The Whitworthian

Issue date: 11/13/07

As a senior in high school I fretted over getting into college. I fretted even more over which college to go to once I was accepted. As I agonized between a large public university like UC Berkeley or some quaint Christian liberal arts school, the option for studying abroad was a big factor. In the end I chose Whitworth for its community but felt fortunate because they offered decent choices of trips to go on. In fact, they offered the entire month of January for traveling! Admissions counselors enticed me with their descriptions of all the trips to locations such as South Africa, Central America, the British Isles, Europe and more.

I feel misled.

As a prospective freshman visiting Whitworth, I was floored by all the wonderful opportunities advertised for Jan Term, May Term and semester abroad classes. But after going through the Jan Term application process, I quickly realized that just being a Whitworth University student does not guarantee me a desired spot on a trip.

One goal of Whitworth's strategic plan is that by 2010 the "proportion of students who complete international/cross-cultural study experience before graduation [will be] 75 percent." The university "hopes to expand its study abroad program, allowing more students the opportunity to travel." But currently, the options are disappointingly limited and the application process is not comprehensive. For students who feel duped by the system, the selection process seems rather political and arbitrary. These students are not all going to stick around until 2010.

There are only three semester abroad programs: Central America, the British Isles, and France. A handful of Jan Term trips are offered (there are 11 full trips in January 2008 and 13 scheduled trips for January 2009.) Each trip takes about 20 to 30 students. For this January's South Africa trip, no freshman applicants were even considered because of the overwhelming amount of student interest. Many upperclassmen who have previously been on a trip were also turned down.

A handful of students get lucky and are selected for multiple trips while some students graduate without ever being selected despite their persistence. The trips that are the most coveted by students, such as those to Central America or South Africa, tend to have the most disappointing selection process, turning down dozens of well-qualified, hard-working, enthusiastic students.

I strongly desire to study abroad myself. But I want my money to go toward the trip I truly am passionate about, not just settling for whatever I can get. Yes, it is true that Whitworth University is small and is limited by how they are able to expand the study abroad programs.

And despite its limits, the trips Whitworth does offer are often the experience of a lifetime for the students who are selected.

Students can pursue other study abroad options through organizations such as ISEP (the International Student Exchange Program). Through ISEP, senior Matt Jeffries studied at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands and junior Kelsey Morgenthaler is currently studying in South Korea.

With independent trips, however, the student does not receive the support of the university like the Whitworth programs offer.

Even with the ISEP opportunity, I feel as though I have been misled.

Whitworth emphasizes international and multicultural knowledge in order to better understand one's vocation.

Even though it is highly recommended for certain majors, many students are going to graduate without a chance to study abroad.

Dani King is an opinions columnist and a sophomore majoring in journalism and peace studies. Contact her at dani.king@whitworthian.com.

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