SU Joins Generation Study Abroad Initiative

SALISBURY, MD---Salisbury University and its Center for International Education (CIE) have joined the Generation Study Abroad initiative, working to double the number of American students engaged in global studies by the end of the decade.

Led by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the effort also is intended to increase the diversity of students traveling, ensure quality of programs and remove barriers to participation.

“International education is a pillar of an SU educational experience,” said Dr. Brian Stiegler, SU CIE director. “During the tenure of President Janet Dudley-Eshbach, study abroad participation has increased by 180 percent. During the 2013-14 academic year, nearly 300 SU students studied abroad for credit. Currently, 14 percent of SU students study abroad before graduation. In the 2014-18 International Education Strategic Plan, the University established a goal to increase the number of students studying abroad annually to 500, growing our participation rate to about 25 percent of all graduating students.”

Nationally, according to IIE, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students currently study abroad at some point in their academic career.

Generation Study Abroad is comprised of some 240 U.S. campuses, including SU, the University of California Berkeley, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wake Forest, as well as study abroad and educational organizations, governments and partner institutions in Australia, China, Hungary, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom and other countries.

According to IIE’s Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange, 295,000 students studied abroad in 2011-12 in credit and non-credit programs. Generation Study Abroad aims to grow participation to 600,000 by 2020.

“Globalization has changed the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and expertise,” said Dr. Allan Goodman, IIE President.

For more details about Generation Study Abroad, visit www.iie.org/generationstudyabroad. For information about SU’s Center for International Education, call 410-677-5027 or visit www.salisbury.edu/abroad.