College is Ranked High in Two Independent Surveys

HARTFORD, Conn. –Trinity, which has long prided itself on its international studies programs and only 17 months ago launched its prestigious Center for Urban and Global Studies, has scored high in two independent surveys in the number of undergraduates who study abroad.

In a recent article in U.S. News and World Report, Trinity made the list of the top 50 higher education institutions whose students participate in study abroad programs. The percentage of Trinity students who graduated in 2007 and who took courses in other countries amounted to 56 percent of the College’s undergraduate enrollment in 2007, good for 40th place on the list.

It comes at a time when the number of U.S. students studying overseas has reached record levels, according to Diverse, a publication that focuses on issues in higher education. Not only has the number of students surged nationally, reported Diverse, but the number of destinations has also risen. For example, students choosing to study in South Africa, China, Ecuador, India and Saudi Arabia are among the countries experiencing the largest gains.

Trinity has seven overseas sites – complete with classes, internships and staff -- with the campus in Rome being the flagship of the College’s international programs. In addition to Rome, other sites include Barcelona, Cape Town, Paris, Santiago, Trinidad and Vienna. That is an unusually high number for a school the size of Trinity. The College also participates in 77 programs that are run by other schools or approved organizations, making Trinity a leader in overseas study.

The second survey that rated Trinity highly was conducted by the Institute of International Education. Entitled “Open Doors, a Report on International Educational Exchange,” the survey ranked Trinity No. 16 on its list of baccalaureate-granting institutions. Although the report was published in 2008, the ranking is based on the 2006-07 academic year, the latest year for which data are available.

“I am very pleased to see these high rankings for Trinity College students studying abroad,” said Lisa Sapolis, director of international programs. “I think they reflect the quality study abroad programs that Trinity offers.”

Sapolis went on to say, “Our programs are academically rich and offer students opportunities to integrate into other cultures through internships, home stays, field study, community service, and academic excursions.”

Trinity students have the opportunity to study abroad in almost any discipline in more than 35 countries around the world for a summer, semester, or full year.

The reasons to study abroad vary, but may include:

• Gaining new perspectives in an academic field.
• Experiencing firsthand an international culture.
• Studying in a global city and learning about urban issues.
• Developing foreign language skills.
• Becoming more independent.

Writing in The Christian Science Monitor, Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, the former chair and vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, noted that about 1 percent of those enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions study abroad in any given academic year. About 10 percent of those graduating from college will have studied abroad at some point in their undergraduate education. Of those who study abroad, said Kean and Hamilton, the vast majority do so for a semester or less, and nearly half in only four Western European countries. Further, participation is overwhelmingly white and two-thirds female. Minorities and students of limited financial means are under-represented.

“The U.S. cannot conduct itself effectively in a competitive international environment when our most educated citizens lack minimal exposure to, and understanding of, the world beyond U.S. borders,” they wrote. “If we lack the ability to see ourselves as others see us – a skill imparted through the direct experience of living and studying abroad – then we diminish our ability to influence and persuade foreign governments and world opinion.”
 
Trinity is not content to rest on its laurels, as evidenced by its effort to attract international students to study here. On June 5, five EducationUSA advisers will be on campus. EducationUSA is a global network of more than 450 advising centers supported by the U.S. Department of State, and is designed to promote U.S. higher education globally. Millions of prospective students learn about study opportunities in the U.S. through the centers. The advisers regularly make site visits to U.S. colleges and universities.

The June visit will be jointly sponsored by Westfield State College in Massachusetts, and several other institutions of higher learning. Among the international emissaries will be Fatimata B. Dianda from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Judy Freudenberger from Canberra, Australia; Che Weimin from Beijing, China; Hasan Huseynli from Ganja City, Azerbaijan; and Tetiana Kotko from Kyiv, Ukraine.

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