Assessment Plan for Off-Campus Study
DRAFT
Mission:The
Office of Off-Campus Study supports the mission of WellsCollege
to prepare students to live in interdependent worlds.This
is achieved by providing opportunities for members of the College community
to develop intercultural knowledge and competency.
The Office works collaboratively across the College
to connect the local community with intercultural experiences on-campus
and abroad.It oversees the administrative
and health/safety aspects of programs abroad and seeks to further the mission
of the college through study abroad programming and the creation of programs
for non-matriculated international students
on-campus.The Office is also responsible
for advising students on study abroad options, preparing students for study
abroad experiences and providing a structured means of reflecting on their
learning experiences.Through collaboration
with other key offices, the office also provides support for the internationalization
of curriculum, international students on-campus,
and initiatives related to campus diversity.
The Goals of the Office of Off-Campus Study include:
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Support the educational mission of Wells College
by integrating study abroad into the academic requirements of majors and
concentrations.
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Assure that opportunities for developing intercultural knowledge and competency
are accessible to all students.
-
Meet the standards of good practice for programs abroad as set out by the
Forum on Education Abroad.
-
Support the College financially in order to further the mission of the
institution.
-
Provide structured opportunities for cultural reflection for all members
of the campus community.
Specific Activities of the Office of Off-Campus Study
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Advising students on study abroad options and assisting them with the application
process.
-
Supporting faculty members who are interested in developing study abroad
programs.
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Supporting students’ cultural preparation for study abroad and reflection
of the cultural learning through offering OCS 271 and OCS 272 and other
campus activities and groups.
-
Establishing consistent
standards of health and safety as well as emergency management plans for
all study abroad programs.
-
Promoting the availability of study abroad programs across the campus community
and to prospective students.
-
Advising campus community about funding opportunities for international
study and research, including, but not limited to, Fulbright Grants, and
Gilman Scholarships.
-
Promoting Flagship study abroad programs (Dakar, Florence,
Mumbai, Paris, Sevilla,
and Zaragoza) to students from other colleges
in the US.
-
Improving administrative procedures for accepting and tracking students
participating in study abroad programs through the use of Jenzebar
EX.
-
Participating in activities related to greater campus diversity and interculturalization
including, but not limited to, speakers, student clubs and organizations,
and campus-wide committees.
Means of Assessing the Office’s Impact:
-
Participation rate in study abroad programs by Wells students over time.
The accepted statistic in the field tends to be the percentage of the graduating
class having earned credits abroad. Data
will be compiled for the last five years to note trends in study abroad
participation.
-
Student evaluations of the study abroad programs including self-identified
goals and how well they achieved those goals and the support provided by
the Office of Off-Campus Study. These
evaluations will be conducted before and after students participate in
programs starting with students going abroad in Spring
2008. A summary of results from Spring
2007 for Wells students on non-Flagship programs is included with this
draft.
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Implementation of BEVI as an assessment instrument to judge how study abroad
has impacted on cultural beliefs, values, and views. All
students going abroad will take this on-line survey starting with the Spring
2008 group.
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Self-study of programs and office compared to Standards of Good Practice
established by the Forum on Education Abroad.
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Enrollment of non-Wells students in flagship study abroad programs.
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Work with Program Directors for Sevilla, Paris,
Mumbai, Dakar, and Florence
to develop clear missions and learning objectives for the programs and
a means to evaluate those programs.