Evaluating Education Abroad Partnerships

As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered international travel in March 2020, education abroad leaders across higher education were compelled to rethink programming and consider innovative, safe ways for students to engage in international experiences.

For education abroad staff at Michigan State University (MSU), joining the SUNY COIL Global Network provided a way to continue offering cross-cultural encounters for students during a time of extremely limited mobility. This network is coordinated by the State University of New York system and is dedicated to Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in higher education It promotes the virtual exchange of knowledge, sharing of resources, creation of teaching partnerships, and more. Participation in COIL helped boost interest among MSU faculty in establishing virtual exchange opportunities for their classrooms.

Though MSU first joined COIL as a way to continue education abroad programs when the pandemic shut down international travel, the university has continued participating in the network as global mobility has opened back up. 

“Overall, students are responding really well to virtual experiences because they get a brief international experience without leaving home,” says Inge Steglitz, associate director of MSU’s Office for Education Abroad. “We’ve always known that not all students can travel overseas. But for students who would like to dip their toes into that area, COIL experiences give that opportunity.” 

“As we evaluate our programs, one of the filters we use is looking at whether the provider offers programs in a field of study where we need more options for our students.” —Inge Steglitz

The education abroad landscape continues to evolve due to the lasting impact of the pandemic. Some programs ended and never resumed, while others reemerged and new ones came along. As institutions strive to leverage limited resources and meet student interests and needs, education abroad leaders are reevaluating their portfolios. That involves finding innovative ways to cultivate new partnerships or enhance existing ones.

“COIL [has] allowed us to be relatively strategic in filling gaps in our portfolio,” says Steglitz. “For example, there are certain majors on campus that are underserved by our current offerings. As we evaluate our programs, one of the filters we use is looking at whether the provider offers programs in a field of study where we need more options for our students.”

In some ways, Steglitz adds, COVID-19 enriched the education abroad landscape by pressing international educators to reimagine program offerings, such as leaning in to online options.

“As a field, virtual exchange has been on the fringes for a long time, but it’s now moved a little closer to the center as a well-regarded opportunity if well executed,” Steglitz says. “The way we think about education abroad has changed, and we must leverage existing partnerships to help all our degree-seeking students continue making progress.”

Education Abroad Then and Now

Study abroad numbers declined significantly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Spring 2023 Snapshot on International Educational Exchange found that the field is making a recovery. Approximately 82 percent of institutions responding to the IIE survey expected their study abroad numbers to increase during the 2023–24 academic year, compared with the previous year. 

“The continued anticipated growth in 2023/24 is promising as colleges and universities work to rebuild their study abroad programs,” according to the IIE report. 

The IIE study also found that Europe is still the leading destination for U.S. study abroad participants. Destinations outside of Europe that are gaining popularity include Argentina, Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and South Korea. Rising tensions between China and the United States over the past few years have impacted the flow of students to China. According to the report, “China was the seventh most popular destination before the COVID-19 pandemic, but as of 2023/24, less than 30 percent of institutions noted plans to send students to China.”

Faculty-led programs are now the most popular study abroad opportunities on many campuses, as they offer meaningful cross-cultural experience while requiring a brief commitment of time abroad. However, as student demand for program types and destinations continues to evolve, institutions are evaluating new and existing partnerships in their education abroad portfolios.

Evaluating Partnerships 

There are numerous criteria that should go into evaluating education abroad partnerships, including student interest, academic equivalency, adequate support measures, and reciprocal benefits. Education abroad professionals at institutions and providers have identified some of the most important considerations to keep in mind:

Protocol for student health concerns.

One of the greatest lessons of the pandemic is the importance of communicating expectations about student health. What is the protocol if one or more students get sick or if there’s a disease outbreak on a larger scale? Are there adequate measures and training in place to respond? Consider how potential partners plan to assess student health and accommodate students if illness or injury disrupts the program itinerary. 

“There’s nothing like a crisis to help you assess and determine whether or not your partnerships are what you want them to be,” says Mark Lenhart, executive director of CET Academic Programs. “As we were relaunching our programs, we evaluated how our partners on the ground could meet new expectations when it comes to health and safety, especially when it comes to COVID-19 protocols. Fortunately, all of them were able to, and so we have sustained those partnerships.”

Student mental health resources.

Even before the pandemic, mental health issues were common among teenagers and young adults. The effects of the pandemic have accelerated this problem, making college students more vulnerable and in need of greater support. Immersing oneself in a new culture—potentially with limited language skills—can exacerbate these concerns. Look for partners that offer appropriate resources to support students in need.

“We’ve seen since COVID-19 that many students are more vulnerable and fragile in that sense,” says Enda Carroll, associate director for University College Dublin Global, which receives a high number of U.S. students each semester. “We have a really good support structure around mental health provision, which is a real benefit for our partners. When they're sending students to us, they know that we're going to be responsive to those needs. And that trust around communication with the partner during a crisis is important, knowing that we can pick up the phone and talk to each other and respond in a very collaborative way to meet students’ needs.”

A qualified and responsive team. 

Over the past few years, study abroad staffing has faced dramatic turnover—on college campuses as well as among third-party vendors. That means having to build new relationships and a renewed sense of trust among partners. In many cases, campus staff or outside providers must take time to become familiar with the programs and find new ways to operate with reduced budgets and personnel.

“Like most places, we had staffing issues during the pandemic,” Steglitz says. “We are recovering from that and have been able to staff back up almost to pre-COVID levels, but we're getting there slowly. That’s been hard to lose some of our colleagues, but we’ve also had the opportunity to also bring fresh talent into the office.”

Diversity in programming.

Building a diverse portfolio of education abroad programs—from short-term faculty-led exchanges, alternative spring breaks, and internships to semester- or yearlong experiences—in a wide range of destinations provides a variety of experiences that may appeal to a broader population of students. Short-term programs, for example, may draw a greater number of students from populations that traditionally have been underrepresented in study abroad. 

“And we often do see students who've taken one of these shorter programs come back later and do a longer program,” Steglitz says. “Different students want different things. Some students are really adventurous and are perfectly fine doing a direct-enroll program where they are the only MSU students in a place like Quito, Ecuador. Other students want the more protected environment of faculty-directed programs. And some students are in the middle. So don’t put all your eggs in one basket, because the student population is very diverse, and it's getting more diverse.”

Care for the planet.

Students are increasingly concerned about climate change and the environment. Education abroad programs emphasizing sustainability may appeal to students’ sense of responsibility for the earth. CET Academic Programs makes efforts to mitigate its carbon footprint by contributing a fee to carbon offset organizations each time a student or staff member travels by air to one of its sites.

“Last year, we contributed around $75,000 to carbon offsets,” Lenhart says. “We’re also trying to engage staff at our local sites and learn about ways they are adopting sustainable practices. Many places in the world are ahead of the United States when it comes to sustainability. We try to tap into what is happening locally and apply that to other locations.”

Access through affordability. 

Another important consideration in evaluating partnerships is to make sure that education abroad opportunities are more affordable for all interested students. What is the cost of the program? Are there financial aid and scholarship opportunities available from a partner or that will be accepted by the partner?

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), for example, study abroad is considered integral to the learning experience. That means making sure to offer affordable options for all students. The UW Global Gateway Initiative makes education abroad programs accessible for students with demonstrated financial need by providing scholarships for faculty-led summer programs and semester- or yearlong programs. 

When establishing partnerships, “We’re always mindful of making sure that these opportunities are as accessible [as possible] for all students,” says Matthew Geisler, associate director for new programs and enrollment for UW’s international academic programs. 

Matching Institutional Priorities

Central to the process of reevaluating new and existing study abroad partnerships is considering how the institution’s values, priorities, and culture should be reflected in the resulting portfolio. Practitioners should be able to communicate those expectations and align with potential partners that can deliver. 

“The partnership has to work for both sides,” Carroll says. “A partnership is very much a two-way street—the potential partners evaluating you as you’re evaluating [them]. So try to find a fit that works, and keep the student at the center all times.”  •