University’s Study Abroad Program Recognized as One of Nation’s Best for Yearlong Participation
As
California State University, Chico drafted its new mission, vision and
Strategic Plan, global education was a popular refrain among students, faculty
and staff, many of whom agreed that opportunities to learn and engage with
others around the world are key to the University’s identity.
The
Institute of International Education (IIE) agrees, as it recognizes the
nation’s most active colleges and universities for their participation in
studying abroad. For the 14th year in a row, CSU, Chico made the institute’s
Top 10 list for year-long participants.
In
its most recent Open
Doors rankings for the 2017-2018 academic year, the IIE listed CSU, Chico’s
Study Abroad and International
Exchange program at No. 7 in the nation for master’s colleges and
universities with 59 participants studying overseas for long-term duration (a
year or longer).
Jennifer
Gruber, coordinator of Study Abroad and International Exchange, said the
program provides a number of positive learning outcomes for participants,
including increased academic focus, greater self-efficacy, and overall personal
and professional growth.
“Study
Abroad is a life-changing experience with enduring benefits for our students.
The daily exposure to new languages, cultures, academic environments and civic
engagement while abroad is truly transformative,” she said. “Study Abroad is a
high-impact educational practice that our campus administrators, staff and
faculty support and value—and this national ranking reflects those values.
We’re very proud to once again be named a leading institution for year-long
study abroad participation.”
Once
students return to their home campuses, they continue with a higher level of
engagement in educationally purposeful activities, reporting having gained more
from college than their peers who did not study abroad, Gruber adds. Multiple large-scale
studies have also shown the high-impact practice actually improves graduation
completion and retention rates of students.
A
total of 315 CSU, Chico students studied abroad during the 2017-2018 academic
year, with Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Brazil, Costa Rica and Thailand as the
top destinations among 38 available countries. Of those, 59 students were
yearlong participants.
“Learning a foreign language, meeting people from around the world and being humble in the presence of a new society—it’s a life changer,” said mechatronic engineering and German major Anthony McKinney, after his experience in Germany. “You’ll never regret it.”
Other
CSUs in the top 10 are top-ranked San Francisco State (183 participants), No.
3. Sonoma State (96), No. 5 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (72 participants), No. 8
Sacramento State (42) and tied for No. 9 Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State
Long Beach (38).
As
a true international institution, CSU, Chico also serves as a destination for
others around the world. In 2017-18, the University welcomed 332 students as
well as 29 educators and scholars from 45 nations across the globe, with many
others participating through its American Language and Culture Institute.
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