Total Number of Students Studying Abroad Climbs
With more than 75 percent of students studying abroad, St. Lawrence University continues to earn high marks among its peers for the nearly two-thirds of its students who study abroad at some point during their college experience, according to a recent report.
The Institute for International Education (IIE) recently issued its annual Open Doors report, the most important annual summary of national trends in study abroad. Using 2012-13 data, St. Lawrence ranked 20th among all baccalaureate institutions in the total number of students studying abroad. That’s an increase from the number 27 spot just last year. Also among baccalaureate institutions, St. Lawrence ranked number 17 in the number of students studying abroad for a semester or longer, and number 24 in the percentage of student participation in study abroad programs. Nearly two-thirds of St. Lawrence students study abroad for a semester or longer, and more than 75 percent study abroad for any period of time.
Karl Schonberg, associate dean for St. Lawrence's Center for International and Intercultural Studies and professor of government, said the large and growing proportion of St. Lawrence students who study off-campus reflects the University’s deep commitment to global education and recognition that this will be ever more essential to the future lives of our current students.
“We hear from our students how these experiences change their lives and way of seeing the world,” he said. “We know that the perspectives they gain are vital to our goal, as a liberal arts college, of enabling students to understand challenges and opportunities from many different perspectives.”
As students continue to look for greater educational opportunities during their time in college, the IIE’s acknowledgement of study abroad participation highlights the success of St. Lawrence’s international efforts.
Once a student has had the opportunity to study abroad, they tend to consider a global view both inside and outside of the classroom as well as in their local community.
“My international experiences at SLU have transformed my perspective completely,” said Charlotte Caldwell ’15 of Bolton Landing, New York, who is majoring in conservation biology and is minoring in both African and Asian studies. She has studied abroad in both Kenya and Thailand. “When responding to questions or discussion topics in my courses on campus, I immediately think of the ways in which they affect various parts of the world and the global community.”
As part of its commitment to an innovative and liberal arts education, St. Lawrence encourages its students to engage globally.
“We believe that the ability to learn about and navigate between cultures will be critical to success in every field of endeavor that our students will undertake in the decades ahead, Schonberg said, “We don’t know precisely what that future will hold, but we believe that the skills of global learning and action will be key to leadership in it, and that our students will be ready.”
St. Lawrence operates study abroad programs in France, Kenya, England, Spain and domestic programs in New York City as well as the Adirondack semester and Sustainability program The University also has partner programs in a number of foreign and domestic locations. For more information, visit the Center for International and Intercultural Studies.
