Spring Break
New study abroad policy ill thought-out
by Hillel Buechler
Op-Ed | 1/20/09
Posted online at 9:27 PM EST on 1/19/09
/ Last updated at 12:01 AM EST on 1/19/09
Right now isn't the most fun time to be a Brandeis sophomore.
On Friday, the Division of Students and Enrollment notified students via e-mail of a flurry of sudden and extraordinarily inconvenient changes to study abroad policy, putting into jeopardy the plans of current sophomores who had considered studying abroad during the coming academic year.
I'm a first-year, so studying abroad is still in my relatively distant future. But it's blatantly clear to me, just as it should be to anyone, that these new policies are severely beyond justification-and almost certainly immoral.
There are essentially four new policies: A mandatory Preliminary Study Abroad Application, fall-only housing in the Village, a new minimum grade point average requirement and the inability to use merit scholarships abroad.
The most immediate change is the addition of a Preliminary Study Abroad Application, due Feb. 15. The online form is brief and easy to complete. But that's utterly irrelevant when you don't know if or where you're studying outside of Waltham this coming academic year.
With the new policy, the decision to go abroad in nearly a year's time must be made less than a month from now. In the past, students considering studying abroad in the spring had until a fall deadline to make any decision.
If the University had notified students months ago of this change, this Feb. 15 deadline might be acceptable. But now? Absolutely not.
Before the University's decision to change former policies, all current sophomores could also assume forthcoming freedom to live in any of the four areas open to juniors (assuming they receive housing): Ziv Quad, the Charles River Apartments, the Village and the newly-rebuilt Ridgewood Quad.
Though they will be guaranteed fall housing, all current sophomores intending to participate in a spring study-abroad program may only request Village housing with other juniors doing the same.
Some students planning on studying abroad in spring 2010 now must also reconsider preliminary living plans for next year. Although final decisions about roommate situations for the 2009 to 2010 academic year are not due for a few weeks, some sophomores already had begun making plans.
On Friday, the Division of Students and Enrollment notified students via e-mail of a flurry of sudden and extraordinarily inconvenient changes to study abroad policy, putting into jeopardy the plans of current sophomores who had considered studying abroad during the coming academic year.
I'm a first-year, so studying abroad is still in my relatively distant future. But it's blatantly clear to me, just as it should be to anyone, that these new policies are severely beyond justification-and almost certainly immoral.
There are essentially four new policies: A mandatory Preliminary Study Abroad Application, fall-only housing in the Village, a new minimum grade point average requirement and the inability to use merit scholarships abroad.
The most immediate change is the addition of a Preliminary Study Abroad Application, due Feb. 15. The online form is brief and easy to complete. But that's utterly irrelevant when you don't know if or where you're studying outside of Waltham this coming academic year.
With the new policy, the decision to go abroad in nearly a year's time must be made less than a month from now. In the past, students considering studying abroad in the spring had until a fall deadline to make any decision.
If the University had notified students months ago of this change, this Feb. 15 deadline might be acceptable. But now? Absolutely not.
Before the University's decision to change former policies, all current sophomores could also assume forthcoming freedom to live in any of the four areas open to juniors (assuming they receive housing): Ziv Quad, the Charles River Apartments, the Village and the newly-rebuilt Ridgewood Quad.
Though they will be guaranteed fall housing, all current sophomores intending to participate in a spring study-abroad program may only request Village housing with other juniors doing the same.
Some students planning on studying abroad in spring 2010 now must also reconsider preliminary living plans for next year. Although final decisions about roommate situations for the 2009 to 2010 academic year are not due for a few weeks, some sophomores already had begun making plans.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
David Powelstock, Chair, REES
posted 1/20/09 @ 1:09 PM EST
This editorial implies that filling out the preliminary form represents a binding commitment to study abroad next year. I think this is a misunderstanding that absolutely must clarified. (Continued…)
Post a Comment