Far-flung classrooms lure students

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

November 16, 2004

By ANDREA JONES

Georgia's college students are leaving the country in record numbers, studying biology in Barbados and sociology in Scotland and enrolling in other programs from Tanzania to Turkey.

In the 2003-04 school year, a study released Monday shows, there was a 17.5 percent jump in the number of students studying abroad from the previous school year, beating the national growth rate by 9 percent.

The survey of the state's public college and university students was conducted by the Institute of International Education, with funding from the U.S. State Department.

Nearly 4,400 students in Georgia participated in a study-abroad program --- about 2 percent of the total number enrolled.

Mark Lusk, the University of Georgia's associate provost for international affairs, said the increase reflects a systemwide strategy to get more Georgia students exposed to other cultures.

At UGA, which ranks eighth among the nation's research institutions in the number of study-abroad students, international education is one of three major priorities in the university's long-term strategic plan.

"By decade's end, we hope to have one in four students going abroad," Lusk said. "UGA has really become a powerhouse in this area."

UGA graduate student Ashley Goodrich, who traveled to Oxford, England, as a sophomore and to Tanzania this year, said studying abroad gave her a global focus she will use as a social studies teacher.

"I know my experiences will help me connect what we do locally with how it impacts the world," said Goodrich, 24, of Milledgeville. "It's given me a much broader perspective."

The emphasis on studying abroad started with former University System Chancellor Stephen Portch about a decade ago. At that time, fewer than 0.5 percent of students in the state's public colleges took classes in other countries.

Now, Georgia schools offer more than 250 study-abroad programs and send thousands of students all over the world. The programs not only boost the institutions' prestige but also help them attract more students seeking a diverse experience, university officials say.

Study-abroad isn't just for art history majors looking to stroll the cobblestone streets of Italy, either.

Georgia Tech operates programs for engineering students in China and Russia, among other places. And students at Georgia State University can broaden their education in countries from Egypt to Argentina.

"In 1995, we had fewer than 10 programs," said Amy Henry, associate director of Georgia Tech's Office of International Education. "Now we have more than 50."

Smaller schools are also getting in the act. Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville has doubled enrollment in study-abroad programs in the last five years.

While a SARS scare canceled some programs in Asia last year, the number of students going abroad has been moving upward for several years. Students can opt to travel for anywhere from two weeks to a year, but many choose summer programs so as not to affect their regular school year.

By 2007, the University System of Georgia hopes to send slightly under 4 percent of all undergraduates overseas, said Sue Watson, assistant director of international programs.

Jennifer Smith, a Georgia Tech graduate from Smyrna who works as a consultant for Ernst & Young, said the summer she studied in Asia is among her fondest college memories.

Smith graduated with a degree in industrial engineering in 2003. She recalled that she climbed the Great Wall and traveled to Bali during her summer abroad.

"Once you get out in the real world, you don't have a chance to spend 10 weeks abroad," she said. "College is one of the only times you can do something so amazing."

GRAPHIC: Graphic: STUDY ABROAD PARTICIPANTS ....................................1998-1999.. 2003-2004 Systemwide..........................2,632..... 4,388 Georgia Institute of Technology... 484....... 872 Georgia State University............259....... 416 University of Georgia............. 784....... 1,641 Georgia Southern University....... 70..........126 Columbus State University......... 36..........91 Georgia College & State University..42..........106 --- Source: University System of Georgia