STRENGTHS
- Gets students abroad
- Focused
- Short term
- Field experience
- Continuity of content
- Integration
- Cost effective
- Tailored to student needs (individualized)
- Produces ‘marketeers’
- Attracts diversity (fits CC model for non-traditional students)
- Students integrated directly/immediately back into community; talk to peers
- Synergistic
- Seed program for future SA
- Opportunity for follow-up
- Extended pre-departure occurs within class discussions
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WEAKNESSES
- Too focused
- Spring break ‘syndrome’ (competition)
- Too short; not enough time to acclimate to new culture
- Coordination with consortium schools; accountability
- Not enough time for field experiences
- Students need certain characteristics to succeed; motivation, self-discipline, maturity
- Spring break scheduling logistics within consortium
- Administrative support; labor intensive
- What happens when programs are over-enrolled/under-enrolled
- Faculty covering classes
- Host institution schedules
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Technology enhances flexibility
- Collaboration between institutions
- Continuity from classroom to field experience
- Appeal to non-traditional students
- Gateway to global education
- Life long learning
- Antidote to ‘ugly American’
- International recruiting; both students and faculty
- Retention of students/faculty
- Diversifying our students
- Off season prices
- Opportunity to think ‘outside of the box’
- Opportunity to institutionalize study abroad
- Cultural calendar
- Encourage faculty to embrace study abroad
- Working with faculty from consortium institutions
- Antidote for instructor burnout
- Faculty development opportunity
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THREATS
- Lack of administrative support for promotion, counseling, scheduling, etc.
- Political instability/volatility in destination country
- Psychologically unstable students/faculty
- Lack of alternatives if student is unable to go abroad
- Stereotype that programs are non-academic
- Anti-international attitude
- Instructor burnout
- Lack of reward for faculty service
- Getting faculty on board
- Collaborative demands; synergy will be difficult
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