The economy and other factors made an influence on how many students are earning college credits abroad, according to a recent report published by the Institute of International Education.
The "Open Door" report, an annual report that is funded by the U.S. State Department, showed a small decrease in the number of college students traveling to study in other countries, which slipped 0.8 percent from 262,416 in 2007 to 260,327 in 2008. This was the first time in 25 years that the number of study-abroad students had declined.
A survey by the forum on Education Abroad found that study abroad was on the rise in 2009. More than half of the campuses surveyed said there had been an increase of students traveling to study, compared to 32 percent that indicated a decline.
The economic downturn and security were some factors that contributed to the decrease in 2008, Kelly Kirkwood, study abroad and exchange program coordinator at Ball State, said.
"We had a couple programs shifted by the program provider because of the travel warning in Mexico," she said. "Ball State did not have a policy on study abroad in countries with travel warnings, but the program providers shifted some of the programs, where based on the all research they did was a less-affected area."
Kirkwood said another factor that affected the Rinker Center for International Programs was a staff shortage.
"There was not an adviser for all the students. There were graduate students that were trying to share the responsibilities," she said. "We didn't have anyone here, and graduate assistants only work 20 hours a week and they change every year or two. There wasn't someone that was as knowledgeable about the subject."
Ken Holland, dean of the Rinker Center, said another factor that has been changing students' mindsets on study-abroad programs is the pressure to graduate in four years.
"There's more pressure from the U.S. and state departments of education," he said. "In the past, students had seen study abroad as an addition to their coursework."
Holland said the Rinker Center is changing some programs to incorporate more coursework for students' majors.
At the Rinker Center, 646 students participated in study-abroad and international-internship programs during the 2009-2010 academic year, 86 more than 2008-2009 — a 15.4 percent increase.
Although the university had an increase, there were more students interested in non-traditional destinations, such as Malawi, Romania, Kenya, India, Cambodia and the Czech Republic, where Ball State has a new center in Prague. South Africa was the fourth-most popular country for study abroad.
Ball State's Center Programs, which last a semester, are administered by an on-site Ball State faculty member who teaches two courses from his or her department. Students have the opportunity to choose from a list of prearranged Ball State courses, many of which count toward core and major or minor requirements. Kirkwood said the Rinker Center is in the process of recruiting students for the new Rome Center, which will open in Fall 2011 for the Honors College.
Grace Baker, a senior marketing major studying at the Prague Centre, said this is her second time studying abroad. She studied at the London Centre in 2008. While Baker had to apply for scholarships and student loans to fund her trip, she said the experience is priceless.
"The advantages of studying abroad are endless," she said. "In each country, I was forced to overcome language and cultural barriers and learn to communicate with locals. Ball State is about immersive learning and studying abroad is just that."
Baker said students usually assume they cannot study abroad, but there are many options they can use to finance their trip.
"When I share my experiences with others, many people inform me that they wish they took advantage of study-abroad programs at their universities," she said. "Studying abroad is one of the best opportunities I took advantage of at Ball State."
Senior international business major Whitney Ruble studied at the London Centre and is a graduate assistant at the Prague Center.
"While in London, I got to travel to nine countries in Europe," she said. "This year while in Prague, I have traveled to Turkey, Germany, Italy and back to London, of course. Learning how to plan a trip from one country to another is a lot of work, but in the process you learn about public transportation systems, language, airline customs, the best ways to avoid being scammed and many other skills that will be handy for the rest of your life."
While living in Prague, Ruble said she noticed some of her friends changing their destinations.
"The cost of traveling within Europe has gone up tremendously," she said. "I traveled almost every weekend when I was in London — pre-financial crisis — because it was so cheap to get flights. But in Prague it is more comparable to flights in the U.S. It is definitely easier to travel to developing countries or less-developed countries like Turkey and Morrocco where tourism is fairly new and booming."
Kirkwood said the Rinker Center is working to bring more students to learn about study-abroad opportunities. She said the center has had an increase in the number of freshmen showing interest.
"There are a lot of myths about study abroad," she said. "We want them to know they can come and get any help here."
Students interested in studying abroad can visit the Rinker Center website at studyabroad.bsu.edu.
Ball State offers various programs around the world, which are divided into six categories:
Bilateral - 27
International student-exchange program - 149
Study-abroad consortia programs - 38
Center programs - 6
Faculty-led programs - 29
Internships abroad- 1
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