College earns high marks in study-abroad survey
China is one of eight countries where Skidmore offers its own program.
Skidmore College has moved up in rankings tabulated in the national Open Doors survey conducted annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
The data for 2009-2010, released in late December, show Skidmore ranked as follows:
-No. 2 in the category of mid-length duration (semester) in study abroad for baccalaureate institutions. Last year, 361 Skidmore students studied abroad for a semester. In 2008-2009, Skidmore was sixth in this category.
-No. 10 in total number of study-abroad students, up from 17th in the previous year. The College saw 431 students study abroad for either a semester or a full year in 2009-2010.
-For the first time, Skidmore broke into the top 40 and was ranked 29 by overall undergraduate participation in study-abroad programs, for either a faculty-led short-term seminar (typically a few weeks long), a semester, or a full-year.
The Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange is published by the IIE, the leading not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States. IIE has conducted an annual statistical survey of campuses regarding the international students in the United States since 1919, and with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since the early 1970s.
The census is based on a survey of approximately 3,000 accredited U.S. institutions. Open Doors also conducts and reports on separate surveys on U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit (since 1985), and on international scholars at U.S. universities and international students enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs.
Tina Breakell, associate director of the Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges, called the results "exciting." She added, "This shows that Skidmore is an institution that is committed to off-campus study and to our students' growing interest in study-abroad options."
She attributed that growth to the fact that students are paying close attention to their academic interests. "Our approved-programs list helps students develop a plan of study that will assist them in choosing a program that fits their cultural and academic interests," she said. The OCSE staff works with students to help them choose programs that allow them to achieve their goals of studying off-campus while also working toward completion of their major requirements.
Breakell pointed out that IIE is a renowned organization whose responsibilities include administering the Fulbright Program. Achieving high marks in its surveys adds to the cultural and academic prestige of a school's study-abroad options.
Click here to read more about Skidmore's Off-Campus Study and Exchange options.
