The following article is meant to provide you with a brief overview of what makes this initiative so important.  As part of your local strategy, you might wish to create an op-ed for your university president to submit to the local media.   Feel free to use the information provided below as a supplement to your own campuses’ success in promoting study abroad.

WHY CELEBRATE 2006 AS THE YEAR OF STUDY ABROAD?

From USA Today to the Associated Press, The Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, ABC, NBC and the Washingtonpost.com news sites ~ press attention to the issue bespeaks the significance of studying abroad. 

Congress has echoed urgent commitment to this as a national priority. 

“Today, America’s national security and our competitive ability are increasingly dependent on our relations and understanding of the rest of the world.  Educational exchanges with foreign countries and the study of foreign languages are essential to our cultural diplomacy and an excellent way for young people to gain valuable experience that will aid them throughout their lives.”  ~ Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard G. Lugar.  

“Study abroad is not merely a life-changing experience for those who pursue it; as the world becomes smaller, it is essential that our citizens understand other nations.  To maintain our global leadership, we must give our students greater international educational opportunities.”
 ~ Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Joseph R. Biden, Jr.  

The 109th Congress, 1st Session passed Senate Resolution 308 on November 10, 2005, officially designating 2006 as The Year of Study Abroad. 

“The United States’ capacity to lead in the 21st Century demands that we school new generations of students in cultural and social realities beyond what they may have grown up with in the United States,” stated Senator Richard J. Durbin, resolution sponsor and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee who also serves on the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program.

Recent federal reports cite a language and cultural skill shortage in more than 70 agencies critical to national security, public diplomacy and economic competitiveness.    Study abroad accelerates skill building and strengthens strategic relationships, so 2006 will be spent generating visibility and credibility for an educational approach that can leverage change for the overall health and welfare of our country.  

“Study abroad is not a frill,” said M. Peter McPherson, Chair of The Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, at coast to coast forums, a special briefing in Washington, D.C. and at the commission’s pre-report release press conference in the late fall of 2005.

This was the most oft repeated quote by national, regional and local media, as reporters and editorial writers spread the story of a bold, new initiative being put forward in the report of the 17 member, bi-partisan Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program in November of 2005.  The Commission, created by Congress and appointed by the President, Departments of State, Education, Commerce and Defense, Senate and House leadership, was charged with the mandate of recommending a structure for an American undergraduate overseas education fellowship. 

Hundreds of stories about a culture shifting proposal to send one million undergraduates abroad annually ran in a combination of print, broadcast and internet news outlets. 

“What nations don’t know can hurt them”, writ the report prologue. “The stakes involved in study abroad are that simple, that straightforward, and that important. For their own future and that of the nation, college graduates today must be internationally competent.”

The Commission recognized the signs of a “tipping point”, capitalizing on readiness revealed in such surveys as The American Council on Education’s Public Opinion Poll 2002 which stated that 50% of college-bound high school students express interest in studying abroad and 75% of students think it is important to study or participate in an internship abroad during their academic career, and NAFSA: The Association of International Educators’ 2005 poll which indicated that the American public believes that international education is key to preparing the next generation.  Yet, according to the 2003-4 IIE Open Doors report, just slightly over 1% (191,321) of our enrolled undergraduates actually study or intern abroad.

Commissioners declared that study abroad should be a realistic opportunity for every student, regardless of race, gender, financial wherewithal or academic interests and
 set forth to identify barriers and trends, assist institutions and align program structure with national needs for producing globally competent graduates. Issues for institutions to address include curriculum integration, credit transfers, cost containment, sustainability measures, safety and risk management that would promote democratization of access to studying abroad and diversity in destinations, students and institutional participation. 

With a modest federal investment, the higher education community and the private sector could boost numbers so that, by 2017, funds would help send one million students – half of all those receiving a degree each year – to study abroad. 

The Congressionally created Commission continues its work for one more year, promoting nationwide study abroad activities that are designed to increase understanding and support for study abroad as an essential educational experience.  The Commission aims to stimulate state and higher education organizations to provide support and encouragement to increase study abroad participation on individual campuses, within the state or organization. 

“A student today is not fully educated if there is no global component”, says Dr. William B. DeLauder, President Emeritus of Delaware State University and Executive Director of the Commission.  “Global Competence & National Needs, One Million Americans Studying Abroad”, a Report to the President and United States Congress, is available in print or for downloading by going to www.lincolncommission.org.  The Lincoln Commission web site also provides background information on it’s ties to Lincoln, who democratized access to education, the Legacy of the late Senator Paul Simon, visionary and prolific author of bills in support of lifting barriers to cross-cultural education, the Legislation that created the commission and a Call to Act as well as advocacy materials for the public’s use.  One may review findings from forums conducted by the Commission as its’ members traversed the country to ascertain issues and interests, crucial to construction of a viable scholarship structure. 

Plans and opportunities for participation in “2006 The Year of Study Abroad” activities, nationwide, may be found by going to www.yearofstudyabroad.org.