Press Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ursula Oaks, 202.737.3699 x2553
For Release: Jan 16, 2008
NAFSA Study Abroad Task Force Releases Report
Recommendations urge higher-education leaders to confront key institutional management issues in the growth and development of study abroad
WASHINGTON, January 16, 2008 – NAFSA: Association of International Educators today released the report of its Task Force on Institutional Management of Study Abroad. The report, entitled Strengthening Study Abroad: Recommendations for Effective Institutional Management, is the work of a panel of university presidents and provosts convened by NAFSA to "recommend core principles, values, and behaviors for senior campus administrators to consider as they develop policies and practices to guide the management of the study abroad function."
In a forward to the report, task force chair John Hudzik, vice president for global engagement and strategic projects at Michigan State University, writes: "As study abroad continues to grow, and as demand for study abroad expands, it is the responsibility of institutional leadership to undertake a deliberate and proactive approach to developing and supporting this important component of the education of today's college students…. Attention, involvement, and commitment at the highest levels of an institution's leadership are vital to the success and growth of study abroad." The report urges campus leaders to confront a set of "specific challenges that virtually all institutions face," setting out fourteen criteria for the institutional management of study abroad in four major categories: institutional commitment; infrastructure; resources; and clarity and accountability.
The report has received the endorsement of six leading higher-education associations: American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC). "The task force report offers university presidents and provosts a framework for an academically rigorous and effectively managed study abroad program," said M. Peter McPherson, president of NASULGC. "I believe that study abroad programs overwhelming provide a good educational experience for participating students. As we work to increase the number of students studying abroad each year, demonstrating commitment, providing infrastructure and resources, and holding programs accountable will be crucial."
"We expect that this report will serve as a key catalyst for discussions among campus leaders about how each institution can effectively integrate, sustain, and strengthen study abroad," said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene Johnson. "It sets out a strong road map for our continued collective work to advance study abroad that is transparently managed, pedagogically sound, appropriately financed, accessible, and safe."
In a forward to the report, task force chair John Hudzik, vice president for global engagement and strategic projects at Michigan State University, writes: "As study abroad continues to grow, and as demand for study abroad expands, it is the responsibility of institutional leadership to undertake a deliberate and proactive approach to developing and supporting this important component of the education of today's college students…. Attention, involvement, and commitment at the highest levels of an institution's leadership are vital to the success and growth of study abroad." The report urges campus leaders to confront a set of "specific challenges that virtually all institutions face," setting out fourteen criteria for the institutional management of study abroad in four major categories: institutional commitment; infrastructure; resources; and clarity and accountability.
The report has received the endorsement of six leading higher-education associations: American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC). "The task force report offers university presidents and provosts a framework for an academically rigorous and effectively managed study abroad program," said M. Peter McPherson, president of NASULGC. "I believe that study abroad programs overwhelming provide a good educational experience for participating students. As we work to increase the number of students studying abroad each year, demonstrating commitment, providing infrastructure and resources, and holding programs accountable will be crucial."
"We expect that this report will serve as a key catalyst for discussions among campus leaders about how each institution can effectively integrate, sustain, and strengthen study abroad," said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene Johnson. "It sets out a strong road map for our continued collective work to advance study abroad that is transparently managed, pedagogically sound, appropriately financed, accessible, and safe."
