Frequently Asked Questions about the Forum

This section of the web site is intended to answer frequently asked questions asked by students, parents, and others interested in education abroad and the work of the Forum.  The Forum web site is available to the public and provides resources for the field of education abroad.  Membership (http://www.forumea.org/membership09.htm) in the Forum provides access to additional key on-line and print resources as well as many other membership benefits, including participation in a Quality Improvement Program (QUIP).  Questions about education abroad in general may be directed to the Forum staff (http://www.forumea.org/whoweare-staff.cfm); questions about specific education abroad programs should be directed to the individual program providers.

1. What is the Forum?  The Forum on Education Abroad is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charitable organization founded in 2001 to help improve education abroad programs to benefit the students that participate in them.  The Forum is achieving this goal by establishing standards of good practice, improving study abroad curricula, and promoting data collection and outcomes assessment, all to advocate for high quality education abroad programs.  More information is available at http://www.forumea.org/about-mission.cfm
2. Who are the Forum Members?  Membership is made up of U.S. colleges and universities, overseas institutions, study abroad provider organizations, and affiliated organizations that support education abroad.  While individuals who are not affiliated with institutions may become members, membership is primarily for institutions and organizations and not for individuals. A list of current members is available at http://www.forumea.org/whoweare-members.cfm
3. Do Members have to meet any standards? – When submitting a membership application, institutions and organizations pledge to uphold the mission of the Forum on Education Abroad by:
1. Advocating standards of good practice;
2. Promoting the integration of education abroad into high-quality curricular development and academic design,
3. Encouraging outcomes assessment,
4. Conducting research and data collection,
5. Engaging in advocacy of education abroad at all levels.
4. How do I know if an institution meets the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad?  The Forum publishes and updates Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad; however, the Forum is not an accrediting body and does not accredit institutions based on their meeting the Standards.  However, the Forum does recognize those institutions and organizations that successfully complete its Quality Improvement Program (see below). Another approach is to make this determination on your own by developing a list of questions, by looking at the summary of the Standards on pages 8 and 9 of the Standards of Good Practice (available at http://www.forumea.org/documents/ForumEAStandardsGoodPrctMarch2008.pdf) and ask an institution or provider about their programs.
5. What is a Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) Review and how do I know whether an institution has gone through the process and what the outcome of the review was?  QUIP is a standardized process by which Forum members review their education abroad programs to see how well they meet the Forum Standards and seek advice on how they can improve.  Once an institution has completed a self-study, a team of Forum-trained peer reviewers visits the campus and/or overseas program site to conduct an assessment and see overseas programs in action. The reviewers then offer their advice on how  the institution stands in relation to the Standards, and how they can improve.  QUIP is not designed to be an approval process, but instead is a process that allows institutions and organizations to assess and improve their education abroad programs.  While the Forum does not publish a list of institutions that have undergone QUIP Reviews, organizations that successfully complete the QUIP process may quote from the Forum’s recognition letter and use the Forum word mark on their web site and brochures. This recognition means that the institution or organization has found to be in substantial conformity with the Forum’s Standards of Good Practice and is committed to ongoing quality improvement. Further information on QUIP is available at http://www.forumea.org/standards-quip.cfm
6. How can I tell if an education abroad program is a good one and if it operates in an ethical manner?  Besides determining whether the program’s organization is a member of the Forum or has completed a QUIP review, one can use the Forum resources to be a well-informed consumer.  For example, one may prepare questions to ask of an institution or education abroad provider by using the Standards of Good Practice (http://www.forumea.org/standards-standards.cfm) and/or Code of Ethics for Education Abroad (http://www.forumea.org/documents/ForumonEducationAbroadCodeofEthics.pdf).  While these documents were intended for institutions and organizations managing education abroad programs and not the general public, you may find the summaries and general headings to be very useful.
7. Does the Forum have any education abroad programs for students?  No. While the Forum’s mission is to improve education abroad programs to benefit students, the Forum’s benefits and services are targeted at its member institutions and organizations that sponsor programs for students. The Forum does sponsor an annual Undergraduate Research Awards competition that showcases outstanding examples of student research that is conducted as part of education abroad.  Students must have their research nominated by a Forum member institution.  More information is available at http://www.forumea.org/research-application.htm
8. Does the Forum offer any resources for people looking to work in the education abroad field?  The Forum has several resources available to people interested in working in the field of education abroad.  Attending the annual Forum conference is an excellent way to learn about the field and to network with its leaders.  The Forum also provides data on positions within the profession, including salary data, typical job descriptions and other information.  In addition, Forum members post job openings (http://www.forumea.org/dialogue-jobs.cfm) on the Forum website that are available for the public to browse. 
9. How can I support the Forum’s mission and work?  If you are a professional involved in education abroad, Forum membership brings with it many opportunities to volunteer and assist committees.  If you are interested in the Forum’s work but are not employed in the field of education abroad or affiliated with an institution that is eligible for membership, individual memberships (http://www.forumea.org/membership09.htm) are available.  The Forum website and the Forum News, the organization’s electronic newsletter that is available free to anyone who subscribes, are excellent ways to find out about new initiatives and ongoing projects.  To learn more about specific Forum Committees and Working Groups, see: Committees and Working Groups.