and leadership programs in both Cambridge and London. They also enjoyed several excursions, such as a visit to Oxford University led by Price, who received a master’s in politics from Oxford; a University of Richmond reception for Lady Margaret Thatcher in London arranged by Jepson professor Gary McDowell, a personal friend of Lady Thatcher; and a sightseeing trip to Bath.  

During the five-week summer program, Price and the students lived within the walls of Emmanuel College, founded in 1584 and located in downtown Cambridge. “My favorite memories of our time in Cambridge are of punting with students along the River Cam and having leisurely dinners in the college hall,” Price said.  

Building on the success of the inaugural year, Price is already making plans for the 2006 Jepson at Cambridge Program from July 9 to August 12 and hopes to incorporate Jepson internship credit into the program. “Overall, the program proved to be an inspiring intellectual and cultural experience for University of Richmond students and faculty alike,” he said.