Students are expressing mixed opinions about whether the AU Abroad office provides enough help and guidance, especially with obtaining visas.
The AU Abroad office provides students with information on a range of topics, including cultural disparities, housing, program fees, safety and travel information. Students are still expected to independently manage important aspects of their study abroad experience, such as their visa attainment and course registration.
Over 60 percent of all AU undergraduates will partake in some form of study abroad program before they graduate, according to the AU Abroad Web site.
Mel Jones, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and School of International Service, spent the first semester of this school year in Berlin, Germany, through American University's enclave program at the Freie Universit?t Berlin. She said she ran into problems obtaining a visa for her studies.
"We were told we wouldn't need any kind of visa, but once we got to Berlin it was another story," she said. "We found out it was going to be a very lengthy process."
Visa application requirements differ from country to country and they are constantly changing in response to the current international situation, as well as in response to changes the U.S. government makes in its own visa attainment policies, according to Sara Dumont, AU Abroad's director.
"For these reasons, the staff of AU Abroad cannot make any representation regarding visa regulations, nor can we become involved in the process of student visa applications," Dumont said.
Dumont said she and AU Abroad try to provide adequate information to students.
"What we can do is provide general information regarding passports and visas on our Web site and provide students any documentation regarding the planned study abroad experience that may be required by the consulate in question," she said.
AU Abroad offers over 80 programs in 33 different locations.
Dave Schneider, a senior in SIS, spent a semester abroad in Kenya and another in France.
"When I went to Kenya, I opted to buy my visa at the airport in Nairobi upon entry," Schneider said in an e-mail. "Once in the country, my student visa never came through, but that is no fault of AU Abroad - the Kenyan ministry that handles them is a cumbersome bureaucracy."
Schneider said under the guidance of the AU Abroad office, obtaining a visa in France was prompt and simple.
"All in all, AU Abroad gave me all of the info that I needed well in advance and was willing to answer my questions," he said. "They were also really responsive to the feedback I gave them after my programs."
Typically, general travel visas last three months, and grant a visitor unlimited travel within a specific country. In order to study or work for an extended period of time, a student must submit an extended visa application to the proper government bureaus well in advance. However, many countries do not even allow study abroad visitors to enter and stay on these tourist visas. Oftentimes countries strictly require students to obtain student visas. Not having the proper visa could result in customs officials denying access into the country.
Haig Kherlopian, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, is planning to spend a semester at Kings College in London next fall.
"[AU Abroad] overwhelmed me with all the info they had, about all the different programs that were available," he said. "They helped me narrow my decision of where to apply."
Stephanie Sater, a sophomore in SIS, has already been accepted to participate in a partner program with the John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, and said she was pleased with the information provided by Study Abroad.
"The session was very helpful," she said. "They addressed us as students and even had former returnees share some of their first-hand experiences, which provided us with insider information we would have otherwise missed."
While Sater liked the information presented, she said the course registration and credit transfer process was the biggest obstacle encountered. Sater claimed to have been referred by the AU Abroad office to her academic adviser regarding course selection, who then directed her back to AU Abroad. Sater decided to find her courses independently.
The complication of the registration process depends on the study abroad program. AU Abroad currently offers a variety of study abroad options, including enclave programs, partnerships, provider universities and several summer programs.
