CAPA International Education supports and praises Dr. Josh McKeown, SUNY Oswego, for his recent letter published in The Chronicle for Higher Education, “Education Abroad Is More Important Than Ever For U.S. Students.” Dr. McKeown, who sits on the CAPA Academic Advisory Board, dismisses the myth, perpetuated in an earlier Chronicle article (Sept. 21, 2009), that study abroad is an easy way to earn credits and constitutes a semester-long vacation. He notes that the academic rigor of study abroad programs is increasing as more and more universities incorporate a time abroad as a key element in  their curriculum. Universities increasingly offer a much wider variety of program models including short-term study abroad programs or programs in remote locations, allowing international education to be a possibility to a greater number of students regardless of their major.

CAPA strives to make study abroad accessible to American college students by offering affordable, inclusive programs at our five study centers. Our academic curriculum is supervised by our Chief Academic Officer and Academic Advisory Board and undergoes annual reviews. We also offer internships during the fall, spring, and summer in any field, helping to provide study abroad opportunities to under-represented majors including engineering and the sciences.

Dr. McKeown is the author of The First Time Effect: The Impact of Study Abroad on College Student Intellectual Development, available from SUNY Press.