Should They Go?

One of the key elements in a successful education abroad program is the good behavior and satisfactory academic performance of the students participating in it. As education abroad professionals continue to seek ways to improve the quality of their programs, finding ways to ensure that students take education abroad as seriously as they do their on-campus studies, and that they understand that study abroad is not a vacation, but an essential part of their overall education, is of fundamental importance—both for the success of the students as well as for the reputation of the institution.

“We expect that students make a commitment not only to their studies but to their ability to be a steward of good behavior while abroad,” says Joanna Holvey-Bowles, executive vice president and COO of Butler University Institute for Study Abroad. “Poor student conduct reflects badly not only on the student, but on the provider, and on the student’s home institution as well.” On a more positive note, she adds, “Behaving well enables students to cross cultures with greater success.”

Maintaining a Seamless Approach to Institutional Policies

Most institutions have a well-established, well-defined, and clear code of conduct that governs student behavior on campus, and for the most part, these policies can and should apply to education abroad as well.

“We make it clear to our students that the university’s code of conduct applies to them when they are abroad, and that there are potential disciplinary consequences for behaviors committed abroad immediately upon return to campus,” says Barbara Lindeman