Editorial: Current study abroad programs are not sufficient to create global citizens

Studying abroad is popular at Tufts, with around 40 percent of Tufts students choosing to partake at some point in their college career. Tufts offers 10 programs of its own as well as over 150 non-university programs from which students can choose. However, various factors make these non-Tufts programs more complicated for students to fit into their academic careers. According to the university website, Tufts is home to a “welcoming, global, and diverse community.” It is time for the university to expand its study abroad offerings to embrace this message and provide more diverse opportunities to students.

Tufts' study abroad programs are limiting in a few ways. There is generally a lofty language requirement associated with each program. Additionally, some locations only offer single-semester availability in the spring, and the program at the University of Oxford mandates a full year of participation. Most Tufts programs require students to participate in a homestay. This may provide students with a culturally immersive experience, but it inhibits the process of meeting local students of the same age.

According to Tufts Foreign Study AdvisorStephen Hall, students choose non-Tufts programs for a variety of reasons. These programs are located in “a much broader range … in parts of the world the Tufts programs can’t extend to.” They may provide a more practical option in terms of length of stay and are generally “offered on a semester-by-semester basis.” Another benefit is financial: Although Tufts financial aid does not transfer to non-Tufts study abroad programs, students frequently find that a semester abroad via a non-Tufts program is less expensive than a semester on campus. Tufts students may also find more diversity in coursework available through a non-Tufts program abroad. As Hall mentioned, “It’s useful to take coursework in a subject we don’t offer at Tufts.”

If a student is inclined to study abroad with a non-Tufts program, they must complete a few steps to ensure their semester or year abroad is successfully integrated into their career as a student. Hall noted that “each course that [a student wants] to take abroad needs to be submitted to the appropriate department,” and that this process is entirely up to the student to complete. Though most courses are approved, there is no guarantee. Even if credits do transfer, Tufts students cannot receive grades toward their Tufts GPA for their classes taken abroad; courses are taken on a pass-fail basis.

Many may attribute Tufts programs’ limited nature to the school’s size. Hall noted, “[we] have to be realistic about what we can do with the size of [the] office we have.” However, other schools of similar or smaller size have proven the opposite. Middlebury College, for example, has about 2,500 undergraduate students but hosts programs in 17 different countries, including multiple locations in each host country. Their study abroad programs foster many of the same values of those affiliated with Tufts: cultural and language-based immersion.

Tufts is a top university that strives to lead in global opportunity. It is imperative that it builds upon the available study abroad programs to cater to all students, regardless of their academic, scheduling and financial needs. If the university is unable to expand its portfolio of programs, it must provide students with increased flexibility within the existing programs. This may include transferring grades as opposed to solely credits, making Tufts programs more affordable to all students and expanding housing options abroad. According to Hall, 275 Tufts students are studying abroad through non-university programs, while 225 are participating in Tufts programs. Truly integrate global opportunities into the Tufts experience is the only way to change these numbers.