Introduction

In 1996/1997, over a third of WPI undergraduates will study abroad in more than 20 locations, whereas overall only about 2.3% of American engineering majors study abroad (1). This high level of student involvement has resulted from a unique set of converging circumstances, beginning with the "WPI Plan". In the late 1960s, a group of faculty became dissatisfied with the traditional approach to engineering education. In their view, course-work in isolated disciplines provided no lasting synthesis of learning or examination of professional responsibilities.

Dean Emeritus William R. Grogan, a founding father of the plan, tells how this group initiated a pedagogical and curricular revolution. "The Planning Committee wanted to ensure that, along with professional competency, students developed a sense of personal responsibility for their own learning. A revolutionary new program was proposed to encourage integration of knowledge acquired in the classroom through experiential learning based in real-world projects. All the old degree requirements were thrown out and the entire curriculum was turned on its head." Two radical ideas adopted with the plan in 1970 laid the groundwork for exponential growth of study abroad at WPI.

The academic calendar was changed from two 14-week terms to four 7-week terms and all courses were restructured to fit this schedule. The shorter term made it possible for students to be off campus with less expense and less disruption of their extracurricular and social activities.

More importantly, students were now required to complete three projects before graduation. The first requires the completion of five thematically linked humanities courses topped off by a research project. The second is an interdisciplinary project that examines the link between technology and society. The third is a more traditional senior year technical design project in the major discipline.

History of the Global Perspective Program

In 1973, WPI signed its first agreement to exchange students with City College in London. Given the projects requirement, the first participants soon realized that a year's absence would make it difficult to graduate without delay. The first request to complete an off-campus project led to the realization that this largely independent work could be completed anywhere. In 1974, the first off-campus residential center was established in Washington, DC, specifically for the completion of projects. The first overseas project center was established in London in 1987. At these centers, students would spend seven weeks concentrating on projects without the distractions of courses, homework, and exams.

Two early grants increased the momentum. A USAID university linkage grant provided impetus for development of linkages with Latin America, and a Department of Education grant provided funds for curriculum development. New courses were designed and many old courses were revised to incorporate an international perspective. Language offerings were expanded and an international studies minor and major were added. Students who choose not to study abroad can now acquire an international perspective through internationally oriented courses, language studies, and attendance at lectures on international topics. Our multicultural campus community provides further exposure to cultural diversity. International students make up approximately 10% of the undergraduate student body and 40% percent of the graduate student population. An annual international cultural festival celebrates this diversity. There are 15 internationally oriented student organizations and a dormitory for students who share an interest in international affairs.

Faculty development was also recognized as important to the internationalization of the campus and various grants provided funds for workshops, travel, and intensive language study.

The Project Centers and Programs

The majority of study abroad takes place at the overseas residential project centers. Project programs operate in Washington, DC; San Francisco; England; Denmark; Italy; Germany; The Netherlands; Puerto Rico; Costa Rica; Thailand; and India. Small teams of students work at these locations with a local sponsor on a project addressing a real problem. Credit is not an issue, since the projects are degree requirements. Each project counts as one term of work. However, with the need for predeparture preparation, more than one work term is usually involved. The project sponsor can be a corporation, small business, government agency, or nonprofit agency. Sponsors provide a liaison who devotes considerable time to shaping the project. They also provide support in the form of a work area, supplies, computer support, and access to information. Direct funding is sometimes provided to help cover the operational costs of the centers. This substantial investment on the part of sponsors results in greater expectations for the finished product and creates the same pressures found in professional practice. The students benefit by knowing that their work will fill a real need. In Bangkok, for example, the Duang Prateep Foundation sponsors projects to improve conditions in the Klong Toey slum area. One project developed a garbage collection plan for the neighborhood along with an educational campaign. Another struggled with flood control. A third looked at ways to improve conditions for handicapped residents. In Venice, the majority of projects are concerned with environmental issues and the preservation of historic and artistic treasures. An award-winning project in Botswana focused on the use of bio-gas as a renewable energy source for small villages.

While the focus at WPI is on engineering practice, significant exposure to the local culture occurs as students work in the community in direct contact with the local population. Cultural learning begins with a 7- to 14-week preparation prior to departure. The lengthy preparation includes academic research related to the project, social science methodology, coaching in professional report writing and presentation skills, and historical and cultural background. Language training is required for participation at some sites. Intensive preparation maximizes the learning that takes place in the 7-week term.

The program is highly labor intensive. Between 20 and 30 faculty members contribute a substantial amount of time each year. Each center has a permanent faculty director, and a new faculty advisor is selected each year to reside at the site with the students. Faculty members are given some release time and compensation for their contribution. A local resident is hired to act as coordinator and help the director in the acquisition of projects and housing. Professional international education administrators and support staff are housed in the Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division (IGSD) that administers the off-campus programs.

Traditional Exchanges

WPI also has traditional exchange agreements that allow students to study abroad for a year. In this program model, students enroll at a foreign university to take courses with students taught in the local language. Exchange partners include the Federal Technical Institute in Zurich, Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven Technical University in the Netherlands, the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Technical College of Munich in Germany, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico, and École Polytechnique of Montreal. Between 3 and 10 WPI students and 10 to 25 students from the affiliated universities participate each year. The most often cited obstacles to greater participation are disruption of the student's academic program and social life and inadequate language skills. Credit issues are slightly more complicated with the exchanges. In general, approval is obtained for a plan of study prior to departure and each course is evaluated by the corresponding WPI department based on contact hours and course content.

Student Participation and

Selection

The majority of students participate in the study abroad programs in their junior year. Approximately 80% are engineering majors, and chemical engineers make up about 8% of the total. The remaining 20% are majors in physical or life science, computer science, or other technical fields. As on campus, females account for about 20% of the total. Faculty directors select the students based on academic record, motivation, interests, maturity, and independence as indicated by an essay and interview.
Students' word of mouth accounts for most of the growth of the program. Faculty are also critical in recruiting. Students hear about off-campus opportunities in preadmission materials, freshman orientation, and classes. Other sources are advisors, professors, television, email, newspaper ads, posters, and mail box flyers. Each fall, a study abroad fair attracts 500 to 600 students. More than 50 students and 20 faculty members volunteer their time to the event.

Program Costs

Every effort is made to keep the cost of the off-campus programs affordable. Students pay the normal tuition and receive financial aid. An attempt is made to locate inexpensive housing with kitchen facilities at costs comparable to on-campus living expenses. Travel expenses are extra. Students who qualify for financial aid receive assistance with travel expenses. IGSD receives its operational budget from the Institute's general fund. This budget covers the salaries and benefits of the staff, the expenses of faculty advisors at off-campus locations, and the costs of hiring adjunct faculty to teach replacement courses for faculty advising at the sites. Fees paid by project sponsors are additional income. A detailed cost-benefit analysis found the cost per credit hour of the program to be lower than the cost per credit hour in most departments.

Successes, Problems, Future Plans

In a recent alumni survey, many graduates pointed to the role their study abroad experience had in offers of employment and promotions. As WPI builds a reputation for engineering with an international perspective, international companies are beginning to seek out our graduates. These companies need recruits who have the ability to work in a rapidly changing environment and in a multicultural work force. WPI graduates are also sought for their ability to work as part of a team and to solve problems. A recent graduate who completed a project in Bangkok accepted a job in computer science and within two months was asked to represent the company in London. Another employer called for a reference on a former international project student and only wanted to hear about the student's two experiences abroad. An offshoot of success is that more students are choosing to study abroad more than once, and at more than one location. Students occasionally choose to expand their studies as the result of the experience to include a minor or double major in language or international studies. Students commonly rate the experience as the highlight of their academic years.

Ironically, the success of the program has become its greatest problem. As more students and faculty become interested in off-campus opportunities, the demand is rising to provide programs and support in every corner of the globe. The challenge is to encourage and channel this enthusiasm without proliferating the number of sites to a level that cannot be supported. Concern for academic quality and student safety must take highest priority. Another challenge is the effort needed to keep students and faculty informed of the opportunities and to correct the misconception that study abroad is an expensive add-on. The solution will be found in better publicity efforts. A capital campaign is underway to help reach the goal of sending every student abroad. The expansion of the program's breadth to achieve greater participation in the exchange programs is another goal.

The exact conditions that led to this success may be hard to replicate at other institutions. However, much that has been learned at WPI can be applied to other schools. First, there must be a curricular fit. Students must be able to fit the study abroad experience into their academic program in a way that does not penalize. Next, there must be institutional commitment at the highest level of administration. Finally, ownership must be institution-wide, as greater departmental and faculty involvement result in greater student participation. These three components create the solid infrastructure upon which to build success in study abroad programs (1-7).

Literature Cited

1. Open Doors 1993/1994: Report on International Educational Exchange; T. M. Davis, Ed.; Institute of International Educational Exchange: New York, 1994.

2. Kelleher, A. Learning from Success: Campus Case Studies in International Program Development; Worcester Polytechnic Institute Studies in Science, Technology and Culture 15; Peter Lang: New York, 1996.

3. Grogan, W. R.; Lutz, F. C.; Schachterle, L. E. Liberal Learning in Engineering Education: The WPI Experience. Knowing and Doing: Learning Through Experience; New Directions for Teaching and Learning 35, 1988.

4. Excolano, V. ASEE Prism 1995, 4(8), 21­25.

5. Mooney, C. "In the Slums of Bangkok: Engineering Students Put a Human Face on Technology"; Chronicle of Higher Education, May 10, 1996; p A59.

6. Rubin, A. M. "Science Students Abroad"; Chronicle of Higher Education, August 11, 1995; pp A35-A36.

7. Henderson, K. "Today the Classroom, Tomorrow the World"; Christian Science Monitor, March 7, 1994; pp 14-15.