by HOLA@HAJINKIM.COM | Jul 21, 2020 | Surveys
2020 Snapshot Survey: Student Study Abroad Experiences During COVID-19
Publish date: July 2020
As part of Diversity Abroad’s efforts to support student success through global education, we developed the Snapshot Survey: Student Study Abroad Experiences During COVID-19. The goal of this survey is to better understand the experiences of students from various backgrounds who were enrolled at a U.S. higher education institution and who were abroad—or planning to go abroad—during spring 2020 and how COVID-19 will affect students’ and their family’s interest in education abroad in the future. We hope that the findings will further inform the field of global education on how to support students before, during, and after a crisis.
by HOLA@HAJINKIM.COM | Jul 15, 2020 | Collaboration & Initiatives at Home, Global Engagement Resources
University of California, Davis – Global Education for All
In the 2020 QS World University Rankings: USA, UC Davis tied for the top spot within the diversity and internationalization category, recognizing our strong university commitment to diversity, global engagement, and to preparing students for an interconnected world. Committed to educating the next generation of problem solvers and change makers, UC Davis is working towards Global Education for All—a goal aiming to provide 100% of our undergraduate, graduate, and professional students with global learning opportunities that change their lives and our world.
Focus Areas: Global Learning at Home, International Student Services & Cultural Exchange, Education Abroad, & Advising
Describe your initiative/project
The Brotherhood Initiative is based at the University of Washington and aims to empower undergraduate males of color to thrive on campus and graduate prepared for a lifetime of leadership, service, and success. In collaboration with the University of Washington Global Affairs (GA) Office, the BI offered a short term, early fall start exploration seminar in Rome. The Education Rome program focused on the interplay between masculinity, multiculturalism, and education in Italian society as compared/contrasted with the U.S. The program took 16 students in total – 8 men, 8 women. 7 of the 8 men were men of color enlisted in the BI program. Only 2 of the 16 students identified as White women, the most common demographic among study abroad participants.
What need does this initiative/project intend to meet? What conversations/other projects led to its creation?
The BI aims to promote student growth and success inside and outside of the classroom. In recognizing that benefit of study abroad and severe under-representation of males of color in study abroad participation, the BI access funds through the GA’s Global Innovation Fund to plan and pilot a program that would, ideally, enroll more men of color than usual. Using the Global Innovation Funds, the Dark Empire – Public Health England program was shadowed as it was led by a faculty member of color and, content wise, focused on systems of oppression, racism, etc. This helped baseline what a study abroad program could look like that appeals to URM students. Additionally, a scouting trip was funded in the Spring of 2018 to finalize details and prepare for the 2018 Summer program. The conversations were focused on what topics would make the program more appealing to URM, how to market and flag that it was designed to be race conscious, led by faculty and staff of color, etc. Additionally, conversations about scholarships and funding to support students financially unfolded as well. This ultimately led to most Brotherhood Initiative students receiving scholarships.
Which student group(s) did your institution target as part of your initiative/project?
All students generally but particularly Black, Native, Latino, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander men as those are the student populations served by the BI. Beyond that, we targeted specific majors and student groups that would align with the subject matter of the course – i.e. Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies, Sociology, Education, etc.
Why did your institution feel that it was necessary to target this group?
Beyond the traditional benefits (retention, graduation) our work in the BI has explored how the general sense of belonging and happiness among men of color at PWIs can be problematic as the campus does not feel like it is intended for them. It could be described as culturally outside their comfort zone in some ways and we sort of hypothesize that the ability to navigate the adversities and ‘fish out of water’ feelings that come with study abroad would translate well to success back home.
Tell us step by step the process taken to implement this initiative/project?
Again, this gets confusing as the BI has been a long developing project across nearly 6 years now that involves a steering committee, executive committee, research team, program unit that offers transitional success classes, etc. One aspect of the BI effort has been to better engage with co-curricular learning on campus (service learning, research, study abroad, etc.) and the study abroad effort unfolded over the last 3 years now: first with Dr. Joe Lott (PI for the BI) shadowing Dr. Clarence Spigner’s program, Dr. Joe Lott shadowing a study abroad experience in Beijing China, and Dr. Lott and I doing a site visit to the UW Rome Center to finalize things. Throughout all of this, Gayle Christensen (Associate Vice Provost in GA) was a collaborative partner helping us apply for and secure funding (to make the aforementioned planning trips) through the Global Innovation Fund as well as help us with the program proposal and application process.
What obstacles were encountered throughout the planning and implementation phases?
The greatest obstacle was funding and the
Global Innovation Fund – it was absolutely crucial in the planning, development, and implementation of our program. It helped develop a comfort level and familiarity with the idea of study abroad for program leadership. It also helped lessen the financial barriers that so often keep URM students from studying abroad. Additionally, the logistics of creating a program to explore Italy while having limited prior knowledge were made immeasurably more easy by the support staff the university has on the ground at the
Rome Center.
Which faculties, departments, centers and/or student groups on campus were involved in the process?
Brotherhood Initiative. College of Education. Study Abroad Office. Global Affairs. University of Washington Rome Center.
Were there any new assessments and/or procedures produced due to the initiative/project? Describe any new processes, policies, assessments, or other tools that may have been created or updated to reflect the office’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The course focused on experiences of marginalized populations using photo elicitation as a pedagogical tool. It appears that the collaboration with the BI and this approach interested and attracted a more diverse applicant pool. Additionally, the BI research team is currently conducting research where they follow up with the individual students to see how they may have changed, how their understanding or race, gender, etc. may have changed, and so forth – partly program assessment but also exploratory/academic research around global awareness, race consciousness, etc.
How would your institution approach this initiative/project differently if you were to start over?
Even though we marketed the program to a diverse audience and interviewed a diverse audience, the focus on race and masculinity was difficult to pitch to women, particularly white women, as they often were under the impression that the program was not for them since it was so targeted towards men of color. As such, some of our marketing language, titles, etc. have been tweaked. Additionally, we’re looking at way to cut costs and make the program more affordable and accessible.
by HOLA@HAJINKIM.COM | Jun 24, 2020 | Articles
Posted: Wednesday, June 24, 2020
By: Stephanie Tilley – Prairie View A&M University
Lily Lopez-McGee – Howard University
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a longstanding legacy of providing access to higher education for students from communities traditionally excluded from postsecondary education. The student demographics at most HBCUs include students from first-generation backgrounds, immigrant and racial minority communities, and students with high financial need; student populations that are often minoritized in other institutional contexts. HBCUs, in short, serve student populations typically underserved in areas such as education abroad and international fellowship awards, but may not be positioned to access these opportunities. This article outlines the unique circumstances HBCU students face in accessing international opportunities, and offers asset-based advising and programming strategies to help students attending HBCUs envision themselves in internationally focused programming.
To date, national data on the frequency in which HBCU students are awarded international fellowships is not available. However, HBCU student participation in education abroad can help offer an approximation of what participation might be in international fellowships. For example, in reviewing the profiles of recent awardees of some of the most recognized international fellowship programs (e.g., Fulbright Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship), it is clear that many successful candidates engage in international experiences such as education abroad and international internships. If education abroad data, then, offer an indication of participation in international fellowship, 2014-2015 data would demonstrate that only 3.4% of students attending HBCUs engaged in education abroad programming (Redden, 2018). The numbers, while sobering, also suggest an incredible area of opportunity to engage more HBCU students in internationally focused fellowship and scholarship programs.
Students at HBCUs, in many cases, have strong networks of support that may not be aligned to help them access education abroad and international opportunities (e.g., Salisbury, Umbach, Paulsen, and Pascarella, 2009; Yosso, 2005). As noted earlier, engaging in international opportunities can position students to access international fellowships and scholarships; not having networks that can support them in these endeavors can make it difficult for HBCU students to see themselves as successful candidates to such awards. Too often, students may not visualize themselves as the right candidate or question their qualifications for such opportunities, exhibiting indications of imposter syndrome that staff and faculty may be well positioned to help them overcome.
Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome explains the feeling of doubting one’s accomplishments and credibility (Parkman, 2016). This feeling is characterized by viewing oneself as an unqualified fraud who is undeserving of accolades especially in comparison to others. Informal and formal data infer that many students attending an HBCU experience imposter syndrome specifically regarding personal and professional development opportunities. Within an international fellowship and scholarship context, HBCU faculty and staff have concluded HBCU students may hesitate to apply and may experience unique barriers in accessing these opportunities. It is critical that international educators empower our HBCU students to view themselves as capable and deserving candidates with unique and valuable perspectives. It is crucial that HBCU students visualize themselves as recipients of international fellowships and scholarships because through these opportunities students can evaluate and strengthen their world view as they receive and integrate new information through their experiences. International fellowships and scholarships can offer new experiences and exploration that can help students grow personally and connect more deeply with others. As a result, it is important that HBCU students feel grounded in their sense of self so they can feel confident in the strengths they bring to such opportunities.
International educators play an integral role in helping HBCU students better understand why they are well positioned to be successful in their applications for international fellowships and scholarships. Through various strength based strategies, specifically advising and programming, international educators can empower HBCU students to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Advising within a collegiate setting is the process of giving insight and direction to students in academic, career, and personal matters. There are various approaches to advising; however, it is important to use approaches that are complementary and suitable for HBCU student populations. As noted earlier, HBCU student demographics include racial minorities, first generation students, and/or students who demonstrate high financial need. Such diverse demographics involve more personable interaction and higher engaging advising (Williams, Glenn, and Wide, 2008).
Nurtured Advising
It has been inferred that an effective advising strategy within the HBCU community is nurtured advising (Williams, Glenn, and Wider, 2008). Nurtured advising involves developing a personable relationship between the advisor and the student in a manner that resembles a family dynamic; this type of advising creates a strong sense of community by using teaching moments and life lessons to support the student. This form of advising requires a more active and engaged interaction with the student. Furthermore, an aspect of nurtured advising entails street advising, which describes nurtured advising extending beyond a formal setting and occurring in various manners. This form of advising can happen in individual conversation or informal settings such as the cafeteria or in the hallway. The essence of nurtured advising is building connection and care. This approach builds trust with HBCU students which solidifies the students’ belief that their advisor is invested in their best interests. Therefore, this form of advising can be a useful model to help increase HBCU student participation in international fellowships and scholarships.
Advising Strategies
In addition to nurtured advising, there are strategies to encourage HBCU student interest and participation in global awards. An important advising strategy is to align student qualifications and interests with the appropriate fellowship opportunity. It is important to identify fellowships that students are eligible for which are predicated on various factors such as classification and language proficiency. An understanding of the opportunities that students are eligible for allows advisors to guide and direct student expectations. Furthermore, it allows advisors to merge student eligibility with student interests; advisors are able to consider how the students’ personal goals align with the opportunity and ultimately pair the student with the most suitable fellowship opportunities. Additionally, advisors should maintain an active presence throughout the students’ application fellowship process. Advisors can do this through goal setting activities and regular check ins. The essence of establishing an active fellowship advising presence with students is consistency. Through consistent actions, HBCU students begin to recognize and appreciate their own strengths and view the advisor as a part of their support network (Williams, Glenn, and Widers, 2008). This sense of security fosters student empowerment and success.
Integrating Support Systems
Applying for a nationally or internationally competitive fellowships or scholarships can be an intimidating process. Two key strategies to help make the process more accessible include building strong partnerships between HBCU staff and faculty and fellowship/scholarship staff that emphasize student awareness and developing materials that highlight the stories that are relatable to students attending HBCUs.
Developing Meaningful Alliances
Fellowship and scholarship providers are positioned to support staff and faculty who work closely with HBCU students. However, cultivating intentional alliances is not simply about hosting an informational session with interested students. It involves developing a rapport with HBCU campus stakeholders that includes regular communication with staff and faculty, providing easy to share materials that are relevant to HBCU students (e.g., videos, alumni profiles), and offering support to staff and faculty that can make the information easier for students to access. Intentional partnerships involve time and involvement in the same way that nurtured advising cultivates relationships of trust between students and advisors. Similarly, fellowship and scholarship providers can identify campus stakeholders with whom they can develop longer-term communication that makes their opportunities more accessible to students on HBCU campuses.
Highlighting HBCU Fellows Alumni
Once an intentional partnership is developed, providers should seek to build resources and materials that help empower students to see themselves in such opportunities. These strategies help center students’ strengths and assets rather than emphasizing barriers. This can include highlighting the stories and accomplishments of fellows and alumni from HBCUs, offering rich narratives (e.g., videos, digital stories, printed material) that demonstrate the diverse experiences of students attending HBCUs. Another approach is to support existing initiatives HBCUs have started that contribute such efforts rather than recreating new initiatives. Doing this can help amplify the work of HBCU colleagues and simultaneously bring information about fellowship/scholarship programs to more students. While these are but two examples of strategies that HBCUs and fellowship/scholarship programs can employ, meeting students where they are and working with the fellowship programs to tailor presentations to student experiences are particularly valuable.
Concluding Summary
International educators have a direct influence and impact on student development and success. Therefore, it is imperative that international educators provide sufficient support to increase HBCU student participation in various global fellowship and scholarship opportunities. HBCU students can view themselves as successful applicants for these opportunities through effective support systems, advising and programming that leverage asset based strategies. HBCU students possess rich experiences and backgrounds that will compliment and contribute to any international fellowship and scholarship they partake in. Therefore, as international educators, it is our duty to ensure this student population is well supported and encouraged to engage in these enriching opportunities.
by HOLA@HAJINKIM.COM | Jun 24, 2020 | Articles
Posted: Wednesday, June 24, 2020
By: Stephanie Tilley – Prairie View A&M University
Lily Lopez-McGee – Howard University
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a longstanding legacy of providing access to higher education for students from communities traditionally excluded from postsecondary education. The student demographics at most HBCUs include students from first-generation backgrounds, immigrant and racial minority communities, and students with high financial need; student populations that are often minoritized in other institutional contexts. HBCUs, in short, serve student populations typically underserved in areas such as education abroad and international fellowship awards, but may not be positioned to access these opportunities. This article outlines the unique circumstances HBCU students face in accessing international opportunities, and offers asset-based advising and programming strategies to help students attending HBCUs envision themselves in internationally focused programming.
To date, national data on the frequency in which HBCU students are awarded international fellowships is not available. However, HBCU student participation in education abroad can help offer an approximation of what participation might be in international fellowships. For example, in reviewing the profiles of recent awardees of some of the most recognized international fellowship programs (e.g., Fulbright Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship), it is clear that many successful candidates engage in international experiences such as education abroad and international internships. If education abroad data, then, offer an indication of participation in international fellowship, 2014-2015 data would demonstrate that only 3.4% of students attending HBCUs engaged in education abroad programming (Redden, 2018). The numbers, while sobering, also suggest an incredible area of opportunity to engage more HBCU students in internationally focused fellowship and scholarship programs.
Students at HBCUs, in many cases, have strong networks of support that may not be aligned to help them access education abroad and international opportunities (e.g., Salisbury, Umbach, Paulsen, and Pascarella, 2009; Yosso, 2005). As noted earlier, engaging in international opportunities can position students to access international fellowships and scholarships; not having networks that can support them in these endeavors can make it difficult for HBCU students to see themselves as successful candidates to such awards. Too often, students may not visualize themselves as the right candidate or question their qualifications for such opportunities, exhibiting indications of imposter syndrome that staff and faculty may be well positioned to help them overcome.
Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome explains the feeling of doubting one’s accomplishments and credibility (Parkman, 2016). This feeling is characterized by viewing oneself as an unqualified fraud who is undeserving of accolades especially in comparison to others. Informal and formal data infer that many students attending an HBCU experience imposter syndrome specifically regarding personal and professional development opportunities. Within an international fellowship and scholarship context, HBCU faculty and staff have concluded HBCU students may hesitate to apply and may experience unique barriers in accessing these opportunities. It is critical that international educators empower our HBCU students to view themselves as capable and deserving candidates with unique and valuable perspectives. It is crucial that HBCU students visualize themselves as recipients of international fellowships and scholarships because through these opportunities students can evaluate and strengthen their world view as they receive and integrate new information through their experiences. International fellowships and scholarships can offer new experiences and exploration that can help students grow personally and connect more deeply with others. As a result, it is important that HBCU students feel grounded in their sense of self so they can feel confident in the strengths they bring to such opportunities.
International educators play an integral role in helping HBCU students better understand why they are well positioned to be successful in their applications for international fellowships and scholarships. Through various strength based strategies, specifically advising and programming, international educators can empower HBCU students to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Advising within a collegiate setting is the process of giving insight and direction to students in academic, career, and personal matters. There are various approaches to advising; however, it is important to use approaches that are complementary and suitable for HBCU student populations. As noted earlier, HBCU student demographics include racial minorities, first generation students, and/or students who demonstrate high financial need. Such diverse demographics involve more personable interaction and higher engaging advising (Williams, Glenn, and Wide, 2008).
Nurtured Advising
It has been inferred that an effective advising strategy within the HBCU community is nurtured advising (Williams, Glenn, and Wider, 2008). Nurtured advising involves developing a personable relationship between the advisor and the student in a manner that resembles a family dynamic; this type of advising creates a strong sense of community by using teaching moments and life lessons to support the student. This form of advising requires a more active and engaged interaction with the student. Furthermore, an aspect of nurtured advising entails street advising, which describes nurtured advising extending beyond a formal setting and occurring in various manners. This form of advising can happen in individual conversation or informal settings such as the cafeteria or in the hallway. The essence of nurtured advising is building connection and care. This approach builds trust with HBCU students which solidifies the students’ belief that their advisor is invested in their best interests. Therefore, this form of advising can be a useful model to help increase HBCU student participation in international fellowships and scholarships.
Advising Strategies
In addition to nurtured advising, there are strategies to encourage HBCU student interest and participation in global awards. An important advising strategy is to align student qualifications and interests with the appropriate fellowship opportunity. It is important to identify fellowships that students are eligible for which are predicated on various factors such as classification and language proficiency. An understanding of the opportunities that students are eligible for allows advisors to guide and direct student expectations. Furthermore, it allows advisors to merge student eligibility with student interests; advisors are able to consider how the students’ personal goals align with the opportunity and ultimately pair the student with the most suitable fellowship opportunities. Additionally, advisors should maintain an active presence throughout the students’ application fellowship process. Advisors can do this through goal setting activities and regular check ins. The essence of establishing an active fellowship advising presence with students is consistency. Through consistent actions, HBCU students begin to recognize and appreciate their own strengths and view the advisor as a part of their support network (Williams, Glenn, and Widers, 2008). This sense of security fosters student empowerment and success.
Integrating Support Systems
Applying for a nationally or internationally competitive fellowships or scholarships can be an intimidating process. Two key strategies to help make the process more accessible include building strong partnerships between HBCU staff and faculty and fellowship/scholarship staff that emphasize student awareness and developing materials that highlight the stories that are relatable to students attending HBCUs.
Developing Meaningful Alliances
Fellowship and scholarship providers are positioned to support staff and faculty who work closely with HBCU students. However, cultivating intentional alliances is not simply about hosting an informational session with interested students. It involves developing a rapport with HBCU campus stakeholders that includes regular communication with staff and faculty, providing easy to share materials that are relevant to HBCU students (e.g., videos, alumni profiles), and offering support to staff and faculty that can make the information easier for students to access. Intentional partnerships involve time and involvement in the same way that nurtured advising cultivates relationships of trust between students and advisors. Similarly, fellowship and scholarship providers can identify campus stakeholders with whom they can develop longer-term communication that makes their opportunities more accessible to students on HBCU campuses.
Highlighting HBCU Fellows Alumni
Once an intentional partnership is developed, providers should seek to build resources and materials that help empower students to see themselves in such opportunities. These strategies help center students’ strengths and assets rather than emphasizing barriers. This can include highlighting the stories and accomplishments of fellows and alumni from HBCUs, offering rich narratives (e.g., videos, digital stories, printed material) that demonstrate the diverse experiences of students attending HBCUs. Another approach is to support existing initiatives HBCUs have started that contribute such efforts rather than recreating new initiatives. Doing this can help amplify the work of HBCU colleagues and simultaneously bring information about fellowship/scholarship programs to more students. While these are but two examples of strategies that HBCUs and fellowship/scholarship programs can employ, meeting students where they are and working with the fellowship programs to tailor presentations to student experiences are particularly valuable.
Concluding Summary
International educators have a direct influence and impact on student development and success. Therefore, it is imperative that international educators provide sufficient support to increase HBCU student participation in various global fellowship and scholarship opportunities. HBCU students can view themselves as successful applicants for these opportunities through effective support systems, advising and programming that leverage asset based strategies. HBCU students possess rich experiences and backgrounds that will compliment and contribute to any international fellowship and scholarship they partake in. Therefore, as international educators, it is our duty to ensure this student population is well supported and encouraged to engage in these enriching opportunities.
by HOLA@HAJINKIM.COM | Jun 22, 2020 | Articles
Posted: Monday, June 22, 2020
By: Cierra Gillison – Stanford Graduate School of Business; Believe in the Journey Founder
Wim Gabriels – Erasmus Student Network
Introduction
With ever-growing globalisation across all sectors in addition to the need for intercultural competences in local society, we believe that it is important that Higher Education institutions use their globalization strategies to internationalise their institutions and communities at large. We believe those marginalized by systemic oppressive systems have a key voice to add to the study abroad and international education conversation.
This article will serve as a dialogue of perspectives shared from European (EU) and American (U.S.) vantage points. Key features will include current research findings and best practices for engaging students from diverse and traditionally marginalized populations in international education experiences.
Lower Uptake of Study Abroad Participation from Students who come from Traditionally Marginalized Communities
Across U.S. and EU systems of higher education students experience various roadblocks to engaging in study abroad opportunities (Lau, 2013). One major roadblock is the cost of international education opportunities and the impact it has on students from marginalized communities. In the EU there is a low uptake of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds participating in mobility experiences abroad. Within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, students enrolled in Higher Education in Europe have the opportunity to study abroad and receive an Erasmus grant to cover their additional expenses. According to research of the Erasmus Student Network completed by 24.000 students, 70% of respondents indicated that the Erasmus grant covers half or less of their total expenses (Josek, et al., 2017).
For students from lower-income households, the importance of the grant becomes prevalent as we see that 40% of students from lower income households indicate that their Erasmus+ grant covered more than half of their expenses (Josek, et al., 2017). The Erasmus+ programme allows for additional funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, the latest Erasmus+ Annual Report shows that only 7% of students studying abroad are actually making use of this opportunity for additional funding (European Commission, 2019), while the percentage of young people at risk of poverty and social exclusion is currently set at 26.3% of young people aged 16-29 years (Eurostat, 2019). There thus clearly seems to be an overall lower participation in study abroad from EU students of less-advantaged backgrounds.
The decentralized approach of U.S. higher education allows for considerable variance in study abroad participation (NAFSA, 2020); however, U.S. findings indicate a similar trend as it relates to the limited participation of traditionally marginalized students in study abroad. Many U.S. students receive federal student aid to help pay for their study at international school (U.S. Department of Education, 2020). For many students, the level of federal financial aid is based on their family income and consists of grant and loan funding. Students wanting to travel abroad primarily rely on personal income, scholarship funding, or federal student loans. While several scholarship opportunities exist, access to funding is highly debated and dependent on the outreach of students to various financial resources. Students have access to their institutions’ study abroad offices where staff and advisors work tirelessly to make sure students know what programs are available to them; however, program costs leave some students, particularly those coming from traditionally marginalized backgrounds, hesitant to walk in the door.
Discussion
There are several potential reasons for the lower uptake of less-advantaged students participating in study abroad; some of which can likely be explained by various external and internal barriers students experience.
External barriers may include students’ personal commitments to caretaking roles, jobs, student-athlete commitments, to financial difficulties or families that are less supportive. Internal barriers may include internalized messaging or belief systems that indicate studying abroad is something that is not for them. External and internalized barriers may correlate to reduced student initiative to receive additional information about funding and the benefits of studying abroad; leaving these students questioning the benefits of international education. According to the European Joint Research Centre, universities that are attended by first generation college students (FGCS) have less mobility participation in general, as mobility rates are clearly and consistently higher in universities attended by students with more highly educated parents. Similarly in the United States, FGCS are largely underrepresented among the population of students going abroad and qualitatively indicated finances, family, work obligations, graduating late, and lack of interest as the reasons they were not pursuing (Butler. 2019).
Key Considerations
Peer to Peer Guidance
According to research from the Universities UK International (UUKi, 2017) the use of role models and peer-to-peer guidance is key to engaging students from underrepresented groups in study abroad opportunities. There is a clear need for institutions to develop intentional communities of peer mentors who have studied abroad and share similar lived experiences and/or identities. A peer-to-peer approach where students see the benefits of study abroad through the eyes of one of their own peers allows students to demystify the barriers and make the experience more tangible, while allowing solutions to perceived barriers to become more attainable.
Personalized Advising and Programming
In reflecting on a personal study abroad experience as an undergraduate at The Ohio State University (OSU), study abroad only became an option for me by way of a specialized program, MUNDO ( Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Discovery Opportunities). One of the founders of the MUNDO program at OSU, Julius Mayo, was diligent about making sure study abroad opportunities were available to students who are traditionally underrepresented in international education experiences. Through Julius and the MUNDO program, I had an individual contact, a person to go to, and a process for helping me understand the available financial support systems. Many students are navigating unfamiliar hierarchical university systems. We believe personalized advising specific to underrepresented groups reduces some of the anxiety of navigating unknown systems and would encourage students to seek trustworthy and engaging information.
Since 2011 the Erasmus Student Network has been running a project called ‘Erasmus in Schools’ that brings current exchange students into local primary, middle and high schools to organise intercultural dialogues between local students and international students on a variety of topics, demystifying the experience of meeting people from foreign countries, introducing the concept of study abroad to students at a younger age at the same time. We believe programs such as MUNDO and the Erasmus Student Network that emphasize tailored program information in addition to peer and/or advisor support are key to engaging students from traditionally marginalized identities, in study abroad opportunities.
Increase Community Engagement
One final way to engage students from traditionally marginalized communities in international education may be through international service-learning programming. We believe that encouraging students to take an active role in cross cultural education through community engagement and volunteering activities during their study abroad helps participants learn more about their host community while raising intercultural awareness as a key feature of their study abroad experience.
The concept of international service-learning has long since found its way into the curricula of U.S. universities, while service-learning is an emerging educational methodology in Europe, with a European framework established very recently (Aramburuzabala, 2016). The realisation of the third mission of universities is slower to emerge within Europe, in the context of globalisation, particularly, universities must be engaged with their communities and contribute to the well-being of the local society as part of their so-called third mission. By stimulating and guiding the utilization of knowledge for the practical concerns of everyday life, education should take a visible role in facing some of the main challenges of our time: for example, social inequality, environmental issues, immigration and global citizenship (GUNi, 2017, p.53).
In general, students who have studied abroad, feel a stronger sense of responsibility to contribute to society, encouraging democratic, civil and social participation in their communities upon their return (Banet, 2019).
Through grass-root community engagement, students are readily exposed to the local community and encouraged to break systemic practices that create siloed ecosystems of international students while traveling abroad. Programs such as Global Vision International (GVI) and Soles4Souls have been partner organizations of Believe in the Journey, a small grassroots business that centers providing international service learning opportunities for underrepresented groups. Believe in the Journey has been a vehicle for actualizing U.S. underrepresented groups’ participation in international educational opportunities. By focusing on community engagement, U.S. students have been able to serve alongside their peers, building community with one another while developing an immeasurable appreciation for the people of the countries they are serving alongside.
Recognizing international service-learning is strongly embedded in U.S. education, international service-learning has not been very prevalent in European curricula. The “SocialErasmus” programme of ESN aims to counter this by allowing international students to take part in volunteering activities throughout their mobility, participants indicate a stronger social responsibility and connection to their host community (Gabriels, 2019). Enabling students to contribute as an active participant in their community by allowing them to volunteer and give back to their host community, instills a sense of ‘belonging’ to this society.
Concluding Thoughts
While we believe the EU and U.S. systems of higher education are committed to recognizing the financial limitations and the classism that exists by the nature of the cost of international education, the gap remains intriguing to review and research. The question remains: What would it look like if we reviewed in depth who is accessing grant and scholarship funding and how can we intentionally engage students underrepresented in study abroad programming with individualized financial resources and support? How would underrepresented groups respond to some of the ‘Key Considerations’ we’ve outlined? With an individualized approach that engages study abroad students to reach out to communities and take up an ambassador role to build bridges outside of the traditional education sector, we believe we can shift the trend of who feels like they have access to an internationalized educational experience.
Note: In the European context, people are considered at risk of poverty when they live on an income below 60% of the median household income of their own country (Eurostat, 2018). As one of the main determinants of social exclusion, poverty strongly affects the quality of life of excluded young people. However, this applies to many different population groups, people with a migration background, rural areas or less developed economic areas across the European continent. The profile of a disadvantaged student is not only based on their socioeconomic status, but can include ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or any other personal characteristic that puts them at risk of social exclusion.
References:
Aramburuzabala P., McIlrath L., Stark W., Opazo H., Altenburger R., Grönlund H., Maas H., Mažeikiene N., Meijs L., Mikelic N., Millican J., Nortomaa A., Tuytschaever G., Vargas-Moniz M & Zani B (2016). Europe Engage Developing a Culture of Civic Engagement through Service-Learning within Higher Education in Europe. [Reference 2014-1-ES01- KA203-004798]. retrieved from https://europeen – gage.org/
Banet R., Japiashvili N., Rousou K., Katava T.K. & Pinto J. (2019). ESNsurvey 2019: Active citizenship in academic mobility and beyond. Brussels: Erasmus Student Network AISBL.
Butler, B. (2020, April 13). A different experience: supporting first generation college students in education abroad. The Power of International Education. https://www.iie.org/en/Learn/Blog/2015/05/2015-May-A-Different-Experience-Supporting-First-Generation-College-Students-In-Education-Abroad
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