One of the newest efforts of the Department of Undergraduate Education has been to develop a study abroad program. These plans originated from the School of Engineering under Dean Alan Cramb and Vice Provost and Acting Dean of Graduate Education Lester Gerhardt. In an interview with The Polytechnic earlier this year, President Shirley Ann Jackson mentioned the possibility of requiring students to study abroad in order to graduate. Currently, between 5 and 10 percent of RPI’s students participate in an international exchange program. According to the Fall 2006 issue of Engineering News, a publication by the School of Engineering, only 5,000 U.S.-born engineering students go abroad to study every year.
According to Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Prabhat Hajela, the program will begin with the Class of 2010 whereby 25 percent of the class will go abroad for study during their junior year. This will be a two-year pilot program, after which the class percentage studying abroad should increase. Currently, Gerhardt has reached verbal agreement with the Technical University of Denmark and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore on developing a student exchange program.
The important themes as the program develops are to ensure that students studying abroad will have a comparable educational experience, study in a safe place, and be able to graduate at the same time as their peers. Possible program options for students include spending a complete semester abroad and taking classes at RPI with a portion of the class taught abroad during a school break. Courses will be taught in English. There should be several options as well as several different universities to study at, helping students find a program that suits them. According to Engineering News, the program is expected to include 12-15 partner universities eventually.
Although Jackson had discussed the possibility of having 100 percent of the student population study abroad, Hajela stated that there will always be exceptions, such as for student athletes or members of ROTC. He emphasized the need for academic advisors to guide students towards studying abroad and to help them plan their schedules accordingly.
Some students are interested in the possibility of studying abroad. Patrick Heider ’07, a Chemical Engineering student, felt that developing an international exchange program would be a “good way to distinguish RPI,” and would be a beneficial experience for students. With a sound program infrastructure, students could fulfill their requirements on time while developing new skillsets.
In the near future, Hajela hopes to launch an updated section in the Undergraduate Education website about studying abroad to make program information more accessible to students. As both the Undergraduate Research Program and the Study Abroad Program are strong parts of an undergraduate education, Hajela emphasized that there needs to be an increased awareness of both and hopes that with a new website and increased outreach efforts, more students will take advantage of all that RPI has to offer.
Jackson emphasized the importance of American students studying abroad. In her interview with The Polytechnic, she stated, “The world is interconnected and is becoming more so.” A recent trip to China, Japan, and South Korea, made in conjunction with the U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell, represents an increased focus on attracting international students to study in America.
Students can view the Office of Undergraduate Education’s current study abroad website at: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/ug-ed/.
