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Innovative Campus Strategies

Maximizing Short-term Education Abroad

Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center has developed an innovative consortium of small colleges to offer international business study abroad programs in Mexico and China. The Higher Education Center has received two multi-year Business and International Education (BIE) grants from the U.S. Department of Education to underwrite the program. These are the first consortium grant awards in the BIE program, and have allowed these smaller schools to access international program grant funds that might not otherwise be available. Participating colleges include Emory and Henry College, University of Virginia's College at Wise, and Virginia Highlands Community College, a member of the Virginia Community College System. Through the cooperative study abroad programs, now in its fourth year, professors and students are able to learn about the importance of international trade to the SW Virginia economy. This includes in-country visits to affiliates of major employers in SW Virginia/NE Tennessee. The BIE program also places a big emphasis on expanding linkages between college professors and the local business community including outreach programs, international business training, etc. The study abroad trips have been transformational for many of the student participants.  For many of these rural college students, this has not only been their first international trip, but their first airplane flight. The Higher Education Center's international programs have also served as a catalyst for the development of expanded international offerings at the participating colleges including several new exchange agreements with foreign universities.

Arcadia University's First Year Study Abroad Experience, held during spring break, is a one-week opportunity for first-year students. Students in good academic and disciplinary standing have the opportunity to visit London or Scotland for only $245. The price includes air and ground transportation, hostel accommodation, and many scheduled activities. Participation has grown from 140 students in 1994 to 300 in 2006. Faculty and staff leaders accompany the group each year. Students who take part in London/Scotland Preview are exposed to an international experience; it lets them discover that procuring a passport is easy, crossing the Atlantic is not to be feared, and maneuvering—quite independently—in a new city, culture, and country is feasible. Students return to the United States understanding that study abroad can be a remarkable opportunity. Participation in this program also creates bonds between faculty and students. The large group of students is divided into smaller cohorts that meet two or three times before departure and often develops a camaraderie that lasts not only during the overseas program, but also throughout their four-year stay at Arcadia.

Murray State University's Discover Korea is a three-credit program conducted with a partner institution in Korea. This two-week education abroad program offers 10 students and two faculty/professional staff the opportunity to get a taste of the Korean culture. All participants take part in language training prior to departure and while onsite. In addition, all participants have the chance to play an active role in numerous cultural activities, site visits, and professional development activities with their Korean peers at Daegu University. Some time is allotted for interests related to individual colleges. For example, education students and staff visit local schools, while nursing students and staff visit local hospitals. Originally conceived as a way to counter the existing student exchange imbalance, the program is now held annually and is open to all students.

Kennesaw State University has developed a wide range of inexpensive, short-term study abroad programs. The university offers a significant number of these programs for two weeks between spring and summer terms, when airfares are generally lower than in summer. In the past five years, KSU student participation in study abroad programs has tripled, to more than 350 students each year. Additionally, during the past five years, 55 students have participated in the KSU-administered Summer Study Abroad Program in China; six have returned to China to teach English. KSU also placed its first student teacher in China in spring 2002, and seven KSU education students conducted their student teaching in China in spring 2003. The Chinese student teaching initiative includes a cross-cultural examination of teacher competencies and an emphasis on identifying effective, appropriate methodologies for teaching about culture.

At the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, all academically eligible students receive a scholarship for three credits to be applied to one short-term academic experience abroad. Additional institutional aid is available to defray the travel expenses connected to these courses. Six faculty-led short-term academic experiences abroad are scheduled every year. Trips to London and Cuba are two popular examples. The 10-day London program appeals to students interested in literature and theater. The Cuba program enables students to see firsthand the interplay of politics, development, and culture.

Oakland Community College has participated in the Salzburg Seminar in Salzburg, Austria since 2003 as part of an inaugural group of community colleges sending students for a weeklong intensive study program. Their participation has been beneficial for promoting a global outlook on their campuses. Program materials distributed around campus have stimulated college-wide interest among students interested in applying. The seminar focuses its study topics on major current issues. OCC uses a criteria-based application and screening process. They send approximately 10 students annually, with complete expenses covered by OCC direct or indirect resources. Students who return to OCC from the Salzburg experience serve as OCC Ambassadors, attending various college events and occasions communicating their interests in global issues.

Webster University's International Business Internship Exchange gives American students from Webster University an overseas internship and extensive opportunities to use a foreign language. The program also provides internship opportunities in Missouri to students from selected universities in Germany, Ghana, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The exchange is sponsored by the state of Missouri and is limited to the countries of China, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Students pursue a six- to nine-week internship, a home stay, and language development opportunities in all locations. Since 1980, more than 700 American and international students have participated in the internship exchange.

*Please contact the institution directly if you have questions regarding specific programs.

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This page last updated on: 08/29/2008