Mapping an understanding of undergraduate study abroad programs from the inside-out Juliet Aylmer Institutional challenges in increasing study abroad participation Juliet Aylmer, University of Southern Queensland BUTEX Conference Bath Spa University, 7July 2016

Definition of study abroad Full degree-seeking students are diploma mobility students Academic credit seeking students are credit mobility students (King, Findlay & Ahrens, 2010)

Recent initiatives or rationales Australia – New Colombo Plan “aims to lift knowledge of the Indo Pacific [region] … through study and internships (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2014) United Kingdom - Outward Bound Mobility Strategy Students need a “global outlook that makes them more attractive to potential employers and benefits the wider economy” (Higher Education Funding Council for England, 2013) United States – Generation Study Abroad (2014) Aims to double “the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade” (

Recent discussions - Australia “Competing priorities, lip service and a perceived lack of commitment to internationalisation are just some of the obstacles … ” International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) and the European Association for International Education (EAIE) study released January 2014

Recent Discussions - United Kingdom “Why is it important for institutions to encourage outward mobility of students - and what can be done to change this situation?” Going Global conference session 2014: Broadening Horizons 2014: Embedding a culture of overseas study programme/sessions/outward-mobility-programme/sessions/outward-mobility-student-institution

Recent Discussions - United States What will it take to Double Study Abroad? 2014 Blog and online Green paper and-Reports/IIE-Bookstore/What-Will-It-Take-To-Double- Study-Abroad

T he percentage of undergraduate students from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States that study abroad is low

Four key challenges (in theory) Lack of institutional study abroad culture (Davis, Milne & Olsen, 1999) Lack of awareness of study abroad programs (Daly, 2007) Academic credit concerns (Altbach & Knight, 2007) Cost (Teichler, 2003 )

Challenge 1 Lack of institutional study abroad culture (Davis, Milne & Olsen, 1999) “university senior management don’t really value study abroad … they are really interested in international recruitment because that brings in money.” UK 2, Participant 1

How is study abroad managed at your institution? As part of an internationalisation strategy or policy? By which department/division?

Lack of institutional study abroad culture Summary of interview responses Pseudonym Internationalisation PolicyManaging division AUS 1YesUG Education AUS 2YesInternational Office UK 2No International Office USA 1In ProgressAcademic Affairs USA 2No Student Affairs * At the time of interview, new management anticipated

Challenge 2 Academic credit concerns (Altbach & Knight, 2007) Aus 2 Participant 1 “… some students actually have quite flexible degrees where they can take a whole semester of electives... but other students will have very strict degrees.” UK 1 Participant 2 “These days, here at UK1, all the students go for pass/fail.”

Challenge 3 Lack of awareness (Daly, 2007) “Faculty support and curricular/academic integration [are] key factors that lead to student participation in study abroad.” Loberg & Rust, 2014, p.306

Challenge 3 Aus 1 Participant 1 “Classroom visits are tricky because students only have 50 minutes … so lecturers are not keen on that.” Aus 2 Participant 1 “We have an academic from each faculty who specialises in exchange …”

Challenge 3 (Continued) UK 1 Participant 1 “We don’t do any Social Media … we have talked about it and I think our main concern is time.” Aus 2 Participant 1 “our Student Assistants monitor [the Facebook page]. US 1 Participant 1 “Don’t look at my website because it is severely out of date.”

Challenge 4 Cost (Teichler, 2003) UK 1 Participant 2 “if students go for the full year, they pay a reduced fee to the university.” US 1 Participant 2“[a student in Thailand] renewed because she said that the cost of living over there is so much less.” Aus 1 Participant 1 “we are getting lots of funding from the government to send students to Asia. That is not where the students want to go. So that’s where there is a disconnect.”

Challenge 4 Cost (continued) UK 1 Participant 1 “We give every student a £300 bursary.” Aus 2 Participant 1 “every student going out at the moment currently gets one. So it varies between $AUD2,000 - $AUD4,000 depending on region.” US 1 Participant 2 “we are proposing that a certain percentage of our non-resident tuition [will be applied to] study abroad scholarships.

Challenge 4 Cost (continued) Pseudonym Study Abroad office - funding source AUS 1General funds AUS 2International students UK 1General funds UK 2General funds USA 1International students (self-supporting) USA 2General university funds

Summary of research findings Degree structure needs to incorporate study abroad. Allow students to take General Education or elective classes. Overall need to gain wider academic support. Offer study abroad from second year onwards. Offer programmes ranging from a few weeks to an academic year. Review application and selection procedures. Review study abroad/exchange agreements.