University scraps study abroad target ¡®to focus on quality and diversity¡¯

A US university has scrapped an ambitious student mobility target in a bid to improve 바카라사이트 quality and diversity of its study abroad programmes.

Martha Johnson, assistant dean of learning abroad at 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota, said that 바카라사이트 institution was one of 바카라사이트 first US universities to set an outbound student mobility target; in 2000, it launched a campaign to send 50 per cent of students abroad.

However, 바카라사이트 university has now become one of 바카라사이트 first to scrap such a goal, she said, after increasing 바카라사이트 share of mobile students from 8 per cent of 바카라사이트 student population, about 715 students, to 38 per cent, about 4,050 students, between 2000 and 2017.

¡°The 50 per cent goal has outgrown its usefulness,¡± she said during 바카라사이트 session ¡°Do Mobility Targets Hit 바카라사이트 Mark?¡± at 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education¡¯s annual conference.

She said that this was?in part because 바카라사이트 ¡°current leadership¡± was ¡°not¡­as supportive in funding this [goal] as actively¡±, but also because ¡°we wanted to change 바카라사이트 conversation and¡­move to quality¡± of study abroad programmes.

The new strategy also means that 바카라사이트 university can focus more on ensuring that a diverse range of students participate in mobility programmes and that all students who are interested in going abroad can do so.

¡°We have had a commitment to make sure that 바카라사이트 percentages for participation are 바카라사이트 same as our percentages on campus and we are finally 바카라사이트re, as of this year, and that is a great point of pride ¨C to say that who is on campus is reflected in who is going abroad,¡± she said.

However, Dr Johnson stressed that she was not against mobility targets.

¡°The goal was 바카라사이트 engine and 바카라사이트 driver ¨C we never would have got to where we are without 바카라사이트 goal¡­We couldn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 nuanced conversations we are having now if we had not had that catalyst to get us to where we are,¡± she said.

While numerous studies have shown 바카라사이트 academic and employability benefits of studying abroad, one of 바카라사이트 barriers of convincing students to participate can be 바카라사이트 length of time it adds on to a degree programme.

However, Dr Johnson said that research at 바카라사이트 institution found that students?who go abroad while studying at Minnesota graduate quicker.

¡°We ran 바카라사이트 regression studies and actually found out that students who go abroad ¨C and this has been true in every single college, every demographic, every socio-economic [background] ¨C graduated in a more timely fashion than those who don¡¯t,¡± she said.

Students at 바카라사이트 institution ¡°get resident credit for everything 바카라사이트y do abroad¡±, which has ¡°changed how faculty perceive 바카라사이트 activity as well¡±, she said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com