Yalies find obstacles on the road to study abroad

Each year, Yalies look to venture from the Ivory Tower and explore the ends of the earth. However, many students have been disappointed by the lack of Yale-sponsored study abroad programs, problems receiving credit, and insufficient support services.

According to Susan Hauser, director of undergraduate career services and chair of the committee on junior year abroad, students must often enroll in outside programs because the University simply cannot accommodate their extremely diverse interests. With 122 Yalies studying abroad during the 1997-98 academic year, Hauser said that Yale "could never have enough programs--students have such varied abilities and desires." She explained that a student can study abroad either by directly enrolling in a sponsored program with an American university or by applying to a foreign university.

Yale currently sponsors only one study abroad program, Yale-in-London. In order to receive academic credit, students hoping to travel elsewhere must enroll in programs approved by the Yale study abroad committee.

Some students have found it difficult to find programs that have earned Yale's seal of approval. Chauthuy Hoang, DC '99, wanted to study in Vietnam but learned that Yale had only approved one program there. While she found another program that interested her, the board turned it down. Although Hoang acknowledged that the board probably had "good reasons," she was disappointed to learn that "they have a set list of programs" and did not seem to encourage exploration.

Some students said Yale's reluctance to award credit for some study abroad programs forced them to change their plans. Melissa Gable, BK '98, said she "was at first frustrated by the lack of flexibility in terms of awarding credit." She added that her "original plan was to go to Zimbabwe, and since no Yalie had been there before...the process that I would have had to go through to try to get credit was quite lengthy." Gable eventually decided to study in Ireland instead.

While finding an acceptable program is sometimes difficult, Yale does facilitate the process by transferring financial aid packages once programs are approved by the committee on junior year abroad. In some cases, aid may soon be available specifically for students who decide to venture to a particular part of the globe.

According to Nancy Robinson, coordinator of the Council on Latin American Studies, Yale is planning to provide four full scholarships for students to study in Brazil or Portugal, as well as partial assistance for students wishing to study in Mexico.

While Robinson stated that "it's a little too soon to talk about Yale starting a program," she added that the scholarships, funded by the Luso-American Development Foundation and the Instituto Camoes in Portugal, are intended to encourage Yale students to study in the specified countries. David Jackson, chair of the council on Latin American studies, agreed that the programs are "well developed" but admitted that "Yale is a little behind the game in the study abroad programs."

Students did say that UCS provides the resources necessary to find a program that suits their interests. "Sources of information for study abroad programs are there if one is really motivated to go through them," Gable said. Hoang noted, however, "you have to sort of ask them questions...they aren't going to hand you the information."

Despite these obstacles, students generally felt their experiences abroad were extremely rewarding and made up for the hassle. "Going abroad was such an important part of my college experience, and I don't see why it isn't encouraged more by Yale College," Gable said.

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