Despite budget concerns, LC looks to expand study abroad programs

As many prepare to study abroad next semester, Overseas and Off-Campus Programs is looking to expand opportunities for future student travelers. Currently, Lewis & Clark is seeking approval for a new overseas program in Granada, Spain. Additionally, members of the Overseas and Off-Campus Programs Committee (OOPC) have discussed adding an Arabic intensive program in Jordan.

The Granada program would be offered through the Independent Liberal Arts Colleges Abroad (ILACA) Consortium, composed of six private colleges and universities across the Pacific Northwest. If finalized, offering the Granada program would make LC the seventh member of ILACA. On top of cultural and language immersion, participants would have the chance to complete an internship while abroad.

Once LC began offering Arabic in 2015, some believed that a language intensive overseas program was necessary. Presently, LC has a general culture program in Morocco with Arabic as a prerequisite, though the trip is not considered language intensive. Director of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs Blythe Knott explained why, in addition to Morocco, the idea of adding a Jordan program is being discussed.

“We try to have a language intensive program associated with all languages taught on campus,” Knott said via email. “Now that we are offering Arabic here at Lewis & Clark, we are talking about having a language intensive program associated with the language.”

The OOPC, a subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee, reviews all new program proposals. Three faculty members and one student have voting power while representatives from the Registrar’s Office, the Office of Business and Finance, the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Overseas and Off-Campus Programs are ex-officio, non-voting members. Proposed programs are approved by the Curriculum Committee.

Emma Celebrezze ’20, the student representative on the OOPC, described her role and the importance of student concerns when considering Overseas and Off-Campus Programs.

“I do my best to represent the student body, rather than merely myself, and all of the faculty and staff on OOPC are very concerned with understanding the student perspective on issues related to Overseas,” Celebrezze said via email.

These new developments come ten months after the Border Studies program, in Tucson, Arizona, was permanently cut, partly due to budgetary concerns. At the time, many community members expressed frustration and concern over the cancellation of Border Studies and the future of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs. 

According to Knott, there are no current plans to cancel any other study abroad programs. Some programs, including Morocco, do not operate on a consistently annual schedule. However, this is not a reflection of budgetary concerns, but instead a result of student demand, program development and other factors.

As Associate Professor of Sociology and OOPC Chair Bruce Podobnik explained, Overseas and Off-Campus Programs has faced budget cuts and efforts are being made to preserve existing study abroad opportunities.

“Recently, the college required the Director of Overseas/Off-Campus Programs to make a significant budgetary cut in our programs, which I hope won’t be repeated again anytime in the near future,” Podobnik said via email. “We are working to protect the overseas/off-campus programs offered by our college, so that we can continue to provide uniquely life-changing and educationally-rich experiences to our students.”

In an email, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Bruce Suttmeier described the process of deciding when to introduce or remove a program, which includes examining the budget.

“(It) is partly driven by budgetary considerations (since we cannot have an ever-expanding roster of programs) but also more significantly driven by student demand, program quality, and alignment with curricular needs,” Suttmeier said. “Overseas is a fundamental part of the LC experience, with a long history and a prominent place in our vision for the future.”

Associate Professor of French Isabelle DeMarte served as the OOPC chair last academic year and remains a voting member. As a result of budget cuts, DeMarte, in her capacity as a faculty member, said that her department, World Languages, was advised to send fewer students on study abroad programs.

Acknowledging that there were mixed emotions when Border Studies was cancelled, DeMarte emphasized the importance of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs while recognizing the reality of budget cuts.

“We, as an institution, are expected to shape critical minds with a global perspective and an interest in others,” DeMarte said. “Overseas programs are the way to foster that mindset and that philosophy. At the same time, we also need to use our own critical thinking when realizing that there are cuts to be made. As members of the Lewis & Clark community, we all need to be a part of those efforts.”

As the Overseas and Off-CampusPrograms website states, “Overseas study is an integral part of a Lewis & Clark education.” Celebrezze and DeMarte encourage students to connect with members of the OOPC and Curriculum Committee. According to DeMarte, students may even suggest new programs.

“I haven’t heard of students proposing programs, but why not?” DeMarte said. “I mean, I think if there were any initiative that came from students, it would certainly be considered.”