Education Abroad Glossary
Introduction
The field of education abroad has been expanding for years. The numbers of participating students and sponsoring institutions, the variety of destinations and program offerings, and the complexity of the field itself have all increased rapidly.
The terminology of the field of education abroad is as diverse as its practices, resulting in a degree of semantic ambiguity that at times borders on anarchy. Several terms may be used for the same concept, or the same term may have several meanings. Education abroad professionals have had no agreed-upon set of definitions upon which to base their work. This glossary is a beginning attempt to fill this gap.
To illustrate, is “short-term program” a useful phrase? If so, what exactly does it mean? (Is it defined by time of year? If so, are all summer programs short term by definition? Or, is it defined by length alone? If so, how many days or weeks constitute the cutoff point?) What do we call a study abroad program that places students in regular classes alongside host-country students in a foreign university? (Direct enrollment? Integrated study? University study? Integrated university study?) Can we agree on a term for a program run by an external provider but with which an institution has special ties? (An affiliated program? A cosponsored program? An approved program? An endorsed program? A highlighted program? A featured program?)
Some of this confusion is inevitable. Institutions organize their education abroad efforts differently, and a definition that makes sense for one institution may not for another. Moreover, many terms are used widely outside education abroad as well as within, and education abroad professionals are in no position to impose definitions unilaterally--The field does, however, have the power to reduce semantic ambiguity significantly.
The need for conventions may be mild or acute depending on the uses to which terms are to be put. For our everyday professional lives, the lack of precision may be only a minor inconvenience. On the other hand, clarity is essential when terms are to be used for data collection, grant and funding applications, and effective outcomes assessment.
Whenever feasible, entries in the glossary strive to standardize meanings, and when not, to identify competing usages explicitly. In developing the glossary, several decisions were made concerning scope and audience:
- The focus is on education abroad for U.S. college and university students. No attempt has been made to define terms concerned mainly with students from countries outside the U.S. who study in the U.S. or elsewhere, or with education abroad for primary or secondary school students, or for adult learners who are not students.
- The primary audience is education abroad professionals and faculty, both in the U.S. and in destination countries, who work with U.S. students abroad.
- Although the glossary focuses primarily on what has traditionally been defined as study abroad, it also gives some attention to other forms of education abroad, including work, internships, volunteering, service-learning, and educational travel.
- Some entries attempt to distill current usage for the education abroad profession, especially when the term comes from outside the field. Others propose conventions for use in the field.
- Definitions reflect (or in some cases recommend) U.S. usages.
The second edition of the glossary represents a substantial revision. The number of entries has increased, including an entirely new section on geographical regions; there are new subsections on higher education organizations, and sustainability and social responsibility. Some entries have been reassigned to different locations, and the order of sections and subsections has been rearranged for more logical flow. Many individual entries have been heavily edited for length, clarity, and consistency of format.
The Task Force benefited from the assistance of countless others in preparing this second edition. Focus groups of education abroad professionals at meetings in Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin provided many suggestions for improvements. A group of ten volunteers from NASFAA (the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators) gave generously of their time to transform the financial aid subsection almost beyond recognition from the previous edition. A similar group of eight volunteers from NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) substantially improved material on the U.S. educational system. Barbara Kappler (University of Minnesota) and Bruce LaBrack (University of the Pacific) went spectacularly beyond the call of duty in editing the section on culture. Daniel Greenberg (Living Routes) and colleagues in the Forum’s Environmental and Social Responsibility Working Group wrote the first draft of the subsection on sustainability and social responsibility. To these, and others too numerous to mention here, we offer our heartfelt gratitude.
The Education Abroad Glossary Task Force, First Edition
Chip Peterson, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Chair)
Lilli Engle, American University Center of Provence
Lance Kenney, Villanova University
Kim Kreutzer, University of Colorado Boulder
William Nolting, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Anthony Ogden, University of Kentucky
The Education Abroad Glossary Task Force, Second Edition
Chip Peterson, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Chair)
Jason Kinnear, University of Missouri, Columbia
Kim Kreutzer, University of Colorado Boulder
Kurt Olausen, University of Cincinnati
Karen Ramos, University of Cincinnati
David Rudd, Arcadia University
Contents
| Section 1 | Understanding the U.S. Educational System |
| 1.1 | Types of U.S. Educational Institutions |
| 1.2 | Degrees and Educational Levels |
| 1.3 | Credit and Instruction |
| 1.4 | Classes and Courses |
| 1.5 | Academic Calendars |
| 1.6 | Selected Higher Educational Organizations |
| 1.7 | The Field of International Education |
| Section 2 | Education Abroad Program Features and Types |
| 2.1 | Learning Outside the Home Campus |
| 2.2 | Study Abroad Program Types |
| 2.3 | Program Descriptors and Program Subtypes |
| 2.4 | Program Duration |
| 2.5 | Scheduling |
| 2.6 | Orientation |
| 2.7 | Learning Outside of the Classroom |
| Section 3 | Program Management |
| 3.1 | Sponsorship and Sponsor Relations |
| 3.2 | Student Mobility Programs |
| 3.3 | Program Oversight |
| 3.4 | Education Abroad Staff Roles |
| 3.5 | Participant Status |
| 3.6 | Fee Structures and Costs |
| 3.7 | Financial Aid |
| 3.8 | Student Accommodations |
| 3.9 | Health, Safety, Risk, Liability |
| 3.10 | Travel Authorization |
| 3.11 | Participant Demographics and Diversity |
| 3.12 | Sustainability and Social Responsibility |
| Section 4 | Culture and Learning |
| 4.1 | Cognition and Skill Development |
| 4.2 | Understanding Culture |
| 4.3 | Cultural Identity |
| 4.4 | Intercultural Awareness |
| 4.5 | Intercultural Adjustment |
| 4.6 | Intercultural Communication |
| Section 5 | Geographical Regions |
| 5.1 | Broad Intercontinental Regional Terms |
| 5.2 | Africa South of the Sahara |
| 5.3 | North Africa and the Middle East |
| 5.4 | Asia |
| 5.5 | Europe |
| 5.6 | Oceania |
| 5.7 | The Americas |
