Study Abroad Center
Program Review
Self-Study Report
January 2006
Office of the Provost
Table of Contents
Page
Executive Summary 4
I. Program Review, Purpose and Process 7
Purpose of Program Review 7
Purpose of Self-Study 8
External Review 9
II. Overview of the Study Abroad Center 10
History 10
Structure 14
Staff 18
Mission Statement 20
Relation to University Mission and Strategic Plan 21
Relation to Other Campus Study Abroad Offices 24
Relation to Other Campus Offices 26
Partners and Collaborators 30
III. Study Abroad Center Programs and Services 34
Services 38
Program Director Training 40
Student Preparation 42
IV. Self-Assessment 43
Quality Assessment of Programs and Services 43
Resources 48
Comparison with Peer Institutions 55
V. Future Directions and Concluding Statement 58
Future Directions 58
Concluding Statement 61
VI. Appendices
Appendix A: Organizational Charts of the Study Abroad Center and the Office of the Provost
Appendix B: Study Abroad-Related Committees
Appendix C: Study Abroad Strategic Planning Committee¹s Vision Statement
Appendix D: Study Abroad Center Staff Résumés
Appendix E: Iowa State University Study Abroad Statistics FY2005
Appendix F: Study Abroad Center Promotion Activities
Appendix G: Training for New Program Directors
Appendix H: Risks and Liability in Study Abroad and Emergency Training for Program Directors
Appendix I: Student Predeparture Orientation
Appendix J: Program Evaluation Form
Appendix K: Client Assessment Surveys
Appendix L: Useful Iowa State University Websites
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Study abroad at Iowa State University has existed in various forms since the 1960s; however, it was not until 1970 when an international student adviser began advising Americans on their study abroad options that the provision of services became more systematized. In 1976, the Americans Abroad Office was established with one full-time adviser. From a handful of students in the 1970s, study abroad has grown to approximately 1200 students in FY2005. The Study Abroad Center now employs a staff of 23 (11.875 FTE) with a projected budget for FY2006 of $536,834, 38% of which is comprised of soft monies. In addition to the Study Abroad Center, the colleges have hired dedicated study abroad staff, with the colleges of Agriculture and Engineering having developed their own study abroad offices.
In collaboration with the Office of University Counsel, Risk Management, and the Dean of Students Office, the Study Abroad Center provides leadership and expertise in the development of health and safety procedures that include the Program Director Handbook, Program Director Field Manual, Program Director Training, Study Abroad Student Handbook, Predeparture Orientation, Study Abroad Student Conduct Code, and a 24/7 emergency cell phone. In addition, the Study Abroad Center has been instrumental in developing a number of committees that draw upon expertise across campus and, in some cases, allow for administrative oversight and the development of policy. These include the Study Abroad and Exchange Advisory Committee (reviews all program proposals for group programs awarding Iowa State credit), the Study Abroad Risk Management Committee (composed of senior administrators who review policy and are empowered to cancel programs when student safety is considered problematic), and the Study Abroad Strategic Planning Committee (ad hoc committee of study abroad administrators and faculty who are charged with articulating a vision for study abroad).
The Study Abroad Center offers a wide range of programs and services. In addition to operating its own programs (in FY2005, 21 programs involving 236 students) the Center, through Project Assist, jointly administers a number of group programs sponsored by various departments (an additional 16 programs involving 197 participants in FY2005). Project Assist allows faculty to concentrate on teaching and recruiting while the Center handles many of the logistical details, including establishing a program account, collecting fees, paying service providers, providing assistance with budget development, and program promotion. The Center is also responsible for placing the program fee on the accounts of all students who study abroad (with the exception of those in College of Design programs). During FY2005, this amounted to approximately $2 million.
Over the last ten years, there has been significant growth in study abroad. This has been possible only through the support of central administration, who have supported this enterprise through a tuition aid program that returns 90% of tuition to students earning Iowa State credit; colleges and departments that have made study abroad a priority and made resources available for its growth; and faculty who have enthusiastically embraced education abroad and led groups of students on short-term academic adventures in locations both traditional and non-traditional (Antarctica is a notable example). Short-term programs provided much of the fuel that ignited the growth in study abroad; however, more recently we have seen almost as many students participate in semester-long programs. During the last few years, the rate of participation has slowed, and we appear to have reached a plateau in the mid to upper 1100s.
Beginning July 1, 2005, the Study Abroad Center separated from International Students and Scholars (the joint office was formerly known as International Education Services) and is now reporting directly to the Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Dean of the Graduate College. Prior to this reorganization, the Study Abroad Center through International Education Services reported jointly to the Vice President for Student Affairs and to the Associate Provost for Academic Programs. This change simplifies the reporting lines and places the Study Abroad Center squarely within the academic realm, where it belongs.
- Are the Study Abroad Center¹s resources (staffing, financial, and physical) adequate, given the range of programs and services provided?
- Are our administrative fees reasonable and appropriate?
- Does the structure of study abroad at ISU result in the most efficient use of resources?
- What needs to be done to significantly increase the rate of study abroad participation?
- Given a) the current number of students who study abroad, b) our desire to increase levels of participation, and c) an ever-increasing concern regarding health and safety, what can be done to improve communication to ensure all parties are working toward the same set of goals and using established procedures and protocols?
- Is the range of program types and destinations appropriate, given the size and mission of Iowa State University?
- How can academic departments be encouraged to support their faculty in leading study abroad programs, particularly those departments do not have a history of doing so?
Study abroad at Iowa State is at a critical point in its history. Our numbers are good at present but will very soon be considered only respectable if we do not grow. A renewed sense of commitment, continued program development, improved integration of study abroad into the curriculum, and increased resources will allow Iowa State to significantly increase its rates of participation and permit us to join the top echelon of state universities in the numbers of students who study abroad in high quality, well administered programs. This self-study and external review are integral to this process.
Respectfully submitted by
Trevor Nelson, Ed.D,
Director, Study Abroad Center December 2005
I.
PURPOSE AND PROCESS OF PROGRAM REVIEW
Program review is a process for monitoring the status, effectiveness, and progress of academic programs (Academic Program Review: Policies and Procedures, Iowa State University, November, 1990).
In 1990, the Iowa Board of Regents instituted a policy requiring a program review for academic programs in the three Regents¹ Universities at least every seven years. Although this mandate specifically addressed academic programs, Iowa State University has decided to apply the same process to other administrative and service units. The program review is made up of three phases: the self-study, the external review, and the development of a plan based on the first two phases.
Above all else, the purpose of periodic review is to provide a mechanism to ensure the improvement of academic programs on a continuous basis (Academic Program Review, 1990). Two key dimensions identified by the ISU guidelines for program review are how a program at ISU compares with the best programs of its type in the United States and how the unit fits within and contributes to ISU.
The criteria for the program review, as listed in the ISU guidelines and paraphrased for a non-academic unit, are:
1. quality of the staff, programs, and services;
2. demand for the programs and services;
3. centrality to the university mission;
4.
comparative advantage/uniqueness; and
5.
financial considerations and adequacy of resources.
PURPOSE OF THE SELF-STUDY
The staff of the Study Abroad Center (SAC) is committed to offering quality programs that provide students with rigorous academic experiences in safe environments that promote intellectual growth, understanding, and cultural sensitivity. It is our belief that if students are to achieve the goals articulated in the Vision Statement of the 2005-10 Strategic Plan, namely,
Students will become broadly educated, global citizens
who are culturally informed, technologically adept, and ready to lead. Faculty
and staff will share a passion for creating, sharing, and applying knowledge
to improve lives world-wide
then students will need to incorporate a study abroad experience into their academic program. Faculty, too, will need to be encouraged to become involved in study abroad and be provided with the necessary support to enable them to concentrate on what they do best – teach.
This self-study is therefore an o