Rice to blame for difficulties studying abroad
In light of my own recent experience overseas, I’ve realized that Rice’s study abroad program, contrary to what the flyers might suggest, is only in its infant stages. I believe Rice is on the right track by encouraging students to study abroad without imposing many bureaucratic difficulties. Unlike at some other universities, students here have the freedom to study anywhere, not just with a handful of pre-approved programs.
However, Rice’s approach is too hands-off, and it can make studying abroad more frustrating than it needs to be.
My first study abroad went off without a hitch. This was mostly by chance, since Rice does not provide much direction for traveling to Nicaragua. However, while I was there, I was able to meet representatives from other universities who had come to evaluate the program. I am unaware of Rice staff evaluating study abroad programs in person — I know for sure they did not evaluate my program in Nicaragua — and it is about time they started. This would allow them to recommend programs or advise against them based on their own evaluations. Rice could even recommend certain programs for certain majors or warn against programs that offer ridiculously easy courses and shelter students from experiencing the local culture. Further, it could inform students that certain departments have approved certain foreign schools’ curriculum for class credit. These steps are currently the responsibility of the student. For liberal arts majors, this is generally acceptable. But engineers may be condemned to an extra semester if they fail to transfer courses taken abroad a risk many choose not to take.
Right now, I am studying abroad in Santiago, Chile with the Institute for International Education of Students (IES). This experience has allowed me to see some of Rice International Programs’ shortcomings. First of all, no one at Rice could tell me which study abroad programs in Santiago I would benefit most from. I have had several frustrations with IES, and I believe Rice is responsible because of its hands-off approach. While other exchange programs gave the foreign students at my university their student I.D.s right away, I had to face a long delay. Also, in the IES program, I was a second-class study abroad citizen. Georgetown University has evaluated the IES program and made particular arrangements for its students, who can take classes simultaneously at the two main universities in Santiago and opt out of an IES course that is difficult to obtain transfer credit for in favor of extra local courses. I had registration difficulties that wouldn’t have happened if I had this arrangement.
Another frustration is the disconnect between International Programs and academic departments. At Rice, with our lax advising system, I couldn’t think of who would look over my courses, and sent e-mails to the economics department to no avail. While other students had advisors at their home university reviewing their schedules, I didn’t feel like anyone at Rice even knew when my registration week was. I am currently studying at the Pontificate Catholic University, which is reputed for its economics program. Rice should not only encourage economics majors to study here, but should work with one of the study abroad programs here to make arrangements that suit Rice students’ needs, like Georgetown does. I think this is even more important for engineering and pre-med students. Rice should proactively find programs that are ideal for their courses of study. I’m sure more of them would study abroad if they were guaranteed the transfer of their credits and the support of their departments.
I know Rice cannot scout out every corner of the globe. However, if Rice wants to promote Latin American studies, as it says it does, it should at least scout out programs in Monterrey, Mexico City, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. The same idea applies to other regions; if Rice thinks it is a good idea for students to study in a certain area, then it should help make particular arrangements for students in their chosen region of study.
In the end, since Rice doesn’t evaluate the independent programs that offer study abroad, it is difficult for students to know what they are getting into. I would ask the administration to put itself in students’ shoes and think of ways study abroad can improve the overall quality of education.
In short, I believe Rice’s study abroad needs to become much more proactive. The changes I am suggesting here are not small, but more akin to a revamping of the current system. Freedom is good, but here is a case where too much freedom can actually be a bad thing. We all want Rice to be the best university it can be, and the more honest we are about our weaknesses, the sooner we can become that much better.
Steve Dictor is a Martel College senior.
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