Chapter 7: Study Abroad: Building Successful Bridges to International Learning Experiences

Many colleges and universities across the nation face increased pressures to prepare students to be part of a globalized and interconnected society. To respond to this demand, institutions continue to support the creation of campus internationalization initiatives that offer students and faculty an “unprecedented range of opportunities available to broaden their world- view and deepen their understanding of global issues” (Tillman, 2010, p. 7). Internationalization stands as one of the “most significant drivers of change” in higher education today (Taylor, 2004, p. 168). In broad terms, it is defined as a “conscious effort to integrate international, intercultural, and global dimensions into the ethos and outcomes of higher education” (NAFSA, 2008, p. 1). In the United States, internationalization initiatives on campuses emerged during the 1990s, and currently include programs and activities such as volunteer trips, traveling opportunities, internships, work abroad, and study abroad. The chapter that follows focuses on study abroad, considering it has become the most widely replicated internation- alization initiative on colleges and universities in the country (American Council on Education, 2008).