Goucher University in Baltimore and the new Soka University of America in Southern California have made study abroad mandatory for all its students to graduate.
Starting with the class of 2010, Goucher University requires that all students must participate at least three weeks - if not a semester or year - in an intensive study abroad program. Thirty percent of the 2006 graduating class studied abroad. The requirement came out of the school's strategic plan that was passed in 2002, said Eric Singer, the associate dean of international studies at Goucher.
"We in the business of higher education are simply not living up to our responsibility if we don't find ways to educate our students not only to understand what's happening on the international scene, but also to bring their learning to bear in addressing the global challenges of our time," said Goucher College President Sanford J. Ungar in a press release on September 20.
Goucher will give students a $1200 voucher to cover the costs of international travel. A number of scholarships and student loans are available for students to cover costs not satisfied by
the voucher.
"Our goal is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to study abroad
without finances being constraining," Singer said.
Goucher College offers 27 semester or year-long study abroad programs in 14 countries and 18 intensive three-week programs in 17 countries.
Soka University includes the costs of study abroad in its tuition, and its first class had an 83 percent graduation rate in four years.
According to their university web site, www.soka.edu, in order to improve language skills and enhance intercultural understanding and awareness, a unique aspect of Soka University of America's curriculum requires that all students participate in a block and semester of Study Abroad/International Internship during their junior year for which they will receive academic credit equivalent to four courses.
On the other hand, AU's study abroad program is popular among students but not mandatory. AU has considered requiring it for all undergraduates but decided against it because study abroad was popular enough of a program that with promotion and aid, most students would study abroad without being forced to, said Sara Dumont, director of AU Abroad.
"AU is an institution that doesn't have to require it," said Dumont, "We have a goal of ultimately getting everyone to study abroad."
Some AU students don't agree with a mandatory study abroad plan.
"It seems hard enough to meet General Education and major and minor requirements without adding requirements to study abroad," said Carolyn Phenicie, a freshman in the School of Communication. "There'd be even less room to explore other topics."
Bethany Arnold, a junior in the School of International Service who has studied abroad in Brussels, Belgium, thinks that study abroad should not be mandatory. "I don't think that it should be "mandatory" because one, Study Abroad does not directly pertain to every major, plus if someone changes majors a lot, it will be hard to complete everything and graduate on time."
However, Arnold thinks that a study abroad experience would be incredibly valuable for AU students.
"You miss out on so many experiences from just staying at AU that you can gain from going abroad," Arnold said.
In the past two years, AU Abroad has increased five-fold the number of places students can study abroad, and the number of students studying abroad has doubled to 62 percent. About 800 students study abroad each year, said Dumont, and the fastest growing areas to study abroad are in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
"When a country is in the news, students are more interested in it," Dumont said. "There's a big increase in studying Arabic and studying in the Middle East."
Still, the most common countries students go to include Spain, the United Kingdom and Australia, Dumont said. Programs without a language requirement are more popular than those with a language requirement. According to Dumont, more students are going to short language immersion programs in order to meet language requirements for certain programs.
Despite the increased awareness of world issues and globalization, studying language is still not popular with American students, even among those who wish to study abroad. Language requirements at AU range from one year to two and a half years, depending on the program, Dumont said.
More AU students are opting to study in places considered "dangerous" or "risky," such as Africa and the Middle East. However, Dumont said she is not more concerned about students studying there, citing that the last two major terrorist attacks were in London and Madrid, places considered safe for Americans.
Students participate in pre-departure and on location safety briefings, she said. If the State Department has a travel warning on the country, students sign a document saying that they are aware of and understand the warning.
AU recently started a program in Kenya, a country under a travel advisory and no serious incidents were reported by the 30 to 35 students that went there. According to the U.S. Department of State web site, www.travel.state.gov, there have been incidents of violence and high crime rates in the country.
"Students should have the freedom to study where they want," Dumont said.
The increased attention paid to study abroad programs is seen as an improvement towards developing global citizens.
"There are benefits in almost every conceivable area of personal development," Dumont said.
