UD ranked 10th nationally in study-abroad report

UD continues its tradition of leadership in international education that began when Raymond Kirkbride instigated the first college Junior Year Abroad program in the country in 1923.

More than 75 years later, the UD program has grown from the original eight students who spent their junior year in France to hundreds of UD students, who each year participate in programs in a variety of disciplines–from economics to plant and soils sciences–in nations all over the world, as well as being a trailblazer for similar programs in other colleges and universities across the country.

According to figures published in Open Doors, 1998/99, the annual report on international education from the Institute of International Education (IIE), UD is ranked 10th in the nation, up from 12th last year, in the research institutions category, for the percentage of students who study abroad (21.6 percent) out of the total number of degrees conferred (4,039). Yeshiva University and the University of Notre Dame ranked first and second, respectively.

UD also is ranked 20th by IEE in research institutions for the total number of students studying abroad in the nation. Brigham Young University and Michigan State University ranked first and second, respectively, in this category.

On a national scale, the number of students receiving credit for study abroad in 1998-99 jumped 14 percent from the previous year to a record total of 129,770, according to Open Doors. IIE President Allan E. Goodman said, "The strong increase in Americans studying abroad reflects a real commitment on the part of many U.S. campuses, as well as a growing recognition by students that they must have an international perspective if they want to be successful in the global economy."

A UD study comparing the percentage (6.1 percent) of students studying abroad in terms of the total enrollment (14,464) indicates that the University is in seventh place nationwide, tied with the University of Southern California, with the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University ranked first and second, respectively.

"I am very pleased to see that the University of Delaware has continued to climb in the national rankings of study abroad participation rates," Mark Huddleston, who directs international programs and special sessions (IPSS), said. "This is testimony to the number, quality and diversity of our programs, which range across six continents and 35 disciplines, from animal science and art to Spanish and women's studies.

"Although I am certainly proud of our programs in places like London, Paris and Granada, which have been the backbone of UD study abroad for years, I am especially happy that we have in recent years been able to expand our reach and begin to offer our students such opportunities as to study wildlife in Tanzania, food in Morocco, finance in Australia and literature in Argentina.

"This wide range of attractive programs is, in turn, testimony to the vision, commitment and hard work of members of the UD faculty, who clearly appreciate the importance of international experiences in today's shrinking world.

"From many years of directing these programs myself," Huddleston said, "I know how challenging it is to bring a group of students overseas. But I also know how rewarding it is. Studying abroad builds in students' levels of maturity, self-reliance and cultural awareness that are genuinely extraordinary.

"For a faculty member, there is nothing quite so satisfying as to watch over the course of a Winter Session the transformation of a young man or woman from tentative and unworldly undergraduate to confident and cosmopolitan global citizen.

"I should add," he said, "that we in IPSS are still actively seeking proposals for new programs in 2002, and we are happy to work with any faculty member, however untravelled or unfamiliar with overseas study, who wants to turn the germ of an idea into a first-class study abroad program."

According to William McNabb, who directs Overseas Studies in IPSS, the number of UD students studying abroad has risen significantly. Last year during Winter Session, 581 students participated in such programs. This year, 717 have enrolled–the highest number in UD's history.

During the spring semester, 100 UD students will study aboard, 20 more than last year, and the highest number up to now, McNabb said.

The study abroad program has become truly global over the years, McNabb pointed out, with programs not only in Europe but in Asia, the Pacific Rim, Central and South America and Africa. Just as importantly, almost all disciplines are represented, with the newest Winter Session programs being in plant and soil sciences in Morroco, under director Tom Evans, and a foreign languages and literatures program in Argentina, directed by Cynthia Schmidt-Cruz and Jesus Cruz (history).

New programs are being added routinely that reflect current issues, such as an upcoming summer program in London, "Investigating Multicultural Britain: Rethinking Race in the United States" with Elizabeth Higginbotham, sociology, and Alvina Quintana, English. While exploring British institutions and cultural attractions, students will take courses on muticultural literature and race and social conflict, with an overview and comparison of these subjects both in the United States and Great Britain.

Starr Foundation scholarships– which pay fees for such items as transportation, housing, some meals and field trips–enable qualified students, who otherwise might not have the opportunity, to study abroad, McNabb said.

In the two years of this program, the competition for approximately 20-30 scholarships awarded annually has increased significantly. Merit scholarships also are available from the Office of International Programs and Special Sessions.

"There is a growing awareness among UD students of the value of an out-of-country living and learning experience," McNabb said. "Students experience more than learning about a culture and language skills. They develop resourcefulness, independence, creativity and broaden their horizons more than they can in a traditional classroom. In addition to being personally rewarding, studying overseas is valued by the business world and is a plus on a student's curriculum vita.

"Students write evaluations of the study abroad programs, and the feedback is very positive. A comment we most frequently receive is 'How can I do this again?' " McNabb said.

–Sue Moncure