Reflections on Diversity Abroad’s Inaugural Conference by DA Global | Jul 18, 2013 | Articles Posted: Monday, July 18, 2013By: Darielle Horsey Early in my career I remember meeting Diversity Abroad’s founder, Andrew Gordon, at a NAFSA reception and connecting over the promotion of accessibility and diversity in study abroad. I was inspired by the knowledge that there were others out there that shared the same goals and excited about the prospect of connecting with colleagues to find support in this challenging but crucial work. I have long believed that study abroad should be accessible to all students, not just to young people of privilege. Over the years I have been involved in various efforts devoted to incorporating social justice practices into global education, but with completion of my M.A. in Social Justice in Intercultural Relations from SIT Graduate Institute last June, I found myself more committed than ever. Needless to say, when Diversity Abroad’s first annual conference was announced, I was absolutely determined to attend.For those of us committed to supporting underrepresented students in study abroad, our work often happens in small teams at our universities or within our organizations. We devote considerable time and energy to pushing forward initiatives, repeatedly bringing attention to the need for better support for all our students. While this work is deeply fulfilling and we are gradually making progress, the job also comes with innumerable complexities and uphill battles. For myself, I find that I need to take time to step back and refocus through conversations with other colleagues doing similar work. I also need to be reminded that I have a network of peers around the globe who are just as dedicated as I am. Consequently, it was extremely inspiring and motivating for me to come together with hundreds of other professionals at the Diversity Abroad Conference to discuss best practices and new strategies to enhance our efforts.During the conference I was grateful for the multiple opportunities that were available for both speakers and participants to talk openly and honestly about diversity. I appreciated, in particular, the panelists and plenary speakers who moved beyond rhetoric to speak frankly about their own experiences and the vital importance of our work, as well as those who expressed impassioned calls to action. My race and ethnicity dialogue group offered simple, yet effective solutions to help better support students. The honest discussions that we had within our group will stick with me for a long time and I hope that future conferences will incorporate more of these intentional, interactive sessions. Perhaps most important for me were the informal conversations that I had with many of my fellow participants over meals or in transit to workshops; occasions that allowed us to speak authentically about the role and need for social justice in international education.After the conference I was reminded of a phrase that Gretchen Cook-Anderson, Director of Diversity Initiatives at IES Abroad, had used during her workshop focused on “Ethics of Marketing to a Diverse Audience.” In the middle of her presentation, Gretchen spoke about the importance of “being comfortable with the uncomfortable,” the “uncomfortable” being the topics related to diversity and social identity that make us nervous or that we are unsure of how to approach or talk about openly. I find that the “uncomfortable” often has a direct correlation to our own areas of privilege. Returning home I was struck once again by how often in our professional and personal lives we don’t have the honest and straightforward discussions about diversity that I had during the conference. If we can’t have genuine conversations with our colleagues or others around us, how are we going to have them with our students who come from diverse backgrounds? We need to be prepared for the difficult conversations. We’re not always going to know the right thing to do or to say, but we can educate ourselves and we can reach out to others. As was mentioned several times during the conference, we should be knowledgeable about the additional resources and colleagues who can help provide empowering support to our students. After all, collaboration within (and between) our campuses and organizations is essential in creating truly successful diversity initiatives.The Diversity Abroad Conference clarified and reinforced many of my ideas about how to incorporate social justice into study abroad. It also provided me with new, creative strategies and reminded me that we have an amazing network of people all around the world who are dedicated to furthering diversity in international education. We are much more effective in our efforts through working together and I thank Diversity Abroad for bringing us together. I look forward to future conferences and the stimulating conversations that will inevitably arise out of our mutual commitment to making these life-changing international experiences accessible to each and every young person, no matter their background.Darielle Horsey is the Study Abroad Coordinator at Loyola Marymount University.
Community College Education Abroad Foundation and Future Concerns by DA Global | Jul 18, 2013 | Articles Posted: Monday, July 18, 2013By: Dr. Rosalind Latiner Raby Introduction Community colleges have been involved in the field of Education Abroad since the early 1970s. Over the decades, they have been challenged with issues related to faculty, and administrative support, health, safety and risk management issues, lack of funding, lack of full-time personnel, and of course, student attitude. These issues remain important today along with new challenges stemming from the declining economy. As such, community colleges are again at a crossroad in which they need to examine their role and function in preparing the next generation of students to live and work in a global community.Community college education abroad provides instruction by accredited faculty to students in locations around the world. These programs range from single-subject one or two-week courses for minimal academic credit to summer and full semester programs with a full academic load. Education abroad is distinct from study tours in that the accredited courses often include a four-year university accredited academic curriculum that frequently matches transfer requirements and provides WSCH based funding (ADA). Instruction is in all academic, agricultural, occupational, technical and vocational fields. Similar to regularly scheduled classes, education abroad provides the college with state funding based on an established ratio of faculty to student contact hours. Thus, class hours must match the state-mandated measurement of teacher-to-student contact hours per unit per semester. Few, if any, community college offer year-long academic programs abroad. The vast majority of community college education abroad programs are faculty led. Direct-enrollment programs to an international university or program designed by a 3rd party provider are less common, and in some cases, the credits accrued are not accepted by the community college. Travel and living arrangements are typically arranged by the college, a 3rd party provider, or both.According to IIE Open Doors, U.S. community college study abroad has increased by 126%, from 1991 – 2004 (Koh, 2004). The growth continues and in 2008, IIE Open Doors cites 6,200 community college students nationally studied abroad, of which 3,500 came from California community colleges. Despite this, the ACE report (Green & Siaya, 2005) “Measuring Internationalization at Community Colleges” indicates that 61% of community colleges have a “low” level of internationalization. In 2010, only 33% of the California Community Colleges districts mention international education in their mission and college policy documents (CCIE, 2010). The lack of support for international education across community colleges does not bode well for students and is in direct opposition to the growing support seen at the national level. This is especially problematic at a time when community colleges are being cited as the answer to the workforce needs of the country. Community College Study Abroad: What Is The Value? The value of community college education abroad is echoed in multiple documents, public policy, and reform initiates as a key means to help students gain international literacy skills as a basic requirement to working in today’s economy. National Reactions The skills that community colleges need to embrace are those that have an international foundation. As President Obama noted in his speech (White House 2009a) to Congress on February 24, 2009, “our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for.” In the Chronicle of Higher Education, Labi (2009) states that “Community-college leaders want to ensure that their institutions produce students who can collaborate with co-workers from other countries and cultures, who have an understanding of global economics, and who, perhaps, even speak a foreign language.” This reinforces the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) 2006 Joint Statement that affirms that “we live in a time of continuous economic and social change driven by increasing globalization.” In response to this affirmation community colleges leaders should take the steps necessary to secure a financial, educational and social environment that encourages and prepares faculty, students, and the community to be globally engaged. Benefit of Community College Study Abroad Numerous studies confirm the benefits gained from studying abroad for all students, and especially for under-represented students. Benefits include definite changes in perception and attitude towards global relationships, increased empathy towards politics and social service, significant learning curve growth in interpersonal skills, academic performance, and reduction of cultural stereotypes. There is no better environment than a different culture to learn how to think about the world in unique ways. For 1st and 2nd generation students, there is an added benefit of re-learning their own cultures and histories. For all students, education abroad becomes a life altering experience. The common acceptance of education abroad as an unconditionally positive aspect of higher education is rooting itself in such venues as the College Board, the U.S. News and World Report annual listing of post-secondary institutions, and the Freshman Survey which all now list education abroad as one of the important college activities. Increasingly, education abroad is a recognized investment in the future ability of the student to interact in a multicultural world and assists them as they transfer to a four-year institution or as they proceed into the workplace environment. Most importantly, however, is that what benefits four-year college students in terms of education abroad also benefits community college students. Philosophical Implications for Open Access Community colleges and the programs they provide are the sole venue for post-secondary education for a vast number of U.S. students. As community colleges educate nontraditional students, they demonstrate in a practical way the means by which new generations can receive skills and training that ensure employment and social mobility that can transform communities. Access is further intensified since all community college programs are open to all ages and aptitudes and for the most part, neither GPA, campus standing, nor disability can be used to determine admittance. In terms of education abroad, such access provides an opportunity for an educational experience for those who could not, for a variety of reasons, attend a university. The result is participation by the widest margins of society.Since community colleges represent their local communities and many of those communities are economically challenged, financial costs related to all community college educational experiences must be taken into consideration. In this vein, many community colleges coordinate extensive financial aid, financial counseling, and lower program costs to assist students in studying abroad. Community Colleges are indeed bound by their mission to offer high-quality and low cost academic programs.Data from 2002-2010 IIE Open Doors Report confirms that community college participants not only come from all income, racial and ethnic groups, but that community colleges send a more diverse range of students abroad than any other post-secondary institution. Since under-represented students attend community colleges in high numbers, it is not surprising that large numbers of students of color and lower income students also participate in international educational programs as well. Through widening academic opportunities, community college study abroad, is in essence, advancing options for a variety of international experiences.By promoting international educational access, community colleges simultaneously serve to create new opportunities and reduce barriers for those who are unable to capitalize on its benefits. Indeed, it is the open accessibility characteristic of the community college that has helped to transform the field of study abroad from one of elitism that emphasized the junior year abroad experience to one of mass accessibility that embodies a range of time frames for all post-secondary students. Recommendations for Educational Reform In that community colleges are the world’s largest system of higher education, the need to engage the interest of students, community, faculty, and administration becomes all the more critical. There are three major steps in advancing educational reform, which will allow community colleges to best prepare their students for success in a globally dependent society.1) Philosophical change. Colleges need to understand and accept the benefits of education abroad for their students and community. Support needs to be articulated in college mission statements, strategic plans and in college budget. An economic plan should be developed that helps to ensure the implementation of study abroad programs.2) Economic change. Similar to other small academic programs that are labor intensive, the benefits of education abroad outweigh the cost of implementing programs. The benefits are not only for students, but also for participating faculty and the community at large.3) Programmatic change. Colleges need to develop a centrally located office where students, faculty and community know where to obtain information on education abroad. A staff and operating expenses needs to be in place to support this office. Links with college counseling services, student advising and financial aid need to be secured. College policy needs to identify how to establish programs, define faculty selection, advertise programs, adhere to other legal, health and safety issues that are affiliated with education abroad programs, a defined risk management program to better serve the students and the colleges and secure long-range planning. Future Concerns The recent global recession has made a mark on community colleges in the field of international education. In 2009-2010 and again in 2010-2011, very few colleges are advancing their education abroad programs. Instead, the vast majority have cut staff and re-shuffled positions to meet budget requirements. Many have even eliminated education abroad entirely. In almost all community colleges, there remains a critical lack of institutionalization of education abroad policy and guidelines that serve community colleges. This is especially problematic since research confirms that the predominant issues preventing community college students from studying abroad is NOT student interest, inability to travel, nor program costs. Rather, it is the lack of colleges to support education abroad that hinders participation. The limited or non-existing options by too many of our colleges must be addressed and rectified in order to provide community college students will the full educational programs that they deserve.In that more U.S. post-secondary students attend community colleges than any other institution, and that community colleges represent the most diverse population nationally, this apparent lack is a cause for action. If community colleges do not offer education abroad, substantial number of students are then faced with barriers that truncate their participation in these life-altering experiences. Moreover, the philosophy of open access is placed at risk if a portion of society is purposely denied specific knowledge and experiences that are being given in abundance to others. It is therefore clear that the interest and opportunities for increasing number of students to study abroad will forever change the face of higher education. Dr. Rosalind Latiner Raby is a Senior Lecturer at California State University, Northridge in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department of the College of Education. She also serves as the Director of California Colleges for International Education, a consortium whose membership includes eighty-four California community colleges.
Faculty: The Link Between Underrepresented Students And Study Abroad by DA Global | Jul 18, 2013 | Articles Posted: Monday, July 18, 2013By: Nasha Lewis International education offices at colleges and universities are instrumental in recruiting students for study abroad; however, many students who participate in education-abroad programs first hear about the opportunity from a faculty member.Faculty play an important role in encouraging students to study abroad, and are able to influence a large number of students. Approximately 56 percent of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) summer 2010 study abroad participants reported that they had learned about study abroad through a professor. If a college or university wants to increase the number of students who study abroad — and especially underrepresented students — it should bring faculty into the process of recruiting students for international programs.In particular, an education abroad office should identify and engage with the professors most likely to interact with, and influence, underrepresented students. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students are underrepresented in study abroad; therefore, it is essential for study abroad professionals to approach STEM faculty, discuss the importance of study abroad, and emphasize the significance of faculty support in encouraging students to go abroad. This same approach can be used to encourage ethnic minority students, who also have low study abroad participation rates. Minority students relate culturally to minority faculty members, so they play an even more significant role in persuading these students to study abroad. If an education abroad office aims to increase the number of underrepresented students in study abroad, they must connect with ethnic minority and STEM faculty and convince them to become actively involved in study-abroad recruitment. Advertisement, advocacy, integration, site visits, and conferences are ways in which study-abroad professionals can engage these faculty members. Advertisement: How To Promote Study Abroad Through Faculty Education abroad offices are always searching for ways to advertise their programs to students, including study abroad fairs, information tables, their office web pages, social media sites including Facebook and Twitter, and more. These are good ways to promote study abroad opportunities, but are not the only methods that can be used to draw attention to international education programs. By incorporating ethnic minority and STEM faculty into the advertising process, study abroad professionals have another, very effective avenue through which they can reach students. Faculty members can endorse study abroad by including necessary information on the direct contact methods they use to communicate with students. This can mean adding study-abroad information to course syllabi, course or professor Web pages, classroom blackboards, or general informational emails sent to students. The information should provide details about study abroad in general, specific and relevant study abroad programs if available, and should direct students to the study abroad office if they have questions. Through this method of advertising, faculty are able to simultaneously publicize study abroad and to demonstrate their support for it. Classroom presentations are another beneficial advertising method. Education abroad offices should seek out minority faculty members and STEM professors to encourage them to let a staff member present in their classes. In the spring of 2010, VCU conducted a study abroad presentation in an engineering class. The professor of the course began citing examples of major engineering firms located around the world. The engineering students became more excited and started to embrace the idea of studying abroad, an idea that many of them had never considered before. Advocacy: An Academic’s Recommendation Goes A Long Way Once minority and STEM faculty members have agreed to endorse study abroad, you should encourage them to actively advocate for it. They can voice their support of study abroad to upper administration, faculty, students, and parents. Faculty who promote international education, and focus on efforts to encourage study abroad, are essential in establishing a successful study abroad program. Faculty can advocate by persuading fellow professors to also promote study abroad in their classes. Faculty-to-faculty influence is extremely important amongst STEM professors, who may feel that study abroad is only applicable to non-STEM majors. Having a knowledgeable STEM professor encourage and recommend international education programs in their field carries much weight for fellow faculty and students in their departments. Faculty members can also mention to the upper administration their desire for advancing and developing international education programs on campus. Integration: Bringing The World Into The Classroom Faculty should be encouraged to internationalize their classes, and explain to their students the global impact and influence of people and institutions in their fields. Regardless of the subject, internationalization can be integrated into any course. For instance, a professor can teach about a particular overseas company, organization, or noteworthy leader in their field. They can bring attention to a renowned scientist or author teaching at a respected university overseas, or a pioneer in the field who is based at an institution or organization abroad. Professors can always find ways in which to internationalize a course. Study abroad professionals should encourage and help them to do so, paying close attention to faculty who teach underrepresented students, such as STEM majors and ethnic minorities. Internationalizing a course could serve as a catalyst that ultimately sways a student to study abroad. Site Visits: Getting Off Campus Opens Faculty’s Eyes and Minds Site visits to other universities are an excellent way to show faculty the direct benefits of study abroad. When site visit opportunities become available, encourage minority and STEM faculty to participate. Site visits offer direct insight into the student experience — insight that cannot be gained any other way. For instance, these visits can expose some of the challenges faced by underrepresented students. Often times, it takes a faculty member with a similar background to comprehend these challenges.Site visits also show professors the specific demands and rigors of a curriculum at another institution. This is especially important for STEM professors, who can then determine how this experience will benefit their students academically. Once faculty members participate in a site visit, they can wholeheartedly endorse certain programs and urge students to participate in them.VCU encourages faculty to take site visits, specifically to partnership universities, where there is an exchange agreement. At times, VCU will provide funding for faculty members to visit these universities for conferences, meetings with counterparts, research, and directing a faculty-led study abroad program. If a professor is directing a study abroad program with a partnership university, then VCU may fund an additional site visit so that the instructor can properly develop the program. Conferences: Fostering Study-Abroad Support Through Networking and Peer Interaction Education abroad professionals attend conferences and online seminars on international education, and should invite minority and STEM faculty members to participate as well. Attending conferences and online seminars are great ways for minority and STEM professors to increase their knowledge of study abroad and international education. Conferences provide an excellent venue for networking. During international education conferences, minority and STEM faculty members can take part in educational sessions, and meet and speak with other professors in their field who are interested in international education. The information and knowledge they obtain from fellow professors often gives them specific and clear insights into how study abroad can benefit their students.Conferences and online seminars also impart the challenges related to diversity in study abroad. Once these faculty members become more informed about issues related to study abroad, they may become more actively interested and dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented students enrolling in study abroad programs. They can develop the knowledge, skills, and ideas to promote, advocate, and support study abroad and, more specifically, encourage underrepresented students to go abroad. Faculty: Our Best Allies Study abroad professionals want to provide international opportunities for all students, regardless of their majors or backgrounds. In order to achieve this goal, we must reach out to faculty. They have direct, consistent contact with students, specifically underrepresented students, and are among the strongest influencers of their academic decision-making. Good working relationships with STEM and ethnic minority professors can provide the best avenue for bringing more underrepresented students into study abroad. Faculty members indeed have a strong desire to help their students find and explore the best educational opportunities available, and — once they are aware of the many benefits of study abroad — often become the strongest champions for international education. Faculty can be our best allies, and we should actively include them in the student recruitment process.Nasha Lewis is the Program Manager in the Education Abroad office at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
What Are We Still Talking About? by DA Global | Jul 18, 2013 | Articles Posted: Monday, July 18, 2013By: Dr. Michael Woolf In education abroad questions of diversity and under-representation are nearly always properly co-related. In simple terms, a consequence of the exclusion of certain regions, groups and disciplines leads to a relative lack of diversity on education abroad programmes. This is the basic reality with which we need to engage at a level beyond rhetoric. In my thirty odd years in education abroad I have observed the fact that we have huffed and puffed, and notably failed to blow the house down.The barriers to participation are very familiar. They may, for example, be related to imagination, to cost and circumstance, to discipline, to geography, to gender, to family and peer attitudes, to culture, to ethnicity and so on. There is also not necessarily a universal recognition of the value of education abroad and some colleagues in academia (and elsewhere) may view what we do as of peripheral value. We are somewhat to blame for this. Study abroad is sometimes seen as frippery, a kind of quasi-tourism, because of the manner in which we have too often used the language of tourism to promote our activities. The challenge is, therefore, complex. We have to convince academia that our activities are worthwhile in general and, then, convince students from under-represented groups that these are both worthwhile and, in particular, relevant to them.If we are to move forward more purposefully we need to be a little more nuanced in our discussions and to acknowledge that, for example, under-representation is not an absolute condition but a relative state. Therefore, compared to continental European students American students in general are under-represented in international educational mobility. However, compared to students from the developing world, many American students are hugely privileged and empowered to pay for, and benefit from, international experience. Consequently, absolute or “global” solutions are likely to be utopian and to remain ineffective, if well-intentioned. To impact upon US education abroad, efforts to make the student body more diverse are likely be conditional, relative, concrete and accumulative. If we seek to change the whole world, we are likely to fail; if we establish concrete and manageable targets, we are likely to make some important differences. Why bother? The case for diversity must go further and deeper than vague aspiration. Diversity is, in fact, already at the core of study abroad in a number of significant ways. Experiential education is a key pedagogy and is enhanced by the exploration of landscapes beyond the familiar. Education abroad implicitly or explicitly recognises the benefits of the diversification of learning environments. Diversity is also an inevitable subject in education abroad. Students engage critically with various communities, intellectual approaches, methodologies, perspectives, ethical relativism and cultural imperatives in ways that ultimately demonstrate the reality of our very diverse world. This is not a view that will necessarily become readily apparent to students who do not leave their geographical, social, cultural or intellectual zones of safety. Thus, diversity at some level is our subject matter and pedagogical methodology.As an outsider (from the UK) peering myopically in to higher education in the USA, I am also sometimes surprised that opportunities for learning about diversity are not more systematically created on many US campuses. Given that a considerable number of students will never study abroad, the exploration of diversity at home can be created through a number of mechanisms: curriculum development and community engagement are obvious. I also suspect that the potential for co-operation between international education and multi-cultural education is under-explored, but significant. There are, of course, “political” and territorial issues (as ever) on campuses but beneath the superficiality of difference (and beyond the fight for resources), there is a core of shared and co-related perspectives with potential for mutual enrichment. Multi-cultural education could be exposed to what that term means in various international contexts (often not the same thing as in the USA). International education would benefit from an understanding of how cultural diversity is manifest at home. I suspect that greater co-operation between these agencies would also, ultimately, encourage wider participation in education abroad. The line between multi-cultural education and international education is blurred and the points of intersection create zones of potential mutual enlightenment.Simply, some groups are under-represented and, as we believe in the value of what we do, we seek to find ways to broaden participation from those excluded groups. There are many anecdotal reasons given for the fact that some groups do not participate to the degree to which we would aspire. These are, sometimes, supported by research and, in any case, contain elements of probable truth. For example, men are under-represented because we have failed to make the case for the importance of education abroad as career enhancement. This is a consequence of promoting location over serious content. Professional and natural scientific fields tend not to participate for a combination of co-related reasons; in some disciplines, US universities create curriculum paths that are rigid and inflexible (they are, demonstrably, unconvinced of the value of diverse learning). As a result, there are fewer programmes available (but, we have not built them). We have not done enough to encourage students with physical difficulties (though “Mobility International” has made significant efforts in this regard). In short, the nature of under-representation is multi-layered and complex. There are no quick fixes or easy global solutions. Rather, we need to commit to the possible and leave the rest to the dreamers.The starkest example of under-representation is, certainly, that manifest through exclusion by ethnicity. The percentage of African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic students, for example, participating in our programmes is very limited. This creates an urgent agenda. In saying that, I am conscious of the fact that this area has been most beset by the rhetoric of good intentions and by the relative failure of substantial delivery. There is a plethora of analysis and speculation that, in essence, boils down to a few assertions: cost may be a barrier; cultural attitudes create a sense that education abroad is not relevant or appropriate; some locations are perceived as less hospitable and so on. These clearly contain some element of truth but they are also conditional obstructions (not absolutes) and some steps have been taken to overcome these.Some institutions and organizations have worked effectively to erode some of the barriers. Many of us have created programmes, services, actions and scholarships aimed at attracting, and better serving, under-represented groups. For example, CAPA International Education has established a set of strategies based on curriculum in “global cities” and, simultaneously, outreach to relevant communities. We are not alone in this important work and the path ahead has to be based on cooperation and collective will. The world is not marked by equality of opportunity. The USA is a culture where inequality is a historical (and arguably current) reality. Prejudice and discrimination are embedded in many parts of the world. Education is an expensive commodity; some groups in the developing world (for example) cannot afford to participate in any higher education at all, let alone higher education abroad. Relative wealth creates relative exclusion globally and nationally. There is clearly no single radical solution to these problems. What we need to create are strategies for improvement that recognise the limitations and capabilities of our specific institutions. Like any other strategic plan, this may contain flawed aspirations with some success and much failure. That said, small successes have the power to generate change: a pebble thrown in to the pond may create many ripples.An imperfect world is not a reason to do nothing. If it were, we would all huddle together to await, in passive expectation, the arrival of a Messiah. Without disrespect to the prophets among us, that is not a path towards social improvement. We need to make decisions about priorities and resources that are, ultimately, political rather than prophetic. The path ahead is difficult, winding and the point of arrival is misty and unclear. The journey is, however, necessary for those of us who believe in social and natural justice. The Question of Justice I have had a long commitment to enhancing diversity in education abroad for any number of personal and professional reasons. I am a first-generation college graduate and, as Jew born in the East End of London shortly after World War II, I have some sense of what it is to be part of a minority. My life was immeasurably enhanced by international experience and one wishes others to similarly benefit. As a teacher and educationalist I know that a diverse student body profoundly enriches the learning environment. In service of that mission, I joined CAPA because of a sense of common purpose and shared aspiration. We have formed alliances and partnerships, and created programmes, that enable us to take some small steps on the rocky path to greater diversity. For many years, though, the broader discussion of widening participation has been mired in high-flown rhetoric rather than action. Our collective obligation in education abroad is now to go beyond rhetoric. As a field in which cosmopolitanism and international values are implicitly embedded in a common ethical view, we need to be fully aware that increased diversity in the student body is both a moral obligation and a means of enriching all our experiences.Above all, I believe that exclusion is a form of prejudice in action; inclusion is a form of natural justice. Striving, however imperfectly, for natural justice is, and must be, an urgent political and ethical imperative.Dr. Michael Woolf is the Deputy President for Strategic Development, at CAPA International Education. He has held leadership roles in many international education organizations, among them FIE, CIEE and Syracuse University. He has written widely on international education and cultural studies. Mike serves on a number of advisory boards and is a member of the Board of Directors of The Forum on Education Abroad
Diversifying Study Abroad: The Role of the Study Abroad Provider by DA Global | Jul 18, 2013 | Articles Posted: Monday, July 18, 2013By: William L. Gertz Study abroad organizations (often referred to as “providers”) can play an important role in the challenge of diversifying study abroad. With substantial revenues and sophisticated marketing programs, they promote their programs to hundreds of thousands of students annually utilizing a wide variety of techniques including social networking, participation in campus fairs, online advertising, and the creation and distribution of posters, catalogs and fliers.Many private and non-profit organizations share the same commitment to diversity as enlightened campus-based study abroad advisors and international program directors. And many have created diversity programs and initiatives. Here are some examples: Diversified Program Materials Program catalogs should feature photos displaying a representative mix of students. Organizations can also showcase students of color in any new brochures that have a specified theme; AIFS accomplished this in our new Career Guide to Study Abroad. While encouraging more minority student participation is a priority, organizations need to be careful not to misrepresent their current program composition; it’s all about balance. Scholarships and Grants Study abroad organizations should be encouraged to create a scholarship budget to be used to diversify their program participation. This makes good sense as study abroad organizations — both profit and non-profit — enjoy substantial revenues from study abroad students and should be encouraged to offer scholarships. This reduces program fees making programs more affordable to the students who need it most. While this might not be the most creative way to correct the ethnic imbalance, it is the most direct and effective way to encourage minority participation in study abroad. Locations and Curriculum By surveying current and prospective students and working with colleagues in the field, study abroad organizations can create exciting new curriculum in non-traditional locations which may appeal to a segment of minority students. An example of this is new AIFS program at the University of Botswana as suggested by our advisory board and partner organizations. Recruitment and Alliances Organization representatives throughout the country should be encouraged to visit a wide variety of minority serving institutions, not just the campuses which traditionally provide them with students. These institutions may have the mission of internationalizing the campus but often do not have the funding to attend conferences like NAFSA or The Forum on Education Abroad and may not have a designated study abroad office. Study abroad organizations could perform an important service by visiting these institutions and providing information to interested students while giving them access to a broad range of scholarships.Organizations can also seek out other types of organizations whose primary focus is to diversify study abroad and create alliances. In recent years, AIFS has partnered with NAFEO, HACU, Diversity Abroad, IERC and others. Staffing and Alumni Like education abroad advisors, the typical study abroad organization staff tends to be comprised of recent alumni who are primarily white (and often female). However, organizations have the power to change this by actively pursuing minority returnees.It’s no surprise that study abroad organizations often mirror university-sponsored programs when it comes to lack of diversity in staff and program participants. Private universities have large endowments and deep pockets but may lack the will to make policy changes; public institutions may have the mission/ vision right, but face tremendous budget cuts impacting their ability to reduce study abroad fees. Study abroad organizations just may be in a better position to implement changes. They have more freedom and flexibility – and less bureaucracy when it comes to creating programs and funding scholarships. In addition, these organizations are, for the most part, doing just fine even in the weak economy.To summarize, study abroad organizations are well-equipped to forge the battle ahead when it comes to diversifying the study abroad population. It is time we use our resources to correct the imbalance.William L. Gertz is the President and CEO of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS)
