Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts

Joins Institute of International Education Coalition to

Double Number of Students Who Study Abroad by End of Decade

[New York, NY], May 20, 2014— Eugene Lang College has pledged to join the Institute of International Education (IIE)’s Generation Study Abroad initiative to double the number of American students who study abroad by the end of the decade. The initiative is also focused on increasing the diversity of the students who study abroad, ensuring quality, and removing barriers to participation. Eugene Lang College has committed to increasing the number of students who study abroad by double its current enrollments over the next five years.

In an effort to realize the goals of Generation Study Abroad, Eugene Lang College will undertake a number of initiatives over the next five years to support study abroad.  Chief among these are establishing a new exchange partnership with an urban foreign institution and establishing at least three new faculty-led programs during winter or summer break.   Eugene Lang College is also committed to increasing awareness of funding opportunities for study abroad and providing support and guidance for students who apply for internal and external scholarship opportunities.  Particular emphasis will be placed on promoting study abroad in non-traditional destinations and working with university stakeholders and study abroad alumni to highlight the array of opportunities available throughout the world.

Two months after the official launch of Generation Study Abroad, the Institute of International Education has announced significant progress in advancing the major goals of the initiative. IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative now has over 300 commitment partners -- double the number who had signed on by the March launch date. The 150 new partners who have committed to specific, actionable goals to increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad include colleges and universities of all sizes and types across the country, as well as study abroad organizations, foreign governments, and associations. Noteworthy commitments to action in this round include new scholarships and financial assistance to help students pay for study abroad, and new initiatives to reach out to underserved groups and increase the diversity of the student population that goes abroad.

A total of 308 partners have joined Generation Study Abroad to date. They include: 241 U.S. colleges and universities from 46 states; 9 non-U.S. institutions; 13 education associations; 34 study abroad organizations; 11 U.S. and foreign government entities, including the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Recognizing the importance of an internationally focused workforce, IIE is also actively seeking the participation of corporations and the business community. 

In the strategic plan for The New School, President David Van Zandt remarks,

“The New School has always been a highly internationalized enterprise, from the earliest days of the University in Exile through to today. The New School has the largest international undergraduate population of significant U.S. universities, and has strong connections to Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Our global emphasis in the 21st century builds on this legacy. In the coming years we will extend our profile as a global university through a comprehensive approach that features global educational opportunities, partnerships, networks, international student recruitment, and a more internationalized curriculum. Students from all over the world will be able to be part of our extended academic community through a variety of means of access. We are motivated by a desire to expand and diversify our student markets, to be more accessible to and inclusive of underrepresented populations, and to continually improve the quality and relevance of all of our students’ educational experiences in a globalizing world. Like their lives, our students’ future professions will extend across borders and boundaries.”

At Eugene Lang College, we recognize increasing global interconnectedness and stress the importance for students to develop global awareness as a core competency within the liberal arts tradition.  We believe a experience learning abroad is central to this objective and enhances a student’s global outlook while increasing their skill set and marketability after graduation.  During the 2013-14 academic year, over 100 students participated in study abroad programs in 24 countries.  Eugene Lang College offers 6 exchange programs and 8 faculty-led programs administered by the college each year, as well as affiliations with more than 15 study abroad organizations.  “Globalization has changed the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and expertise,” says Dr. Allan Goodman, President of IIE. “Studying abroad must be viewed as an essential component of a college degree and critical to preparing future leaders.”

IIE is launching Generation Study Abroad because the number and proportion of today’s students who graduate with an educational experience abroad is far too low. Currently, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students study abroad at some point in their academic career. According to the Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange released by IIE last November with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 295,000 students studied abroad in 2011/12 in credit-bearing and non-credit programs. Generation Study Abroad aims to grow participation in study abroad so that the annual total reported will reach 600,000 by the end of the decade. 

With 2.6 million students graduating with associates or baccalaureate degrees each year, it is clear that major segments of America’s young people are not getting the international experience they will need to advance their careers and participate in the global economy, or to work together across borders to address global issues.  Commitment partners are working to ensure that students from all backgrounds and in all fields of study have the opportunity to gain this important experience.

Generation Study Abroad will engage educators at all levels and stakeholders in the public and private sectors to drive meaningful, innovative action to increase the number of U.S. students who have the opportunity to gain international experience through academic study abroad programs, as well as internships, service learning and non-credit educational experiences. Building on its nearly 100-year commitment to study abroad, IIE has committed $2 million of its own funds to this initiative over the next 5 years.

For more information on IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative, and a complete list of commitment partners, visit www.iie.org/generationstudyabroad.