Education Commons^™

The Gender Imbalance In U.S. Outbound Study Abroad: A Case Study Of Semester At Sea, Jessica L. Ryan

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of female college students studying abroad with Semester at Sea (SAS) at twice the rate of their male peers, in the hope of better understanding the significant gender imbalance overall in U.S. outbound study abroad. To put this issue into context, this study uses the theoretical framework of Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory of Motivation. Data was analyzed through the lens of intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation to answer the guiding research question: Is there a difference between male and female college students in their motivations to study abroad and, …

The International Humanity Foundation Co-Director Training Program, Indonesia: Supporting International Volunteers, Christina Darling

Capstone Collection

The following capstone paper takes a critical look at international volunteer programs and the potential negative consequences these programs may inadvertently have on the host community. The current volunteer Co-Director program at the International Humanity Foundations (IHF) is an archetype of this phenomenon. This paper examines the ways in which IHF falls short in achieving its mission and warns of the possible neo-colonial impact its Western volunteers may be having on the local communities around IHF’s centers.

The International Humanity Foundation Co-Director Training Program, Indonesia has been created in an effort strengthen IHF’s existing program by minimizing any negative impacts …

Enhancing The Faculty-Led Study Abroad Proposal Process To Facilitate The Creation Of Academically Enriched Programs, Tanya Kramer

Capstone Collection

Faculty-led programs are distinctive in that they are created through collaborations between study abroad professionals and the faculty who lead them. Faculty leaders are experts in their discipline, while the study abroad administrators are knowledgeable about best practices and theories related to learning abroad. This paper set out to determine what proposal and academic preparation procedures could be developed that incorporate key stakeholders at North Dakota State University and that contribute to the creation of academically sound programs that include student development and experiential/constructivist learning theories. Data was collected through surveys submitted by study abroad administrators at the national and …

Faculty Knowledge Of The Purposes And Processes Of Short-Term Faculty Led Study Abroad, Sandra L. Short

Capstone Collection

Are the faculty leaders of short-term international study abroad programs aware of what is necessary to facilitate the best outcomes for their students? Are faculty members aware of established purpose and processes for international education and specifically short-term programs? Open Doors reported in 2014 that the percentage of undergraduate students in the United States participating in an international experience has more than doubled since 2000 but this is still less than 10 percent of the total number of undergraduates in the United States. In 2014, 60.3 percent of students participating in an international experience did so in a short-term faculty …

Strategic Study Abroad: A Program Proposal For Continued Faith Development Of Chi Alpha Students Studying Abroad, Erin Leonard

Capstone Collection

With around 28,000 individual participants, Chi Alpha is a diverse network of Christian students on U.S. college campuses. By regularly meeting in groups and collectively reaching out to the community, students develop their faith and build lasting relationships.

Faith development is an integral part of Chi Alpha students’ lives. Yet, because community is an important aspect in faith development, studying abroad can cause challenges. Students expressed missing accessible Christian peer support and mentorship while abroad. They further expressed disconnection from their faith and felt their spirituality had declined while studying abroad.

As study abroad participation has been increasing over the …

Redesigning The Harlaxton College Resident Assistant Training Program, Whitney Cohen

Capstone Collection

This paper addresses the need for a comprehensive Resident Assistant (RA) training program for RAs participating in a study abroad program that includes both pre-departure and on-site trainings. This approach will “support students throughout the study abroad experience, highlighting ways to transform experiences into academic, personal, and professional growth” (Peterson et al., 2011). The program described here will be implemented beginning with the Fall 2015 cohort of RAs from Harlaxton College. Harlaxton College is a residential study abroad site in Grantham, United Kingdom that hosts approximately 160 students from U.S. universities each semester. This training program seeks to provide necessary …

The Global Village: Improving Intercultural Experiences At Keene State College Through Living/Learning Communities, Laura Zuelch

Capstone Collection

Comprehensive internationalization is a paradigm in higher education that recognizes the many aspects of higher education affected by an internationalizing world (Hudzik, 2011). At Keene State College, internationalization is limited to the outbound study abroad students and the few inbound exchange students each semester. There are also few opportunities for Keene State students to gain an intercultural experience without leaving campus, which can be difficult for some students to manage. There is an opportunity to build on the existing Living/Learning Community framework to create a new Living/Learning Community that can address the trend for increased internationalization on campus as well …

Ensuring Social Success: Assessing The Factors That Affect The Social Experiences Of International Students At A Large, Urban Community College In Texas, Sharon A. Miller

Capstone Collection

According to the 2014 Open Doors report published by the Institute of International Education, 87,963 international students enrolled in community colleges and/or associate’s degree granting institutions during the 2013-2014 academic year. Community colleges offer many benefits to international students, such as lower tuition, less restrictive English proficiency requirements, smaller class size, and transferability of credits to four-year institutions.

Past studies have found connections between social relationships and the ability to manage acculturative stress and student satisfaction. Nevertheless, international students attending a community college face different social challenges than those who choose to attend a residential four-year university. Lack of student …

Cal Poly Study Abroad Program Design For Facilitation Of Intercultural Competency, Erica Jorgenson

Capstone Collection

In the field of international education, we strive to assist students in their development through a study abroad experience, by either preparing them to study abroad, by creating intentional reflective practices to allow them to understand what they are learning while abroad and/or supporting them upon return to help them articulate their experiences either to career, academic and/or personal goals.

Specifically, at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, they have adopted the philosophy of providing students with an opportunity to learn through direct experience. Cal Poly’s guiding educational philosophy, often referred to as “Learn by Doing”, is one that the Study …

Transitions: The First Year Experience Of International Undergraduates At Yale College, Danielle Valles

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze what resources Yale College provides to support first year international students through their cultural, social, emotional, and academic transitions from international high school student to Yale College undergraduate. The college provides a number of resources that are classified as programmatic, structural, and personnel support services. The only programmatic service offered by Yale College for first year international students is the Orientation for International Students, run by older international students and supported by staff members of the Office of International Students and Scholars. The number one resource used without hesitation by …

Beyond Nafsa: An Assessment Of Professional Development Needs Of Secondary-Level International Education Professionals, Emily A. Keizer

Capstone Collection

For many professionals, attending a conference or workshop offered by a professional organization is a logical course of action. These resources help to expand knowledge of a field, improve performance at work and connect those who share interests. Almost every field has an organization or association of some sort that offers these type of professional development opportunities for individuals seeking to learn and grow in their work. However, high school level International Education professionals struggle to find this type of resource.

As an emerging subset of International Education, the field of international high school student advising is in need of …