A growing number of US universities are asking their first-year students to study abroad, calling it a transformative experience that shouldn't usually be reserved for students in their final years.
The practice, while still relatively rare in the US, has spread in recent years to larger institutions including Florida State, New York, Northeastern and Syracuse universities, as well as smaller campuses such as Bard, Colby, Kenyon, Marist, Skidmore and colleges Wheaton.
Wheaton, a private liberal arts and sciences institution about 40 miles south of Boston, admits about 500 students a year and has now selected seven of them to begin their college careers this coming semester in Australia, Spain, France or Switzerland.
“Studying abroad is often an experience so impactful that it affects the rest of the choices students make for the rest of their college careers,” said a Wheaton spokesperson.
Northeastern University, meanwhile, is one of the most prominent β ββand controversial β practitioners of the concept. Northeastern launched its program in 2007 and now sends students to 11 different locations abroad in addition to its main undergraduate campuses in Boston, London and Oakland, California. It plans to welcome about 2,650 new students this fall in Boston and 3,280 at its other locations.
Students who start abroad have grade point averages “equal to those who take the more traditional route,” a university spokeswoman said. This and other international programs at Northeastern have clear social and educational benefits for students and help the university “accept more students than would otherwise be possible,” he said.
But Northeastern has faced some questions about its policy of admitting many of these students on the condition that they agree to start their careers abroad, potentially forcing students into a stressful situation before they're ready and leaving them socially isolated when they do. they finally begin their studies in Boston.
Many other institutions make clear the voluntary nature of their programs, which include smaller shares of their incoming student body. Wheaton isn't saying how big it expects its program to eventually become, but campus officials have noted the importance of the program's small size in making sure the seven freshmen do well with it.
“I'm glad it's a small group so I can give them individualized attention,” said Gretchen Young, Wheaton's dean of global education. “I am in regular contact with every participant.”
Students sent abroad are allowed to return to the main campus in Massachusetts if they make that decision before the second week of classes, and Wheaton does not plan to make the program a mandatory admission requirement for any students, college officials said.
After studying the experiences of other institutions, Ms. Young said critical elements of the Wheaton program include having students visit the main campus before their first semester for an orientation and assigning staff to assist students during their field trips. abroad to reflect on their environment. and engage meaningfully with communities.
“Research on study abroad and student development shows that study abroad, alone, often does not help students learn cultural humility,” she said.
Nafsa, the leading association of international education professionals, said it has seen the growth of first-year abroad programs in the US and generally welcomes the growth.
The programs can help students jump-start their college careers in smaller cohorts and help institutions add capacity, said Caroline Donovan White, Nafsa's senior director of overseas education and volunteer engagement.
At the same time, Ms. White said, “institutions need to be intentional with their design and consider how students will integrate into the campus community after they return.”
paul.basken@timeshighereducation.com