Last Saturday afternoon our Study Abroad team held a required orientation session for all University of Missouri students who are registered for summer academic courses abroad. I was amazed at the number of people who participated.
Most of these students will take courses led by MU faculty members. The number of faculty involved, and the variety of short-term courses offered abroad are fast expanding. Clearly, student demand for this type of international learning experience is growing, despite current economic conditions.
I'm co-leading one of these short-term programs. We're about one month from departure to Ireland. As time gets shorter, I'm reminded of the amount of work, and the weight of responsibility involved in building a successful short term study abroad program.
Earlier this year, the Forum on Education Abroad released Standards of Good Practice to assist with development, planning, implementation, and assessment of these programs. I challenge all faculty, staff, students and parents involved to read this report, and adopt its recommendations.
