THE ISSUE: Impropriety alleged in study-abroad programs WHAT WE THINK: BC programs must stay transparent
New England universities Harvard College, Brandeis University, and Brown University joined a list of 12 other schools now under subpoena in New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's investigation into questionable study-abroad practices.
According to Cuomo, a probe into a number of study-abroad providers has revealed questions about the way students are billed for study-abroad programs and about the propriety of the relationships between these organizations and the colleges they serve. The universities have declined to comment while evaluating the subpoenas.
These allegations raise serious questions about the motives of universities in encouraging the study-abroad boom that has swept higher education. According to the Association of International Educators, the number of college students studying abroad has almost tripled in the last decade. With this kind of growth comes the danger of corruption. Colleges have already faced intense scrutiny over preferential lending practices in a market awash with demand, and now allegations of malfeasance in study-abroad practices can't help but lead students to question whether they are really getting their money's worth on their excursions to other countries.
BC was not named among those schools subpoenaed for information, a welcome sign in this serious breach of student trust. We encourage the Office of International Programs to maintain transparency and ethical standards as it continues to broaden the options for BC students abroad. Students need to be able to trust that their administrators have done their best to provide the best available programs for abroad study.
That said, students also have a part to play. Anyone going abroad should make sure to use the resources available to investigate their abroad options fully. As students still pay the BC premium price for an abroad university education that in most cases is much cheaper, they should be sure they are getting your money's worth.
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