VOLUME 13, NO. 3     June 2001

WPI lauded for percentage of students abroad

In its Open Doors 2000 annual report, the Institute of International Education (IIE) ranked WPI second among doctoral universities in the percentage of students receiving credit for overseas study. The report was based on figures for the 1998-99 academic year, when 31 percent of WPI’s undergraduates (251 students) studied abroad; in the previous year, WPI was ranked eighth, with 18.3 percent participation. Dartmouth College was ranked first in the most recent IIE report, with 47 percent (700 students) studying abroad; Miami University was third, at 28 percent (1,110 students).

According to Natalie Mello, director of global operations, the IIE rankings are calculated by comparing the number of students who study abroad in a given academic year to the total number of degrees awarded that year. "An increasing number of WPI students are electing to travel outside the United States to complete a required project through our Global Perspective Program," says Mello. "In 1999-2000, 253 students studied abroad; well over 270 students studied overseas during the current academic year."

"WPI’s high ranking is proof of its commitment to global education," says Paul W. Davis, dean of interdisciplinary and global studies. "The evidence is all the more substantial because our students are not mere passive visitors. They immerse themselves in the culture and society of their host country and make a real difference to individuals, organizations and society at large."

While most students who travel off campus complete the science, technology and society project, Davis adds that opportunities are increasing for off-campus humanities and arts and major projects. "In the future we plan to offer this option to graduate students, too"

The IIE report was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. "By encouraging more students to participate in educational opportunities abroad," says William B. Bader, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural and affairs, "U.S. colleges and universities help expand our citizens’ awareness of global issues and lay the groundwork for the kind of mutual understanding that builds a better future for all of us."

For further information, visit www.Opendoorsweb.org.