Changes sweep Abroad program

DU's Study Abroad program has undergone a series of changes, which began in early January, including modifying its deadline for applications, suspending several study abroad programs and adding new study abroad programs.

All applications for the 2012-13 academic year for DU Partner Programs are now due Feb. 8. DU Partner Programs are study abroad programs with which DU has a formal affiliation and assists in placing DU students abroad.

The new deadline applies to all programs that previously required a Jan. 20 or March 1 submission deadline and includes applications for fall, winter and spring programs.

"Having one deadline makes it simpler for everyone," said Reed Beall, assistant director of the Office of International Education.

"I think for the most part it's better that they changed it to Feb. 8 because it gave me time to perfect my application," said sophomore Josh Wehe. "It's more conducive to student demand and it gives students a little more time to decide where they're going to go."

Students are required to submit their DU Study Abroad Applications, which consist of the application on MyWeb, a signature from the student's academic advisor, DU short-answer essays and the student's transcript in hard-copy by the Feb. 8 deadline.  Before these modifications were implemented, individuals interested in studying abroad were expected to complete program-specific materials with the initial application.

Beall said the DU community was alerted with a WebCentral announcement, while faculty, second- and third-year students were notified via email before Christmas. 

"This was hardest on the industrious students who had gotten their applications done months in advance," said Beall.

In addition, DU's Study Abroad also suspended several programs. Cancellations regularly occur due to overlaps, limited positions or newly available replacement programs. 

"The university has been systematically reviewing all international partnerships and study abroad programs, looking at quality, costs and benefits as well as student enrolments," said Daniel Connolly, associate dean of the Daniels College of Business. "It is my understanding that some agreements have been terminated because the quality and/or cost-benefits are not meeting DU standards and in cases in which programs have had low enrolments. This review and culling process is part of ensuring we are making worthwhile options available for our students."

Some study abroad programs that have been suspended include cities in Chile, France, India, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Wehe met with an adviser in mid-November after choosing an internship opportunity at Blackfriars Hall at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. He said he received an email from the DU Study Abroad department notifying him the particular program he was interested in had been cancelled.

"The thing was I didn't know what I wanted and the program I found was a perfect complete fit and then they cancelled it," said Wehe. "Now with two weeks before the deadline, I don't know what kind of program I want now as opposed to the program at Oxford which was exactly what I wanted."

Wehe said he thinks that it's possible the relationship between the two partner programs possibly got damaged, although, he is unsure what the cause was.

"It was just a disappointment," he said. "I'm not that discouraged. A lot of us chose DU because of their Study Abroad program."

According to Reed, DU Partner Programs are re-evaluated on a regular basis.

Adjustments are made throughout the year. Program additions and suspensions are made for a variety of reasons ranging from academic overlap, student or faculty complaints about certain programs, or even in some cases, security concerns.

"DU students may still access suspended programs through the unaffiliated route, and our office still provides all of the same support services," said Reed. "Their programs are still running and most can still be accessed by DU students."

Students can also study in alternative cities in these countries.

DU offers more than 150 study abroad programs in 58 countries.

The program also added new programs in Ecuador, Ghana, India, Japan, Peru, Senegal, Thailand and the UK.

The Office of International Education (OIE) also said the essay questions have been revised. Students should confirm they have answered the proper essay question prior to turning in their application.

The new nomination process will allow for the OIE to review applications and individual student program preferences post-submission.