George Fox ranks high in study abroad participation
With nearly two-thirds of its undergraduates participating in study abroad programs, George Fox University is a national leader in providing international experiences to its students.
Sixty-four percent of the university’s traditional undergraduates study abroad before graduation. According to data compiled by U.S. News & World Report magazine for its 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” issue, George Fox ranks No. 22 out of approximately 1,400 accredited institutions in the nation in percentage of students studying outside the country. George Fox also was among the top five Christian colleges in study abroad participation.
George Fox students have several options for studying abroad. Since 1987, the university’s Juniors Abroad program has sent third- and fourth-year students on three-week overseas study trips led by professors. Trips occur during May or June and students prepare by studying the region during a spring semester course. George Fox pays transportation and program costs; students pay room and board.
In May, George Fox University students took Juniors Abroad trips to Asia, Africa, Western Europe, Central America, Egypt, New Guinea, New Zealand and Ecuador.
Students also may participate in one of several semester-long overseas experiences. The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) student programs include the Australian Studies Program, the China Studies Program, the Middle East Studies Program, the Russian Studies Program, the Semester in Senegal Program, the South American Studies Program, and the Uganda Studies Program.
George Fox also partners with relief agency Food for the Hungry International to offer students a blend of academic work and hands-on field experience in the African Studies Program.
Other affiliated study abroad sites include the Semester in France Program, the Semester in Spain Program, the Semester in Costa Rica Program, and the GoEd Mekong Program, a trip that includes a full-time internship with Food for the Hungry in Thailand.
“One of the most effective means of fostering global awareness is to spend time in another country and culture,” said Lon Fendall, director of the university’s Center for Global Studies. “Many of our students do both the short emersion of Juniors Abroad and a more in-depth semester abroad experience. Both are valuable in increasing a student’s understanding of our diverse world.”
