Studying Abroad

by Amber Lee

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, online courses help to connect students who are unable to take the courses in a traditional setting. Study abroad programs attempt to connect students globally and still give them a traditional setting. However, though the idea of study abroad programs makes sense in our “internationally integrated world,” they run the same risk as online programs: lack of credibility.

The popularity of study abroad programs is inarguable. Even amid a global recession, many of such programs have sustained and some are steadily growing. Having multiple campuses is obviously going to cost a university, but it is cheaper to open a branch college in another country than in the United States. This is mostly due to the fact that many colleges build their satellite schools in less developed countries.

The criticism for study abroad comes from the soundness of the programs. In theory, study abroad programs greatly coincide with our increasingly global community. But the reality is that many abroad schools are less strict and prestigious than their home schools. The quality of teachers is a key factor in why the programs are not very effective. Surprisingly, professors are not very keen on uprooting their families to teach in a foreign country with little compensation. They may offer instructs a bit more in pay, but normally they aren’t often tenure because no abroad school is guaranteed to last. Obviously, such job uncertainty does not attract many professors.

Many colleges encourage students to experience other cultures by having study and work abroad programs. Some larger universities even have branch colleges in other countries that offer many of the same courses as the home college. But even though the idea of a global university may appeal to some, the lack of tenured professors makes the institution more casual and lack integrity.