In today’s Chronicle of Higher Education, Wendy Williamson, director of study abroad at Eastern Illinois University, tackles the question of why as few as 1.5 per cent of college students travel overseas to study every year. She cites a 2008 report by the American Council on Education and the College Board to find a reply:

The answer involves a series of obstacles that prevent enthusiastic students from seeking the opportunities they desire. As the report states, “barriers to student participation are real, including security concerns, high cost, academic demands that accommodate neither study abroad nor other international-learning experiences, and lack of encouragement by faculty and advisers.” Also, many colleges do not foster the international-learning experience. They may talk the talk but don't walk the walk; they construct many of the barriers that hamper students.

Williamson also notes that it’s merely a matter of time before institutions with unfriendly study abroad programs find themselves at a distinct disadvantage in recruiting students. For Williamson, there are seven signs that a university is running a successful study abroad program:

1) Support from both the administration and the faculty.
2) Variety of program options.
3) Preparation for risk.
4) Fair value, a fair price.
5) Every department has options.
6) Students earn valuable credit.
7) A commitment to go green.

For more detail on Williamson’s seven study abroad signs, read the full article.