College commits to doubling the number of students going abroad by 2020.
Bethlehem, Pa., May 3, 2016—Moravian College has joined the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Generation Study Abroad initiative to help more U.S. students to gain international experience through study abroad programs. Moravian College is one of more than 600 commitments announced by IIE.
IIE’s Generation Study Abroad seeks to mobilize resources and commitments with the goal of doubling the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade. For the 2015-16 year, 75 Moravian College students went abroad, 58 of them on credit bearing programs. This is a 17.9% participation rate, well above the national average. Moravian plans to double the number of students going abroad to 150 over the next four years.
Under the new partnership, Moravian College will take concrete, action-oriented steps to expand opportunities for study abroad. Several projects are underway at Moravian, including the implementation of TerraDotta Software, which will streamline the study abroad process for students, faculty, and administrators.
Additionally, the Office of International Studies (OIS) will develop training and workshops for faculty who want to lead programs abroad. OIS will also hire a dedicated education abroad adviser to promote global opportunities across campus through classroom presentations, study abroad fairs, and via individualized advising sessions with student. Finally, OIS will work with the IN FOCUS program to develop global seminars. These short-term, faculty-led programs will take students abroad to engage them in the first-hand study of important global issues facing society in the 21st century including poverty and inequality, sustainability, health care, and war and peace.
Christian Sinclair, director of international studies at Moravian College and its senior international officer, says that “Moravian has the capacity to engage its students in meaningful ways across the globe. The Office of International Studies will facilitate this process through innovative program development, collaboration with faculty to draw on their expertise, and, of course, impressing upon the students the importance of having an international experience. We need to create an action-oriented campus that embraces global education both at home and abroad.”
As of April 2016, Generation Study Abroad partners to date include over 400 colleges and universities of all sizes and types across the country and around the world, as well as 16 governments, 25 education associations, more than 100 international partners, and 100 study abroad, K-12, and social network organizations who have committed to specific goals to increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad. Commitments include actions to diversify the population of students who participate in study abroad and provide additional financial resources to make this possible.
IIE launched Generation Study Abroad early last year in the belief that the number and proportion of today’s students who graduate with an educational experience abroad is far too low. Currently, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students study abroad at some point in their academic career, according to the Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange published by IIE with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Generation Study Abroad aims to grow participation in study abroad so that the annual total reported will reach 600,000 by the end of the decade.
“Globalization has changed the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and expertise,” says Dr. Allan Goodman, President of IIE. “Studying abroad must be viewed as an essential component of a college degree and critical to preparing future leaders.”
About Generation Study Abroad
IIE’s Generation Study Abroad seeks to significantly increase study abroad participation by bringing employers, governments, associations, and others together to build on current best practices and find new ways to extend study abroad opportunities and resources to tens of thousands of college students whose needs are not currently served by existing programs. Generation Study Abroad will sustain an ongoing dialogue about the need for more students from all backgrounds and in all fields to gain international experience. This will include research to identify and break down barriers hindering students from studying abroad, communications to share strategies and best practices to increase study abroad, and fundraising to mobilize additional financial resources. IIE will hold a Summit on Generation Study Abroad on October 23-25, 2016 in Washington, D.C. to engage stakeholders in higher education and all commitment partners.
About Moravian College
Moravian College is a small, private liberal arts college located in historic Bethlehem, Pa. Founded in 1742 as the first girls’ boarding school in America, it is now a co-educational institution of higher education with a total student enrollment of about 1,900. Students can choose from over 55 majors and minors and there is a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The most popular programs of study are business, education, the health professions, and social and biological sciences. Moravian College has strong athletics, music, and art programs, plus over 80 student clubs and organizations.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,200 member institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations. IIE also conducts policy research and program evaluations, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad.