Forum on education abroad
Encyclopedia
The Forum on Education Abroad is a 501(c)(3) non-profit association recognized by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission
as the standard-developing organization for the field of education abroad. It is located on the campus of Dickinson College
in Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
. Founded in 2001, the Forum now boasts nearly 500 institutional members that collectively represent 90% of U.S. students that study abroad
. Members are primarily U.S. colleges and universities, program provider organizations, overseas host institutions and programs and affiliates that provide services to the field.
Stated goals include establishing Standards of Good Practice
, conduct research to assess outcomes of education abroad and collect useful data, promote excellence in curriculum design and advocate for education abroad at all levels. The forum President
/CEO is Brian Whalen.
was launched. The Forum co-sponsored the University of Minnesota
's Curriculum Integration Conference and agreed to partner with Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, and adopt it as the official journal of the Forum.
The first annual meeting of the Forum was held in May 2002 with over 150 members in attendance, who approved an Advisory Council (now called the Forum Council). In November 2004, the Forum held its first annual conference in conjunction with the Council on International Educational Exchange annual conference, in Santa Fe
, New Mexico
with 165 participants in attendance. In 2005 the Forum received recognition from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to serve as the Standards Development Organization (SDO) for the field of education abroad.
The Forum's Bylaws were revised on May 25, 2006, and on July 1, 2006, the Forum moved its operations to Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Brian Whalen, who had been serving as chair of the Forum Council, became president and CEO while continuing his duties as associate provost and executive director of global education at Dickinson College. The Forum's third annual conference, "Standards in a Diverse World: The Future of Education Abroad" was convened in Austin, Texas in March 2007. This was the Forum's first stand-alone conference, and it attracted 400 attendees. Presentations and sessions focused on the results of the Forum's Standards Pilot Project.
The Forum Board of Directors formally adopted the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad (2007) on July 14, 2007. Also in 2007, the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) was launched as a voluntary process for Forum member institutions to be recognized for assessing how well their programs meet the Standards of Good Practice.
In 2010 the Forum membership has grown to include more than 450 member institutions composed of 75% U.S. colleges and universities; 15% provider organizations; and 10% universities located outside of the United States. Together Forum members represent over 90% of the U.S. students who study abroad.
highlighted the oftentimes opaque nature of providers of study abroad form relationships with U.S. universities. The article prompted the office of New York
Attorney General
Andrew M. Cuomo to launch an investigation, issuing subpoenas to a dozen study abroad study abroad organization
s and at least 15 colleges and universities. The Code of Ethics that the forum developed as a response sought to offer colleges, overseas-study providers, and foreign host institutions a "compass" to guide their management of study abroad.
and liability
concerns given the fact that while education abroad enrollment numbers continued to climb throughout the 1990s and 2000s, many U.S. colleges and universities were struggling with limited resources.
Prior to the Standards' development, existing quality control
mechanisms in education abroad were few and those in place were mainly used on an ad hoc basis. Existing mechanisms included regional and disciplinary accreditation
, in-country accreditation and reviews (APUNE), institutional guidelines and practices, internal or outside reviewers, student evaluations, faculty and department reviews, advisory boards, approved program lists as some institutions.
The first edition of the Standards were released in 2004, and the second edition was put out the next year. In January 2006, the Forum began testing the Standards, based on the 2005 second edition, in a Pilot Project with a group of volunteer institutional participants – domestic and overseas providers, domestic and overseas universities and colleges, community colleges and consortia. The results of this landmark Project were presented and discussed at the Forum annual Conference in Austin, Texas
, Texas
, March 1–3, 2007. Feedback collected during the Pilot Project resulted in a third edition, released in March 2008. In response to the increasing number of short-term education abroad programs and the Forum's membership call for guidance, the Standards Committee drafted Standards of Good Practice for Short Term Education Abroad Programs that was released in 2009.
was the first third party provider to successfully complete this category of review and receive the QUIP 2A designation.
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
as the standard-developing organization for the field of education abroad. It is located on the campus of Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
in Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Founded in 2001, the Forum now boasts nearly 500 institutional members that collectively represent 90% of U.S. students that study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
. Members are primarily U.S. colleges and universities, program provider organizations, overseas host institutions and programs and affiliates that provide services to the field.
Stated goals include establishing Standards of Good Practice
Standard of Good Practice
The Standard of Good Practice for Information Security, published by the Information Security Forum , is a business-focused, practical and comprehensive guide to identifying and managing information security risks in organizations and their supply chains....
, conduct research to assess outcomes of education abroad and collect useful data, promote excellence in curriculum design and advocate for education abroad at all levels. The forum President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
/CEO is Brian Whalen.
History
The Forum was first conceived in San Diego in May 2000 by a group of education abroad professionals who felt the field would require a stand-alone organization. By January 2001, an organizational statement and goals for the new organization were defined. A subsequent meeting a month later in Tucson resulted in the creation of a mission statement with five goal areas, the development of criteria for voting membership, and the establishment of subcommittees to produce a Communications Plan, Business Plan, Incorporation Plan, and Member Services/Tasks Plan. In July 2001, the decision was made to incorporate as the Forum on Education Abroad, and over the course of the next year, a Board of Advisors was created and the search for an Executive DirectorExecutive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
was launched. The Forum co-sponsored the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's Curriculum Integration Conference and agreed to partner with Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, and adopt it as the official journal of the Forum.
The first annual meeting of the Forum was held in May 2002 with over 150 members in attendance, who approved an Advisory Council (now called the Forum Council). In November 2004, the Forum held its first annual conference in conjunction with the Council on International Educational Exchange annual conference, in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
with 165 participants in attendance. In 2005 the Forum received recognition from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to serve as the Standards Development Organization (SDO) for the field of education abroad.
The Forum's Bylaws were revised on May 25, 2006, and on July 1, 2006, the Forum moved its operations to Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Brian Whalen, who had been serving as chair of the Forum Council, became president and CEO while continuing his duties as associate provost and executive director of global education at Dickinson College. The Forum's third annual conference, "Standards in a Diverse World: The Future of Education Abroad" was convened in Austin, Texas in March 2007. This was the Forum's first stand-alone conference, and it attracted 400 attendees. Presentations and sessions focused on the results of the Forum's Standards Pilot Project.
The Forum Board of Directors formally adopted the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad (2007) on July 14, 2007. Also in 2007, the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) was launched as a voluntary process for Forum member institutions to be recognized for assessing how well their programs meet the Standards of Good Practice.
In 2010 the Forum membership has grown to include more than 450 member institutions composed of 75% U.S. colleges and universities; 15% provider organizations; and 10% universities located outside of the United States. Together Forum members represent over 90% of the U.S. students who study abroad.
Role in Cuomo Investigation
Study abroad received an unprecedented amount of legal and media attention after an August 2007 article published in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
highlighted the oftentimes opaque nature of providers of study abroad form relationships with U.S. universities. The article prompted the office of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Andrew M. Cuomo to launch an investigation, issuing subpoenas to a dozen study abroad study abroad organization
Study abroad organization
Study abroad organizations, also referred to as study abroad providers, and third-party study abroad providers are independent organizations that facilitate or administer study abroad programs...
s and at least 15 colleges and universities. The Code of Ethics that the forum developed as a response sought to offer colleges, overseas-study providers, and foreign host institutions a "compass" to guide their management of study abroad.
The Standards
As the only organization recognized by the SDO for education abroad, the Forum as an organization is responsible for determining Standards of Good Practice for the field and providing resources, services and programs to educate members, as well as the public at large. The Standards include:- The Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad
- The Standards of Good Practice for Short-term Education Abroad Programs
- The Code of Ethics for Education Abroad
History
The Standards were created as a reaction to what was largely an unsupervised and unregulated field involving a variety of players with differing motives, backgrounds and approaches. Additionally, here was also a push to address growing riskRisk
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
and liability
Liability
A liability can mean something that is a hindrance or puts an individual or group at a disadvantage, or something that someone is responsible for, or something that increases the chance of something occurring ....
concerns given the fact that while education abroad enrollment numbers continued to climb throughout the 1990s and 2000s, many U.S. colleges and universities were struggling with limited resources.
Prior to the Standards' development, existing quality control
Quality control
Quality control, or QC for short, is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. This approach places an emphasis on three aspects:...
mechanisms in education abroad were few and those in place were mainly used on an ad hoc basis. Existing mechanisms included regional and disciplinary accreditation
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
, in-country accreditation and reviews (APUNE), institutional guidelines and practices, internal or outside reviewers, student evaluations, faculty and department reviews, advisory boards, approved program lists as some institutions.
The first edition of the Standards were released in 2004, and the second edition was put out the next year. In January 2006, the Forum began testing the Standards, based on the 2005 second edition, in a Pilot Project with a group of volunteer institutional participants – domestic and overseas providers, domestic and overseas universities and colleges, community colleges and consortia. The results of this landmark Project were presented and discussed at the Forum annual Conference in Austin, Texas
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, March 1–3, 2007. Feedback collected during the Pilot Project resulted in a third edition, released in March 2008. In response to the increasing number of short-term education abroad programs and the Forum's membership call for guidance, the Standards Committee drafted Standards of Good Practice for Short Term Education Abroad Programs that was released in 2009.
Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) for Education Abroad
Institutional members are eligible to participate in the Forum's Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) as part of its strategic goal of developing and implementing standards designed to improve quality. QUIP consists of a guided self-study and peer review process, resulting in a comprehensive report and recommendations in the areas of program design, evaluation and assessment, marketing and promotion, student advising, and resources and operations. IES AbroadInstitute for the International Education of Students
The Institute for the International Education of Students, or IES Abroad, is a non-profit study abroad organization that administers study abroad programs for U.S. college-aged students. Founded in 1950 as the Institute for European Studies, the organization has since been renamed to reflect...
was the first third party provider to successfully complete this category of review and receive the QUIP 2A designation.
See also
- Study abroad in the United States
- NAFSA: Association of International EducatorsNAFSA: Association of International EducatorsNAFSA: Association of International Educators is a non-profit professional organization for professionals in all areas of international education including education abroad advising and administration, international student advising, campus internationalization, admissions, outreach, overseas...
- Study abroad organizationStudy abroad organizationStudy abroad organizations, also referred to as study abroad providers, and third-party study abroad providers are independent organizations that facilitate or administer study abroad programs...