Study abroad programs in Ghana, Senegal and South Africa will no longer be offered after spring semester.
This will not affect students already admitted to Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) programs in sub-Saharan Africa for the spring 2014 semester, according to AU Abroad Director Sara Dumont.
AU administrators unanimously decided to cancel the programs because of concerns over recent administrative changes and academic quality in CIEE’s programs, Dumont said. She said she could not clarify due to legal reasons.
AU will also evaluate the remaining CIEE programs, including the French language program in Morocco and a program in Thailand.
Between eight and 20 students enroll in CIEE programs in Ghana, Senegal and South Africa each semester, according to Dumont. Four students will attend the study abroad program in Senegal while six travel to South Africa this spring, she said.
The Morocco and Kenya study abroad programs will not be affected by these program cancellations.
“I’ve always felt that [the] Nairobi program was the best,” Dumont said.
While the decision to cut CIEE programs in sub-Saharan Africa was an unusual circumstance, Dumont said AU frequently evaluates its study abroad programs to ensure academic quality.
“We’re always adding and subtracting programs,” Dumont said.
