West Virginia University’s Office of International Programs offers a world within reach to students through multiple study abroad opportunities.
A total of 816 students registered for study abroad in the 2009-2010 academic year, according to WVU-IP records. While WVU experienced an increase in short-term programs, semester exchange also doubled in the current academic calendar year.
“Study abroad is a high priority among students who are seeking to develop career goals,” said Dr. Michael Lastinger, associate provost for international academic affairs, the office that oversees management of study abroad programs.
“We’ve experienced a dramatic growth in study abroad in the last five years—matching a national trend consistent with other major U.S. universities,” he said. “Totals for the past three years surpassed figures for the middle part of the decade. Now we see a new pattern emerging that favors short programs.”
An annual survey of U.S. higher education entitled Open Doors Survey was done in December by the Institute of International Education and the Forum on Education Abroad. The IIE reported a total of 260,327 students studied abroad in 2008-2009.
To facilitate study abroad, WVU has 42 international student agreements offering a wide variety of academic opportunities. The University has 92 linkages in 40 countries that include study abroad, research and faculty exchanges. Exchanges offer study over three, six or 12 months, according to Tara George-Jones, study abroad coordinator, who oversees strategic planning.
“Our exchanges have accelerated in recent years,” said George-Jones. “Numbers are up this academic year—more than double compared to two years ago.”
An exchange program permits WVU students to exchange places with students from a foreign university. In the 2010-11 academic year, 166 WVU students planned on attending either a semester or a year-long study program. Exchanges often combine studies, language training and a cultural immersion experience.
Group study abroad programs offer students short-term options, and WVU has experienced accelerated growth in faculty-led group programs. A total of 627 students registered in short courses during the previous academic year of 2009-2010, according to International Programs.
“This also fits a national trend as students seek shorter length programs,” said George-Jones. “The majority of students favor programs of four to six weeks.”
Unique to WVU’s shorter study abroad programs are ceramics, design, journalism, nano-technology, service-learning, and health, she said. Other typical short programs include foreign languages, engineering, geology, law, religion and myth, business, finance and the arts and sciences.
“Faculty members play a critical role in developing short-term programs,” said Dr. Lastinger. “They spend time to design programs that fit students’ needs.”
Study Abroad Fellowships
To help students pay expenses, WVU departments seek to develop external sources of funding. Over the past 10 years, WVU’s International Programs staff has worked with faculty in various Colleges to win multi-year grants that provide fellowships and travel grants.
Student grants have been funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s FIPSE program, U.S. Forestry Service, and the National Science Foundation. A fellowship may be as much as $12,000 for a year of study; a travel grant from $1,000 to $1,500 and a semester award around $4,000.
Large grants made study abroad possible for students in music education and jazz studies in Brazil; transportation engineering, and interior design, in Canada/Mexico; nano-technology in China, forestry resource studies in Ireland, and European studies in Estonia and Poland.
In addition, students may benefit from special international endowments set up for study abroad. Current endowments from Ralph and Dora Nelson; W. Gerald and Carolyn E. Blaney; and Carter and Carolyn Jones support the Global Education Opportunities GEO grant program. The GEO grant program requires students to write an essay and apply for awards ranging from $250 to $1,000 for study, research or training.
In cooperation with the ASPIRE Office, the IP staff promotes competitive scholarships, such as the David Boren Fellowships under the National Security Education Program, and the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship (open to Pell grant holders). WVU students can also choose to use financial aid for travel and living expenses for study abroad.
The IEE Open Doors survey, however, found that only four of 10 students nationwide took advantage of financial aid last year. To compare, the survey noted, universities spent more on marketing and promotion, and only 10 percent of schools reported increases in study abroad scholarships.
-WVU-
01/25/11
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CONTACT:
Tara George-Jones (304) 293-6955
Tara.George-Jones@mail.wvu.edu