St. Ambrose Joins Generation Study Abroad


10/31/2014

St. Ambrose has joined the Institute of International Education (IIE)'s Generation Study Abroad initiative to double the number of American students who study abroad by the end of the decade.

The initiative also is focusing on: increasing the diversity of students who study abroad; ensuring quality; and removing barriers to participation. The university will attempt to increase its study abroad numbers to 300 per year by 2020 (from 140 per year) by focusing on five A's: Accessibility, Affordability, Awareness, Advising and study abroad Alumni.

Specific actions will include:

Moving the Center for International Education to Lower Cosgrove Hall by December 2014 to heighten visibility and to increase walk-in traffic to the Study Abroad Office (Accessibility).
Joining the business airline miles programs for Delta, United, and American so airline miles accrued by St. Ambrose employees for professional purposes can be used to support student air travel (Affordability).
Sending an annual study abroad information packet to the families of first-year St. Ambrose students so they can begin to plan early for study abroad (Awareness).
Working with academic departments over the next two years to develop advising forms that clearly indicate how students can incorporate study abroad into their fields of study (Advising).
Training a group of study abroad alumni to conduct information sessions about study abroad opportunities in new student seminar courses and at night in the residence halls (Alumni).

"We are very pleased to have St. Ambrose University join Generation Study Abroad," said Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, president of St. Ambrose. "The goals of this program coincide well with our desire to prepare our students for life and work in a global society."

"My eyes were opened to the value of international experiences for our students the first time I was able to visit a group of our students studying abroad," added Paul Koch, vice president for academic and student affairs. "I saw the students' lives transformed on a daily basis as they became more aware of the world around and began to see the world through a new lens."

Currently, St. Ambrose sends approximately 80 percent of its students who study abroad on programs of four weeks or less. The University will look to promote its increasing number of semester exchange programs because of their affordability and high level of cultural immersion, while continuing to offer high-quality short-term options.

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