Spring Break
OP-ED: Study abroad merit awards a must for IGS
by Stephanie Karol
Op-Ed | 2/10/09
Posted online at 12:51 AM EST on 2/10/09
I was incredibly disturbed and shocked to hear about the new study abroad policy.
According to the Office of Study Abroad's Web site, "Students may not receive any form of merit aid while on study abroad." These words represent a breach of "contract" to those who, like me, were told upon their acceptance that their merit-based scholarships would cover all four years, including semesters spent abroad. This is particularly egregious when one considers the character of the Brandeis student body, especially our merit award recipients and students pursuing the International and Global Studies major.
Brandeis attracts a class of individuals eager to realize their global citizenship in an experiential manner. I do not mean that this is the top priority of every Brandeis student, but I think that this generalization, however broad, more than stands up to scrutiny.
This holds true in particular when one visits the Brandeis Web site. Quite prominently displayed is a link to "Global Brandeis." While this link does not directly pertain to studying abroad, it is directly correlated to this most flaunted of the University's values. But is Brandeis all talk? Why should the University exhibit such an admiration for global citizenship-by which I mean the process of experiencing a foreign part of the world for an extended period of time, such as the length of a semester-but then deliberately throw obstacles in the path of merit award recipients trying to attain it?
The fact that one of Brandeis' most popular majors is the International and Global Studies program is highly indicative of the level of global awareness on this campus. IGS is a wonderful program with much to offer any student who chooses to pursue it.
However, these days, IGS is looking less attractive to those with merit-based scholarships because it has an international experience requirement. I do not suggest that IGS should get rid of this requirement because to do so would significantly impair the program. Studying abroad is essential to the IGS major, and pursuing the program using only lectures, textbooks and the Internet would leave graduates entirely unprepared for the real-world application of their classroom learning.
According to the Office of Study Abroad's Web site, "Students may not receive any form of merit aid while on study abroad." These words represent a breach of "contract" to those who, like me, were told upon their acceptance that their merit-based scholarships would cover all four years, including semesters spent abroad. This is particularly egregious when one considers the character of the Brandeis student body, especially our merit award recipients and students pursuing the International and Global Studies major.
Brandeis attracts a class of individuals eager to realize their global citizenship in an experiential manner. I do not mean that this is the top priority of every Brandeis student, but I think that this generalization, however broad, more than stands up to scrutiny.
This holds true in particular when one visits the Brandeis Web site. Quite prominently displayed is a link to "Global Brandeis." While this link does not directly pertain to studying abroad, it is directly correlated to this most flaunted of the University's values. But is Brandeis all talk? Why should the University exhibit such an admiration for global citizenship-by which I mean the process of experiencing a foreign part of the world for an extended period of time, such as the length of a semester-but then deliberately throw obstacles in the path of merit award recipients trying to attain it?
The fact that one of Brandeis' most popular majors is the International and Global Studies program is highly indicative of the level of global awareness on this campus. IGS is a wonderful program with much to offer any student who chooses to pursue it.
However, these days, IGS is looking less attractive to those with merit-based scholarships because it has an international experience requirement. I do not suggest that IGS should get rid of this requirement because to do so would significantly impair the program. Studying abroad is essential to the IGS major, and pursuing the program using only lectures, textbooks and the Internet would leave graduates entirely unprepared for the real-world application of their classroom learning.
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