Passport, Please
Written by Maura McCarthy
MAE 2011 Volume: 6 Issue: 7 (September)
Promote global engagement. Foster cultural sensitivity. Cultivate intellectual curiosity. With buzz phrases like this touting the value of study abroad experiences, one would assume that students are jumping on airplanes and heading overseas in droves, right? Wrong.
According to a 2008 poll conducted by ACE, Arts & Science Group and the College Board of college-bound high school seniors, “Fifty-five percent are certain or fairly certain they will participate in study abroad, with another 26 percent indicating a strong desire to study abroad.” Despite these intentions, the majority of American students do not partake in study abroad programs. The Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, published by the Institute of International Education with funding from the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, reports that 260,327 students studied abroad for credit during the 2008-2009 academic year, a number that when compared to the nearly 18 million students enrolled the U.S. higher education system clearly demonstrates the gap between students’ intentions and participation.
For those students who are able and choose to leave the comfort of campus to immerse themselves in a foreign culture, there are some clear trends in the study abroad industry, namely the increased allure of nontraditional locales, the rise in experiential programs, and the preference for shortterm stays. For those students, though, who opt not to venture out of country— whether by choice or because of circumstances—universities and thirdparty providers are actively addressing a number of challenges that will break down barriers to studying abroad and make it easier for those aspiring collegebound students to pursue their dreams.
Trending Now
Although the United Kingdom is still the leading destination for students, locations considered to be off the mainstream study abroad grid are gaining popularity, with 15 of the top 25 destinations outside of Western Europe and 19 where English is not the primary language. Bill Clabby, executive vice president for research and special programs at International Studies Abroad (ISA), an international education provider, highlighted students’ interest in diverse destinations. “There are trends toward destinations other than the U.K., Italy, Spain and France. Although these are still the top four destinations, China is now the fifth most popular destination for study abroad. Among the fastest growing destinations are Peru, South Korea, Chile and Argentina, while the top four European destinations all saw decreases of 3-11 percent each.” According to the Open Doors Report, 55 percent of American students still choose to travel to Europe, but this number is down from 62 percent in 1999-2000. Interestingly, although the number of students looking to the Middle East has risen dramatically—especially in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar—the region hosts only slightly more than 1 percent of all American students studying abroad.
Students are doing more than just choosing to collect remote passport stamps; in addition to selecting off-the-beaten-path destinations, students are seeking nontraditional programs such as service-based or experiential programs that address the needs of the community while meeting—and enriching—a student’s intellectual and immersion goals. Overall, Wendy Williamson, director of study abroad at Eastern Illinois University, sees a trend toward “a greater concern for cultivating global citizenship and finding effective ways to assess study abroad experiences for intercultural growth and understanding as well as global citizenship development.”
“Recently, study abroad programs have started to include an experiential component to the traditional concept of a semester abroad. It takes different forms, from a simple outreach to the local community to a more elaborate academic internship,” said Boston University’s Colin Riley. To meet this need, “Boston University Study Abroad division of the university’s Office of Global Programs designs and offers internship and service-learning opportunities in 32 of over 80 programs in 14 of over 30 study abroad locations worldwide, including our BU London Academic Center where we often provide internship placements to more than 300 students in any given semester.”
Clabby agrees and believes that ISA’s growth in this area reflects students’ desires—and in some cases, universities’ requirements—to pursue a path traditionally less traveled in order to enhance the study abroad experience. “Our Experiential Learning Abroad Programs (ELAP) have nearly tripled in three years, signaling an increased interest in this type of program. In addition, universities are increasingly requesting an experiential component to their faculty-led customized programs that we create for them to their specifications. We are also in discussions with some universities to allow our ELAP programs to fulfill mandatory experiential learning requirements for their students.”
While high-schoolers may dream of spending junior year abroad, the reality is that less than 5 percent of study abroad students spend the entire academic year overseas. “At Saint Leo University, the trend that we are seeing has to do with more short-term service-based projects rather than the traditional semester long programs. For nontraditional students, this is a way that the students can participate in an international experience and still continue their jobs or other family responsibilities because the experience is shorter in duration,” explained Paige Ramsey-Hamacher, associate director of Campus Life for International Services. Williams too, highlighted this trend noting that, “More than 50 percent of students who study abroad choose short-term programs—summer, January, eight weeks or less during the academic year.”
Barriers to Entry
When it comes to deciding whether to study abroad or not, what program to choose, and for how long to stay, one of the most pressing concerns—for students and universities alike—is the reality that these programs are expensive to participate in and to run. The financial burden to students is perhaps one of the most significant hurdles to overcome in the effort to increase the number of American students studying abroad.
One way to reduce the financial pressure on students is to allow institutional financial aid to cover the costs of studying abroad. “Financial issues sometimes limit students’ abilities to study abroad. So, a greater access to financial aid is needed. Fortunately, Boston University students are allowed to use their on-campus financial aid when they participate in our programs. Boston University has a long tradition of encouraging students to go abroad,” explained Riley.
Williamson agrees, but points out that this brings up the issue of tuition; when students enroll in outside programs it can be potentially costly for the institution. “My university makes a sacrifice to lose tuition revenue for every student who studies abroad through a partner program, but we couldn’t continue to do this if a high percentage of students studied abroad every year.”
In addition to financial concerns of studying abroad, students may have to jump through administrative hoops. As more and more students opt to immerse themselves in nontraditional locales, institutions increasingly need to balance the at times competing demands of facilitating students’ study abroad preferences with the financial and administrative realities of running such programs.
“In order for study abroad participation to grow, universities need to engage students more in the program design process and not withhold financial aid or other valuable incentives for students who choose to go off the beaten path and deviate from the university’s own programs or list of approved programs,” Williamson explained. As student preferences change, universities must adapt their practices to better serve their needs. “Instead of universities running to set up their own programs or add programs to their list, they should develop guidelines that capitalize on international leadership, scholarship and citizenship and let students develop their own plans within this framework,” suggested Williamson.
In addition to cross-enrollment in another institution’s program, third-party providers like ISA offer students and universities a myriad of options. “Universities alone cannot and currently do not offer programs sufficient to meet the needs of students,” asserted Clabby. “Independent study abroad program providers such as ISA can play a crucial role in creating programs abroad, bringing together host universities abroad, host country staff, classroom and housing facilities, and coordination of logistics very efficiently. The fact that we can reach students from a range of American universities means that the programs become more cost-effective to run. It is also true that by working with host universities abroad and running programs that are created by host universities abroad, students benefit from studying in an institution that was created in the host culture. This connection offers many other potential benefits for students, U.S. universities and host universities abroad,” explained Clabby.
Addressing the financial and administrative challenges aims to open up the experience to a greater number of students, which is the ultimate goal. “Programs need to be accessible to all students as they offer a unique experience to discover other cultures and at the same time reflect on their own background and country,” Riley commented. “Greater access will ultimately benefit students, for the more that study abroad can open itself up to a more diverse population, the better—we can continue looking for ways to assist students to study abroad and to choose more diverse locations as well,” emphasized Ramsey-Hamacher.
Carpe Diem
While these challenges should not be overlooked, at the same time they should not deter a student from taking the leap. The experience of living, studying and immersing oneself in a foreign culture is priceless.
The number one piece of advice experts offer to students interested in studying abroad is to plan early. “Students should start thinking about their study abroad experience well before the application period. It should be one of the topics they discuss with their academic advisers early on in their college careers so that they can benefit from, and make a thoughtful decision about, all their available study abroad options,” advised Riley.
Once in the host country, keeping an open mind is paramount. “I always recommend to my students to go with a ‘mind wide-open’ attitude and not to form very many preconceptions about what they will experience in their host country. By going with very few preconceived ideas, the student can keep from making on-the-spot judgments about situations that they are presented with. They can reserve their judgments for later after having experienced the new culture,” suggested Ramsey-Hamacher.
Cultural sensitivity is critical. “Every culture is the way it is because of the environment in which it was shaped—through history, geography, weather, and interaction with other cultures. We should expect that others will view things differently than we do and that they have good reasons for doing so. If we start with this positive assumption, we will engage with others in a way that will bring a more positive response also,” explained Clabby.
Enjoy it! “Relax and smell the roses. Don’t rush to see everything. Appreciate where you are and soak it in. Spend time with and get to know locals. Learn the language as much as possible. Be a good listener. Seek to understand differences rather than to mock them,” urged Williamson.
Studying abroad may very well be not only the most memorable college experience a student has, but very often a life-shaping time. The knowledge gained, friendships forged and memories built expand one’s worldview and enhance a student’s intellectual pursuits. Studying abroad doesn’t merely build your professional resume, it contributes immensely to your personal development. ♦