Studies abroad are starting again and include around fifty seniors

When COVID-19 forced Kalamazoo College to suspend its study abroad programs last year, many juniors feared losing a life-changing opportunity. Delaying it for a year is usually not possible with academic obstacles. In addition, the varied pandemic protocols continue to make it difficult for students to travel.

“If you think about the preparations, considerations, and protocols we had to put in place to get students to be on campus over the past year, just multiply that by 50 to study abroad.” International Programs Center (CIP) said Executive Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft. “It is one thing for our international partners to have an academic project. It’s another to think of all the components and put them together to deliver a meaningful program.

However, the students still had hope and refused to give up.

“When they realized they weren’t going to go abroad as juniors, we had quite a few determined students who said, ‘I’m going as a senior. How can I make this work? ‘ “Said Wiedenhoeft.

Combine this desire with a flexible Faculty who recognizes the importance of international immersion, as well as a lot of hard work from IPC, and K had a game plan to resume study abroad, especially for this year’s seniors. Their combined efforts and the availability of international partners allow around fifty seniors, in addition to the regular batch of juniors, to go abroad, i.e. around 161 students in total studying abroad and abroad. foreigner. This turns out to be a pride at K and a significant number for everything. Association of Great Lakes Colleges (GLCA).

“When I talk to my colleagues from other colleges and tell them how many students we have abroad, their responses are really full of joy and envy for these students,” said Wiedenhoeft. “There are currently other schools that send students abroad, but we certainly have a significantly higher number of students who go abroad compared to our peers. “

More than 50 study abroad programs are generally available to K students and most of them are reopened under local protocols and sanitary restrictions. This year’s programs include two interim opportunities in Lyon, France, and Lüneburg, Germany, which may at some point become annual destinations. There are also more permanent options opening for the first time in London and Belfast, which are launched a year late due to the COVID-19 hiatus.

Wiedenhoeft said united efforts across campus to make these programs possible should help new students understand the importance of visiting CIP early and often if they want an opportunity to study abroad.

“I think this underscores our willingness to be flexible and support students who wish to include a study abroad component as part of their experience at K,” she said. “This may not be exactly what the student initially planned when he arrived. But for those students who are flexible and willing to adjust some of their expectations, we can do our best to work with the students and make sure they achieve that goal of leaving campus.

Wiedenhoeft added that students have widely expressed gratitude for resuming studies abroad and their experiences, especially the elderly, even when additional COVID-19 protocols are needed. For example, students who are now in Thailand and South Korea had to quarantine themselves in a hotel for two weeks due to public health reasons.

“It talks about the type of students we have at K,” she said. “They showed a lot of adaptability and flexibility. As it got closer they were very excited and we were giving them very specific instructions. I think these instructions made it more intimidating to think about traveling. But the students we’ve heard from, including those who had to be quarantined, are just thrilled to be overseas. “