Forum President Responds to the Chronicle of Higher Education

The December 15 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education featured an article about the academic integrity of the University of Indianapolis's branch campus in Athens, Greece. In response, President Brian Whalen has submitted a letter to the editor.

To The Editor:

Sara Hebel's "On an American Campus in Greece, a Chorus of Critics" points out the need for standards for educational programs offered by U.S. institutions abroad. In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission designated a Standards Development Organization (SDO) for education abroad in 2005: the Forum on Education Abroad.

The Forum's Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad were developed with the input of hundreds of professionals working in the U.S. and around the world. They are available at www.forumea.org.

Currently, the Forum is testing the implementation of these standards at 19 institutions, including U.S. colleges and universities, study abroad providers, and overseas host institutions in Australia, England, Ireland, and Mexico. At a Standards Summit held at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA ten days ago, representatives from these institutions as well as peer reviewers who conducted site visits met to refine the standards and the processes for implementing them.

The results will be presented at the Forum's conference, March 1 - 3, 2007 at the University of Texas in Austin, where the Forum's Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) for Education Abroad will be advanced. QUIP is a multi-level, comprehensive process that will provide quality assurance in education abroad for the benefit of students, faculty, administrators, and parents.

We invite colleagues interested in education abroad to join in this conversation in Austin.

Brian J. Whalen
President and CEO
The Forum on Education Abroad
Carlisle, PA