Three Trinity faculty members and Nancy Birch Wagner, associate academic dean, represented the College at the 2002 Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Dario Euraque, associate professor of history, Milla Riggio, James J. Goodwin Professor of English, and Johnny Williams, associate professor of sociology, made a presentation on the central topic of the conference, “Underrepresented Faces and Nontraditional Places.” 

The three professors’ presentation showcased three of the College’s Global Learning Sites to highlight the strengths of Trinity’s study abroad programs in supporting the experiences of those students. The Trinity delegation shared some of the challenges faced by underrepresented students in their study abroad planning, and the ways that programs can address those issues to ensure a positive experience for students.

“I think a lot of us may not realize how much the issues of finance, culture, and family come up and are really important,” says Euraque. “Despite our own sensitivity to these questions, either out of our own experience as undergraduates or from teaching, I think the major challenge for faculties nationwide is to realize that these issues exist.” 

“They did a fabulous job,” says Wagner. “Their presentation was lauded throughout the conference as exemplary.” Wagner says the Trinity presentation was atypical in that the presenters were the faculty sponsors of the very study abroad programs being discussed. Typically, she says, presenters at the annual conference are professional administrators of study abroad programs, not academics. 

Williams, the adviser to the College’s Cape Town, South Africa, global learning site, says he enjoyed the opportunity to interact with administrators of non-traditional study abroad sites around the world. Williams says this thought sharing was a valuable way to learn from the successes and challenges of other institutions’ study abroad programs.

“We hope to use what we learned at the conference to make changes that will be beneficial to our students,” Williams says.