Larry Basirico, dean of international programs, was one of four study abroad experts who participated in an April 12 panel discussion with the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program. Panelists were asked to provide an overview of what has led to their success in study abroad and to define challenges for study abroad programs.
The 17-member Lincoln Commission was appointed by Congress and the Bush administration to find ways to increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad. The commission was the idea of the late Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.), who believed that study abroad should become a more integral component of undergraduate education. Nationally, only about 9-12 percent of graduating seniors at U.S. colleges and universities have studied abroad. At Elon, 63 percent of graduates have spent time studying abroad.
Panelists for the Lincoln Commission meeting, held in Washington D.C., came from Elon University, the University of Minnesota, Howard University and SUNY Rockland Community College. The schools were selected to provide a cross-section of types of schools (community college, private 4 year/masters granting, minority populated, and large state university) with varying degrees of study abroad experience.
“In terms of the amount of students who study abroad, Elon is clearly way ahead of what most schools are doing,” Basirico says. ” The Lincoln Commission is considering asking Congress for funding to help colleges and universities reach a 50 percent national participation rate for graduating seniors. The Commission is also considering asking Congress to declare 2006 as ‘The Year of Study Abroad in Higher Education.”
NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, has endorsed Sen. Simon’s proposal to provide 500,000 college students each year with a stipend of up to $7,000. Congress has given the commission until December 2005 to report on its findings and make recommendations. The commission is chaired by M. Peter McPherson, president of Michigan State University, and includes three members of Congress.