- Length of program
- Geographic location
- Language of host country
- Academic standards and structure
- Academic curriculum choices
- Immersion in host culture
- Interactions with locals
- Housing
- Safety and emergency services
- Orientation services
- Utilization of host country resources
- On-site staff
- Cost

There are currently no “certified” or “accredited” study abroad programs per se. The Forum on Education Abroad is a professional organization authorized to establish “best practices” that will distinguish programs that operate on the highest standards? Familiarize yourself with these standards and ask program directors and/or providers how they measure up to best practices for responsible study abroad programs.

Just as there is not one ideal location for a study abroad experience, there is also not one ideal structure for a study abroad program. There is a time and a place for various types of structures in developing various student outcomes. If the priority of your institution is to promote and develop foreign language proficiency, then it goes without saying that you would not limit your students’ options to programs in the U.K., neither would you put much of your efforts into short-term faculty-led programs.

It is crucial to determine the appropriate methodology to produce the intended outcomes. There are valuable and consequential learning outcomes from a two-week international experience, however, a two-week experience cannot be considered an appropriate methodology for developing an adequate level of intercultural competency. Thus, the type of program should be appropriate for the intended outcomes.

Unfortunately, some institutions operating without explicit intended outcomes can look to the “number of study abroad enrollments/participants” as their measure of success. However, the “number of study abroad enrollments/participants” does not indicate the quality, relevance, or learning outcomes of the international experience. Even with the best of intentions, it is actually possible to generate learning outcomes that initiate and/or reinforce negative stereotypes and enhance discomfort of intercultural interactions if programs are not developed and facilitated appropriately.

As education abroad enters the arena of public scrutiny and administrative importance, institutions are being compared and ranked.

Unfortunately, to date, measures are limited to comparing mere headcounts. And thus, there is a threat that number crunchers will emphasize volume at the expense of quality. It may be necessary to remind someone that just as universities are not ranked by U.S. News and World Report by enrollments alone, similarly schools should not be ranked in international education by enrollments alone.

Quality of education is measured by relevant and measurable intended outcomes. Similar and appropriate measures of quality should be applied to education abroad.

About the Author:
Study Abroad Programs – Global Learning Semesters offers study abroad programs for American and Canadian students. Our study abroad programs include courses in Belize, Cyprus, UK, France, Spain, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, India & China.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Sandi_Smith

Write a mission statement for study abroad that makes it a priority to integrate international education services into the foundation of the college/university mission. A study abroad office mission includes an academic enhancement role and student support services. It is essential to include with your mission statement, some measurable intended outcomes for study abroad. Your statements of intended outcomes will guide your policies and practice.

It is also important to understand that every institution invests dollars and staff in endeavors that support and enhance the institutional mission and outcomes. Just as we see different levels of support for campus housing on various campuses, we also see different levels of support for international education.

Study abroad has long been considered an elective or “luxury” experience and thus has not been tied to the core values (and therefore finances) of most institutions. The closer you correlate study abroad with institutional priorities, the more leverage you will have in gaining support for your endeavors.

An example of a campus mission statement that is easily identifiable with education abroad.

Mission Statement:

We educate students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society.

And they go on to describe their core values as:

Academic Excellence, Diversity, Equity, and Shared Governance, Education of the Entire Person, Adherence to Common Ethical and Moral Standards Community Service and Global Citizenship, Environmental Stewardship.

This makes it easy to integrate study abroad into the core values of the institution.

Another example of a university mission statement is:

Our mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world.

However, some university mission statements require a little more work to integrate international education into the core values. For example consider the following mission statement

Our mission is to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society. This mission is accomplished through instruction, which communicates the knowledge and values and imparts the skills necessary for individuals to lead responsible, productive, and personally satisfying lives; through research, scholarship, and creative activities, which advance knowledge and enhance the educational process; and through public service, which contributes to the solution of societal problems and enriches the quality of life in the State.

And yet other university mission statements do not lend themselves easily to integrating international education as a core value.

Our mission as a multipurpose public institution is to develop educated persons of inquiring, creative, and disciplined intelligence to be competent in careers that are fulfilling and to be socially responsible contributors to society. This University strives, therefore, to graduate people on the bachelor’s and master’s level who have had sound education in the arts and sciences and relevant specialized training built upon that base.

A study abroad office mission statement can also come in many diverse forms and visions. The following mission statement is an example of a diverse vision:

The Office for Study Abroad promotes opportunities for global education to all eligible students in order for them to gain an understanding of other countries, regions, languages, and cultures through direct overseas experience.

Some universities have taken the approach of being very explicit about their connection to the institution’s core values:

In support of the University’s mission to “promote the process of lifelong learning from both global and integrative perspectives,” the Office for Study Abroad offers international education opportunities to students through the University’s overseas study centers, international exchange partners, and affiliated organizations. As an extension of the University’s academic program, we promote academic excellence and provide access to high quality international education programs in expanding geographic destinations to serve a diverse student population representing a wide array of academic disciplines. As educators, we facilitate the academic, personal, professional, and intercultural development of students through the programs and services we provide.

And one more example of a carefully crafted mission statement that not only integrates international education into the university core value, but also sets criteria and objectives for policy:

We are a world leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. Many hands – at home and abroad – make it so, and many benefit. Study abroad is one of the ways in which our students and others build and benefit from our University’s international engagement.

Our mission is to provide and facilitate a range of study and education opportunities abroad consonant in breadth and quality with on-campus curricula, offered for short or long duration according to curricular objectives and in consideration of students’ obligations, at a range of costs and with opportunities for scholarship or subvention such that study abroad opportunity is available to all students in good standing. Attention to students’ health, safety, and well-being abroad underlies all other considerations.

Our intention is that through study abroad we and our partners prepare students for global citizenship, guiding them to a greater understanding of world and domestic cultures and encouraging them to share that understanding with their hosts abroad and communities at home; that students gain or enhance area, linguistic, subject, and cultural knowledge and competence; that students contribute to their host communities; and that students emerge wiser and more engaged citizens

About the Author:
Study Abroad Europe – Global Learning Semesters offers study abroad programs for American and Canadian students in Europe. Our study abroad programs include courses in Belize, Cyprus, UK, France, Spain, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, India & China.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Sandi_Smith