Dec. 6, 2005

Come to GW and See the World

Study Abroad Office Offers New Fall Incentive Program

BY JULIA JACOBELLI

Chile, France, China, Japan, Australia… the entire world is at the fingertips of GW’s student body as a result of the extensive options offered by the Study Abroad Office.

Most students choose to go abroad during the spring semester of their junior year. However, a new initiative offered by the Study Abroad Office, the “Focus on Fall Abroad Program,” seeks to entice students to study outside of the United States during the fall semester.

Part of the incentive behind encouraging students to study abroad in the fall, rather than the spring, is the recognition of the difficulties students sometimes experience returning home from a foreign country.

“Students who go abroad in the spring have a couple of months during the summer to get used to being back,” said Courtney Goike, executive coordinator of the Office for Study Abroad. “But we know, as study abroad professionals, that students sometimes have a lot of difficulty re-acclimating to life in the US.”

Students accepted into the program are guaranteed spring housing in New Hall or City Hall. They receive priority registration for spring semester classes, as well as a $200 book stipend. If students choose to study in one of GW’s study centers located in Paris, London, Madrid, and Santiago, they will receive a $2,000 tuition break from the University. Those who participate in a Council on International Educational Exchange program will receive a $1,000 tuition break.

Tuition during the study abroad is the same as for a semester on campus, ensuring that all financial aid and scholarships transfer overseas. The Financial Aid Office offers scholarships to students who choose to study in non-traditional countries such as Chile, Japan, or South Africa, students who select exchange universities, and those who decide to stay abroad for an entire academic year. The program also offers scholarships for students who may be losing work-study money while abroad.

According to Daniel Small, director of student financial assistance, when GW established a separate department to handle these programs, “the number of students studying overseas increased,” he said. “Being able to receive their financial aid opened the possibility for more students to participate.”

The study abroad program has become an increasingly popular part of GW’s educational experience, and procedures such as choosing a program and transferring financial aid have become much simpler.

Students may choose from more than 50 countries around the world, with each affiliated program selected on the basis of academics and experiential opportunities.

“We want to be working with programs that have curriculums that are amenable to our courses and majors here; not that they have to have exactly the same classes that we offer, but that the classes are complementary to our majors,” said Goike. Other considerations for selecting programs include opportunities for cultural immersion, student demand for a particular country, and safety and security. According to Goike, being selected as an affiliated program is an on-going process. Schools have been deleted in the past due to academic concerns raised by faculty members.
In terms of academics, Goike says that it really depends on the student. Some students go into a program with the intention of working hard and getting a new perspective in their field of study, while others see the semester abroad as a vacation.

“We know from experience that the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it,” said Goike.

Grae Baxter, director of the University Honors Program, agrees.
“The Honors Program thinks a semester or year abroad can be a valuable academic experience if the student participates in an academically rigorous program and if that program supports and advances the student's academic agenda,” said Baxter.

She added, “If they meet these conditions, full-year programs involving immerson in a foreign language can be particularly useful. A semester abroad for the sake of going abroad may or may not add true value to a student’s academic experience and, in some cases, can detract from a students’ experience and weaken their academic record. Again, it all has to do with the rigor of the particular program and the academic goals of the student.”

Despite the already extensive offerings, the office is looking to add even more opportunities to study in Italy, France, and London. It plans to expand outside of Europe, and hopes to partner with a university in Lima, Peru, once security concerns have been resolved.

The top five destinations — Spain, Italy, France, England, and Australia — have remained consistent for the past six semesters. As many as 100 students typically pick programs in these countries. Less popular selections change from semester to semester, but often include countries such as Chile, China, and South Africa.

“This Focus on Fall Abroad Program is one way that we can get all of our students to have the benefit of living with other kids who have been through the same things that they have,” said Goike. “It also gives them an opportunity to reflect on what they’ve learned.”

According to Goike, recent studies have shown that students who don’t have adequate opportunity to reflect on their study abroad lose something from the experience.

“[They] really won’t understand the larger role that it has played in their lives,” Goike said.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu