Although
previous research has provided evidence that
study abroad programs benefit all those associated
with it, little research has been done on the
structure and demographic characteristic of
study abroad programs. These are vital to the
success of such programs (Gordon & Bonner,
1998). Furthermore, study abroad
programs have only been studied on overall college
and university level (Anastasioa, 2004; Carsello
& Creaser, 1976; Ward & Kennedy, 1993).
With the growth of departmental study abroad
programs, the investigation of the study abroad
practices in a specific discipline would be
of great interest to the program leaders and
student affair authorities in that area (Gordon
& Bonner, 1998)
However,
previous research with this regard is scarce.
There is no such research in the field of Hospitality
and Tourism Management (HTM). Therefore, the
current study was designed and conducted to
fill the research gap and explored the structure
and demographic character of the study abroad
practices in HTM programs. Many students have
never traveled far from their home states and
are unfamiliar with different cultures or languages.
Students who live in a bigger metropolitan area
of the United States, or Europe for that matter,
are usually exposed to different languages or
ethnic groups to a far greater degree than small
town inhabitants. Students participate in study
abroad programs for a variety of the following
reasons:
1.
It is required by their program of study for
graduation
2.
It is highly recommended by their programs as
an elective
3.
There are financial incentives (i.e. scholarships,
grants etc) to offset the cost of what they
perceive is a summer vacation experience
4.
Parents want them to go
5.
Students seek a new adventure or experience
for growth purposes
6.
Students seek to learn about new places with
the idea of living or studying full time there
in future
7.
They can earn credits hours toward their degree
in a more relaxed and different setting Benefits
to Studying Abroad
Is studying abroad an educational endeavor or
just a glorified vacation for students? To look
at this question it is necessary to look at
the benefits, many of which are intangible.
Armstrong (1984) reports that one of the primary
benefits to studying abroad include a “heightened
awareness of other value systems and an appreciation
of cultural differences.” Benefits can accrue
to the faculty because they expand their knowledge
and experience levels. Faculty can also experience
personal growth and increased self confidence
related to international activities. In addition,
faculty develop a closer rapport with their
students often leading to more effective educational
experiences.
Anticipated benefits to the student from studying
abroad programs:
1.
Increased awareness of a country’s culture,
language, geography, politics, food and other
social issues affecting that country, such as
environmental, medical, or social
2.
Students acquire additional credit hours toward
their degree programs
3.
Students form new and lasting friendships with
fellow study abroad students, as well as students
at the host institution, if there is one
4.
Students cultivate a lifelong love of travel
5.
Industry recruiters view the experience positively
when considering job candidates
6.
Students experience personal growth in terms
of emotional maturity and self-reliance Current
Issues of Concern in Study Abroad Programs
In view of the global situation, students, parents
and faculty are all interested in topics that
relate to safety and security. The U.S. State
Department puts out information related to these
issues, which the university reviews on a regular
basis. The safety of the students and faculty
participating in study abroad programs is always
of the highest importance and when the directors
of a program are in doubt the program is often
cancelled. Other issues of importance relate
to cost factors. The tremendous increase in
value of the Euro over the dollar has resulted
in increased expenses for programs based in
Europe. Additionally, the increase in the world
price of oil has resulted in a corresponding
increase in airfares to many parts of the world.
All of the above trends look to continue into
the immediate future.
METHODOLOGY
Part I
A review was conducted to compile a list of
the top schools of hospitality and tourism as
listed in previous research by Gould and Bojanic
(2002) and Brizek and Khan (2002). The CHRIE
listing of schools was used to ascertain the
largest hospitality and tourism programs or
schools of hospitality and tourism in the United
States. Given that there are over 200 schools
which currently offer 4 year degrees in hospitality
and tourism in the United States, only the top
40 based on quality ratings and size were considered
for this study. The web page from each program
was reviewed and a thorough search was conducted
to ascertain if that program or school offered
any study abroad programs. Those programs were
then categorized according to the following
criteria:
1.
Maymester or Summer Programs and length of time
2.
Full Semester or Academic year programs
3.
Spring or winter break programs
4.
Number of credit hours given
5.
Country or countries visited
6.
Type of activities
7.
Public service component
8.
Foreign language component
9.
Department run or university run program
10.
Affiliation with foreign university
Information was not weighted or compared. Since
this was a qualitative study, the information
was only compiled for comparison purposes.
Part II
This part involved development of a study abroad
decision making model. The model proposes key
decision points, which affect the entire selection
and design process of the study abroad program.
These design decision points come from a review
of the literature as well as reviewing components
of other successful programs as measured by
student academic outcomes.
Part III
This part illustrates the programs at Purdue
University. Given the fact that the Department
of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue
has one of the largest study abroad programs
in hospitality education, Purdue was used to
establish a model for other schools to follow
in regards to necessary components. The success
of the study abroad programs at Purdue has been
based on various factors which include, size
and participation, student evaluations and academic
outcomes.
FINDINGS
Part I
Among the schools that were reviewed, the following
is a basic descriptive analysis by various demographics.
The vast majority of the schools reviewed were
public schools. 35 of the 40 schools were public
and 5 were private. Most schools had enrollments
of between 10 and 30,000. See Table 1.
In regards to types of study abroad programs,
less than half (18) had a study abroad program
listed for their spring break or Christmas periods.
Almost one third of the schools (13) had a program
during the period immediately after the end
of the summer and many ran into the summer semester.
Almost all schools (39) had one or more programs
listed for the traditional summer period of
time. The vast majority of the programs (28)
had a program which used a foreign host as their
location or base during the program. All the
universities listed study abroad programs on
their web site that appeared to be of general
interest to all university students. Only 5
of the programs listed any kind of internship
component. It was difficult to ascertain if
the programs were developed and administered
at the department or university level. It was
also difficult to determine if the programs
were open to all students or only students in
their hospitality and tourism program. However
more than half the programs (24) discussed hospitality
and tourism related activities. Only 5 of these
programs listed any kind of public service component
and almost half (18) listed a language component
to their programs. Most universities had programs
in Europe. This was followed by Australia, Asia
and then South America. Half of the schools
listed more than one study abroad option. See
Table 2.
Note:
The numbers add up to move than 40 because different
schools have various types of programs. |
