Whole World Study: Advising for Study in Uncommon Destinations

Whole world study provides the opportunity to promote diversity in study abroad.



Overseas programs in nontraditional locations often provide radically different perspectives and options for your students. When students are encouraged to study abroad in these locations, they may discover connections to their ethnic roots or exposure to different religious, economic and linguistic traditions. Furthermore, many universities are transforming their curriculum to include a new emphasis on less-studied languages and area studies. Whole World Study provides a direct academic link between on-campus developments and overseas opportunities for students. As two study abroad colleagues describe:


This statement speaks to the importance of whole world study, especially in our post-September 11th world. Since the nature of whole world study may differ from other traditional study abroad options, the following information is intended to provide advisers with specific resources that will allow them to learn more about nontraditional options, the recruiting of students for these options, and the providing of support through pre-departure and reentry activities.

Professional Development

Advisers need to educate themselves about Whole World Study and about particular regions and countries in order to better educate and inform students of potential destinations worldwide.

On-Campus Resources

All advisers should consult their campus resources, including area studies programs, language departments, and relevant faculty to obtain information about existing programs. In some cases, Advisers may find institutional goals and support for studying nontraditional areas and languages. These resources may provide a foundation for building strong study abroad options at these destinations. In some cases, advisers may be overwhelmed with the possibilities of sending students to diverse locale such as Tanzania, Uruguay or Thailand. However, after conducting research on the academic departments and faculty areas of interest, the adviser may be able to connect faculty and students and thus make his or her task easier to manage.

Site Visits to Nontraditional Locations

The best way for advisers to educate themselves about studying in nontraditional locations is to visit these locations in person. If you decide that Whole World Study is a priority in your office, then consider making it a priority in your travel budget as well. Advisers with limited budgets may also find resources to enable them to travel to these destinations:

• Program Providers: You should contact any study abroad providers which offer programs to nontraditional destinations and inquire about familiarization tours or adviser trips. Many program providers will cover airfare and/or hotel expenses for such trips. You will also have the opportunity to network with potential programs that will be supported by your university. To being the research process, you should consult IIE's Academic Year Abroad and Peterson's Study Abroad guides, as well as online resources such as StudyAbroad.com and GoAbroad.com.
• Travel Grants: You may be eligible for travel grants to nontraditional destinations. For instance, the Fulbright Scholars Program offers lecturing, research or consulting awards in 140 countries. Opportunities are available not only for college and university faculty and administrators, but also for professionals from business and government, and for artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, independent scholars and many others. Traditional Fulbright awards are available from two months to an academic year or longer. A new short-term grants program -the Fulbright Senior Specialists Program- offers two-to-six-week grants.

Workshops In or About Whole World Destinations

Advisers can participate in a number of workshops sponsored by NAFSA and other organizations. Every year, the Whole World Subcommittee offers a workshop at the national conference specifically designed to address issues for study in nontraditional locations. Previous topics have included "Studying Development and the Environment" and "Whole World Stereotypes." In addition, NAFSA offers country and culture specific workshops that may relate to Whole World areas.
Other organizations often host conferences related to Whole World Study. For instance, the CIEE Annual Conference in 2002 in Atlanta, GA was organized around the theme "Underrepresented Faces and Nontraditional Places." Area studies associations are other good resources for conferences with related themes.

This guide incorporates information from "Advising for Whole World Study", Chapter 12, by Joan Raducha and Michael Monahan, NAFSA's Guide to Education Abroad for Advisers and Administrators. This chapter includes detailed information on evaluating programs as well as procedures for study abroad opportunities at these destinations.

Recruiting for Whole World Study

Overcoming stereotypes and misconceptions about Whole World Study will necessarily involve developing a strategy to educate and inform students about educational and personal opportunities in nontraditional destinations. Advisers should utilize resources on campus to assist them in recruiting students.

Advising Students on Benefits of Whole World Study

Advisers should stress the importance of Whole World Study to students, making sure that they include information that addresses both student safety concerns and the positive benefits such study can provide. In addition to providing general advising tips to all students going abroad, Advisers will want to include additional information for students considering nontraditional destinations:

• Academic Issues: These programs often include a fieldwork component or independent research project as part of the academic project. Students can expect to interact with the local community to a greater degree than in traditional programs. In addition, students may be exposed to less-commonly studied languages. In some countries such as India, multiple languages prevail (Hindi, Gujurati, and Punjabi) among the local population. English may or may not be spoken in some regions of the world. Students should expect to make language learning a priority.
• Personal Concerns: Students can expect the pace of life, living arrangements, and local expectations and norms to be different than in the United States. In some cases, Whole World Study exposes students to aspects very different than those they are likely to encounter in the U.S. As with other study abroad destinations, students are encouraged to read books and consult with faculty with expertise in these areas in order to educate themselves about the local norms. This will allow the student to begin to develop realistic expectations about the new culture where he or she will be studying and living, and can serve as a first step in the student's adjustment to that new culture.
• Financial Issues: In addition to general costs for study abroad, students traveling to certain destinations may also need to factor in immunization costs and airfare. On the other hand, living expenses and local travel costs may be much less than in more traditional western European programs. Students should be advised to consider the cost differences in their overall planning.

Resources Available to Students

On-Campus Resources-consult with your study abroad office to identify scholarships for study in nontraditional locations.

Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)

The National Security Exchange Program (NSEP) focuses on geographical areas, languages and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. The program draws on the broad definition of national security applied by the president in his annual National Security Strategy, recognizing that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including: sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.

The primary goal of the Freeman-ASIA Program is to increase the number of American undergraduates who study in East and Southeast Asia, by providing students with the information and financial assistance they will need. Awardees will be expected to share their experiences with their home campus to encourage study abroad by others, and to disseminate an improved understanding of Asia in their home communities.

The Fulbright Program supports educational exchanges that strengthen understanding and communication between the United States and over 140 nations. The Program is an effective and prestigious form of public diplomacy. It demonstrates U.S. commitment to peaceful cooperation among nations. The Program has enriched the lives of over 225,000 men and women, has brought some of the world's finest minds to U.S. campuses, and has offered the future leaders of scores of foreign countries an insight into U.S. society and values. U.S. citizens who have studied, conducted research, and taught overseas as Fulbright Fellows have provided an essential international perspective to U.S. higher education, business, and government and have made an invaluable contribution to the understanding of the United States overseas.

The Peace Corps provides volunteer placement opportunities all over the world.

Working with Campus Faculty, Area Studies, and Administrators

Advisers should also work closely with faculty and staff in various departmental programs related to area and language study. In some cases, Advisers can hold joint information sessions with a department to encourage study abroad students to major and/or minor in these areas and vice versa. Advisers should consider joint-programming efforts. For example, Emory University hosts a Tibet Week to promote issues surrounding the Tibetan community. The week is sponsored by the Asian Studies program, the Religion Department, and Students for Free Tibet. In addition, the study abroad office provides an information session and slide show for the Tibetan Studies abroad program in Dharamsala, India. This type of collaboration allows students, faculty and staff to share ideas and to promote study in and about particular regions of the world on their home campus.
To further inform their work with students, advisers might review the section of this guide devoted to working with parents. This section provides guidance to parents about how to be involved productively in their students' consideration of study abroad in a less-traditional destination.

Preparing for Whole World Study

Many students bound for study in a nontraditional site will benefit from a program designed to sensitize them to some of the common realities of Whole World Study. Students need to be made aware of several challenges that students who study in these areas often need to face. A part of this preparation will involve putting students in touch with faculty experienced at a particular site, and with students who have already participated in a program at that site. Advisers will also of course want to consult with a program provider, as appropriate, or with individuals on site who are responsible for helping students meet these common challenges:

• Strikes: Many universities in the developing world strike more frequently than is the case with most universities in countries traditionally associated with study abroad. Students should be informed that strikes have occurred frequently at a given site in the past, that the sending university has a plan to respond to such strikes (that will include provisions for the continuation of classes, for housing, and so on), and that they can review the emergency plan prior to departure.
• Political Instability: Strained economic circumstances can and sometimes do lead to political instability and even turmoil at nontraditional study abroad sites. This instability sometimes leads to street demonstrations. Students should be told to avoid these situations, and to be familiar with any protocol that the home university has developed for responding to such events.
• Health: Students should consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for information on recommended immunizations and health conditions while abroad.
• Gender Issues: Students may face greater challenges with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in less-traveled destinations. Students should consult on campus resources as well as NAFSA's Rainbow Special Interest Group (SIG).
• Disabilities: Students should consult carefully with the study abroad office, which can in turn consult with staff at a site abroad, to determine if a particular site and program has appropriate resources.
• Language Barriers: In some cases, students must rely on the host language to survive and thrive while studying abroad. Students should be adequately prepared, meet appropriate language requirements, and understand barriers before studying overseas.

Reentry Needs for Whole World Study

Students may face greater challenges in returning to their home campuses from Whole World sites. They may also seek ways to stay connected to a local community they have become familiar with abroad, especially as many programs in nontraditional locations offer field study or other experiential opportunities.

Reentry Programming on Campus

Advisers should consider offering specific re-entry programs for students who have traveled to less-common destinations. These students often appreciate being asked to speak at information sessions for prospective students, to provide scholarship outreach, and to participate in study abroad fairs. They will provide a unique perspective to other students through these sorts of activities, and will benefit themselves from sharing their experiences with other students. Advisers should also consider connecting returning students with other units on campus (such as area studies program, special events, guest lecturers) that are relevant to their particular area of study. After being immersed in a new culture, students may be interested to find resources back on their home campus to further their academic goals.

Opportunities for Integrating the Experience

Advisers should also research opportunities for students to integrate their experience after their return. One potential resource is the NAFSA Collaborative Training Grants program (CTG). These grants can aid in developing training programs to encourage and facilitate collaboration between campus professionals as they work with students to process their time abroad, enriching the campus and local community.

In some cases, university campuses are located in large metropolitan areas that are working with members of growing immigrant and refugee populations. Students returning from particular regions of the world may be interested in volunteering with these groups, in putting newly-developed cross-cultural skills to work, or in applying language skills in their home community.