Global Learning Program celebrates growth of program during International Education Week Nov. 14-18
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
Lipscomb University’s Global Learning Program is highlighting its study abroad opportunities and accomplishments during the national celebration of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, Nov. 14-18.
With the recent acquisition of a villa in Florence, Italy, Lipscomb University is expanding is presence abroad. As a member of the Generation Study Abroad initiative, Lipscomb University has grown it annual semester long study abroad participation from 54 to 175 students in just 4 years.
In 1996, Lipscomb launched its first study broad program with a semester-long program in Vienna. The university now has a year round presence in London, Santiago, Vienna and Florence with plans to expand to the Pac Rim in the near future. The university is currently in the process of implementing a seven-year Quality Enhancement Program to build global competency skills in every graduate. Students that study abroad are even measured in the cross-cultural growth and development with pre and post semester assessments.
“We know that a Global Competency skillset is a huge differentiator for today’s employers,” said Michael Winegeart, Lipscomb’s Director of Global Programs. “Study abroad programs provide students with unique opportunities to develop a global competency as well as to broaden their view of the world around them. They provide extremely valuable learning opportunities that we encourage our students to participate in, and we continually look for new ways to offer travel study experience.”
The Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released today by the Institute of International Education (IIE), shows that more than 313,000 U.S. students received credit last year for study abroad during the 2014-15 academic year, an increase of nearly three percent over the previous year. Approximately a quarter of these students majored in STEM fields. The Open Doors findings reflect that students study abroad in part to gain international experience that can be applied in their careers, and data also show that an increasing number of U.S. students—over 22,000 in 2014-15—participated in non-credit work, internships and volunteering abroad through which they can gain practical skills.
The report shows that fewer than 10 percent of American college students participate in international study programs, and less than 25 percent of those students are from underrepresented minority groups.
Lipscomb has focused on increasing study abroad participation this academic year, as a commitment partner in IIE Generation Study Abroad initiative to double the number of American students who go abroad each year — 600,000 individuals — by 2020, and to diversify that group. Earlier this year, the university purchased a residential facility for the program in Florence, Italy.
“The villa purchase in Florence, made possible by the donation of Lipscomb trustee Ken Shumard of Atlanta, has increased our capacity to offer more study abroad destinations for more students to study abroad. The student demand for these experiential learning experiences has be very high. We are responding to the needs and demands of the marketplace,” said Winegeart.
Lipscomb emphasizes the importance of global awareness, knowing that a study abroad experience enhances a student’s global outlook and overall education, he said.
“Studying abroad is one of the best ways to prepare to enter and succeed in the interconnected, globalized workforce, yet 90 percent of American college students do not study or intern outside of the United States. We owe it to the next generation of Americans to find ways to make it more accessible to a wider range of students,” said IIE’s resident, Allan E. Goodman. “Some U.S. students studying in STEM fields had found it challenging to study abroad. But this is changing, and global experience is increasingly crucial to success in all fields.”
Launched in March 2014 with 156 partners, Generation Study Abroad has grown to include more than 740 partners that have raised more than $55 million for student scholarships to study abroad. The network includes 408 U.S. colleges and universities from 48 states; 189 international universities and organizations from 50 countries; 23 education associations; more than 100 organizations including study abroad, K-12, and social network agencies; 18 country partners and the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In addition, more than 1,000 U.S. teachers have joined IIE’s Generation Study Abroad network, pledging to advocate for study abroad in their classrooms and to build a pipeline of American students with a global perspective. Seventy percent of partner higher education institutions are integrating study abroad into their curricula, and more than 70 percent of all partners are conducting targeted outreach for students with high financial need and from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
For more information about Lipscomb University’s Global Learning Program visit globallearning.lipscomb.edu.