We promote this type of learning by collaborating with colleges, universities and other organizations around the world.
The Center for Global Education is involved in research and resource development efforts which support international education initiatives at the local, state, regional, national, and international level. Following is a list of some of those initiatives with brief descriptions as well as links to the each project's website.
- Safety Abroad First – Educational Travel Information (SAFETI) Clearinghouse
- Student Study Abroad Safety Handbook
- Study Abroad: Now More Than Ever
- World Wide Colleges and Universities
- Research on Study Abroad
- Resources for Study Abroad
- Barriers to Study Abroad in the California Community Colleges
- California Community College Student Outcomes Abroad Research (CCC SOAR) Project
- Southern California Consortium on International Studies (SOCCIS) Communication
- California Study Abroad Council
- Project for Learning Abroad, Training, and Outreach
- Visitors Guide to Los Angeles
Safety Abroad First – Educational Travel Information (SAFETI) Clearinghouse
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education through a grant from FIPSE (the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education), the SAFETI Clearinghouse is one of the primary resources for U.S. colleges and universities. The unique Clearinghouse provides vital information on health and safety issues to students participating in study abroad programs.
This growing need for health and safety information stemmed from a number of highly publicized cases of accident and injury of students studying abroad; it became particularly important for the quality of student support given by U.S. colleges and universities to be of the highest quality possible.
Therefore, the Clearinghouse collaborates with colleges and universities nationwide as part of The SAFETI Consortium. The Consortium includes over 200 U.S. college and university members, with at least one institution represented from each of the 50 U.S. states and Washington DC. The Consortium regularly provides resources, information, and presentations across the country.
Student Study Abroad Safety Handbook
As a result of globalization and current world affairs, it becomes critical to have a U.S. citizenry capable of working with and understanding people from all over the world. Study abroad remains one of the best ways to integrate international learning into U.S. higher education.
The types of study abroad opportunities offered by U.S. colleges and universities are extremely varied, in terms of types of programs, locations, and support services. The Center for Global Education has developed the Student Study Abroad Safety Handbook to help students and their parents find a quality study abroad program, prepare for realities abroad, have a positive experience, and return home safely.
Resources include comprehensive background information, useful checklists and questions, web resources, a sample emergency card and crisis response tools, and relevant words, phrases, and icons to help with international communication.
Study Abroad: Now More Than Ever
The events of September 11, 2001 remind everyone that now more than ever, it’s important to promote and encourage global education through study abroad. The Center believes that personal statements about the importance of study abroad can help explain the tremendous value and benefits of study abroad.
This site reflects a comprehensive collection of statements about the importance of study abroad. The Center’s efforts continue as it strives to collect personal statements from internationally recognized dignitaries, heads of nations, statesmen and women, businessmen and women, professionals, college and university leaders, parents and students.
The Center hopes these statements will help make a difference in encouraging more students to study abroad, and in making others understand why international education is so important.
World Wide Colleges and Universities
The World Wide Colleges and Universities Website provides web links to colleges and universities around the world. Along with a link to language-specific home pages, the site also provides direct links to an English Language Home Page and their International Relations Office Website where available. Through connection to resources like the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO World Academic Database and other websites, World Wide Colleges and Universities also provides a background on the system of higher education for each country around the world.
For those doing research on the field of study abroad, this resource provides web-based searchable bibliographies and abstracts related to study abroad. This resource also gives faculty and staff trying to understand and improve the quality of study abroad programs a chance to communicate, as it remains the only resource with a comprehensive set of information about the field.
Resources for Study Abroad provides easy access to a variety of websites with information about programs abroad, travel and tourist information, health and safety tips, and financial tools to assist and encourage students to study abroad.
Barriers to Study Abroad in the California Community Colleges
The Center provides support for research on barriers to study abroad in all of the 108 California Community Colleges as a subcontractor to the Coast Community College District (following an FII Grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office). The Center helped create a series of six surveys to help identify barriers that prevent more California community college students from studying abroad.
California Community College Student Outcomes Abroad Research (CCC SOAR) Project
More than half of all U.S. higher education students attend community colleges, thus this is a population that should no longer be neglected in study abroad research. CCC SOAR will provide comprehensive research on international learning outcomes at California community colleges which represent half of all students who study abroad at the community college level in the U.S. The overall goal of the CCC Soar project is to identify whether students in community colleges who participate in study abroad programs achieve higher learning outcomes than those who do not. The Center will create a Project website with survey information, data analysis and preliminary findings so the project can be replicated in the future and thus have ultimate outreach and impact. CCC SOAR findings will provide answers to the question: “Does study abroad result in international learning and how does that impact community colleges and their students” with findings supported by research. In turn, this will impact all community college stakeholders and their support for study abroad.
Southern California Consortium on International Studies (SOCCIS) Communication
SOCCIS brings colleges and universities in Southern California together to collaborate in the area of international education. The Center serves as the communication hub for SOCCIS.
California Study Abroad Council
The California Study Abroad Council is a collaborative effort of the University of California system, the California State University system, the California Community College system, and the California Independent Colleges and Universities to support statewide collaboration in study abroad and enhance outreach to high schools, two-year, and four-year institutions. The Center plays an important role as a developer and supporter of the Council and its resources.
Project for Learning Abroad, Training, and Outreach
The Project for Learning Abroad, Training and Outreach (PLATO) is an integrated study abroad training, certification, and diversity outreach program. To provide comprehensive support resources for study abroad to all US college and university students – with special support for underrepresented students – PLATO will: Be the first national online curriculum to orient, train, and support students before, during, and after they study abroad, highlighting the health and safety concerns of institutions and students; Support a national recruitment program for underrepresented students for education abroad, as well as a clearinghouse of resources and information that promote greater diversity among study abroad participants and mentors, including efforts such as K-12 and Community College outreach; Recognize returning study abroad students who have completed the online curriculum and outreach through an International Honors Certificate Program.
