I am writing in response to Alexandra Osvath's March 21 guest viewpoint "To infinity and abroad." In her column, Osvath explains the \nUniversity provides a number of excellent resources for studying abroad and frames her piece as a response to my own March 14 column. In her zeal to point out the obvious - that the University has an existing study abroad program - she entirely misses my point.
If Osvath had read a little more closely, it would have been apparent that I was not arguing the University did not offer study abroad options, but rather that it ought to make a major effort to "structure a significantly expanded and flexible study abroad program." As I noted, Dartmouth College has succeeded in a model in which an overwhelming majority of its third-year students tend to study abroad. My view is that the University should strive for a similar result. In my column, I highlighted some of the student concerns which need to be addressed rather than ignored. For example, students active in campus life often wish to maintain their connection with the University while abroad. Hence the suggestion that student organizations be more proactive and supportive by allowing students abroad to run for office or encouraging students abroad to write for The Cavalier Daily.
Osvath asserts that current study abroad options are flexible. I do not disagree, but merely point out that, if my suggested model was accepted, still greater flexibility would be necessary. If my model was to be adopted, the current study abroad infrastructure would simply be inadequate as a significant majority of third-year students would go abroad. Hence the plea for greater flexibility on the part of the administration with respect to financial aid for students studying abroad - if an entire class were to at some point go abroad, it is inevitable that greater financial aid flexibility would be needed.
I suggested a wider array of choices, greater flexibility and a high degree of institutional encouragement on the part of the administration so that more students will be able to venture abroad. The same point holds true with regards to transferring credits. Indeed, if so many third years went abroad, the University would have to deal with transferring credits from more partner institutions than before. The proposition is simple: More students going abroad means the University will have to juggle attempts to transfer credits from more and different places than before.
With regard to studying abroad with a group of friends, sadly Osvath and I are of a different mind. She first asserts that this is possible with the current University program. I agree, but under the Dartmouth model where almost every student in a class goes abroad, this becomes far more probable. Further, Osvath suggests that one of the key study abroad experiences is making new friends outside of the University community. Effectively, she argues a point of taste - in her opinion, "key to the experience is being open to new and challenging situations, including making a new friend group with students from around the world." Some individuals will be like Osvath and will happily go abroad without a support network. Others, however, will be intimidated by such a prospect. Introduction of the Dartmouth model here at the University could allow for those students who are intimidated in such a manner to be comfortable enough to go abroad too.
Osvath and I do share one thing in common: We both agree on the benefits of foreign study.
Osvath appears to be under the impression that I am questioning the quality of the University's existing foreign relationships and the outreach efforts of the International Studies Office (ISO). I am not. I share her pride that the University has relationships with the likes of Waseda in Japan and University of Lyon in France. Osvath recites the efforts of ISO to increase student awareness of the current study abroad program. She even goes to the trouble of including the address of the study abroad website.
The issue is not ISO. Their outreach activities are commendable.
Indeed, I suspect that as a result of ISO's efforts, virtually all University students are aware of the study abroad program. Despite this widespread awareness, only 40 percent of University undergraduate students are venturing abroad. As a student in the Law School, I am certainly aware that opportunities for graduate students to study abroad exist. These opportunities, however, are both extremely narrow and highly individual-oriented to the point where it simply is not an option for most law students.
Should the University adopt a Dartmouth-style model for its own students? One searches in vain for an answer in Osvath's column. In her view, there is no problem with the study abroad program so there is no need to consider improving it. Osvath unfortunately ignores many of the challenges and obstacles to achieving greater student participation in the study abroad program. Further, she wholly fails to actually engage with my suggestions, preferring to simply extol the virtues of ISO. Ultimately, this is not enough.
Sanjiv Tata's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at s.tata@cavalierdaily.com.
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