ABSTRACT
Study abroad programs have expressed an extraordinary level of commitment by many American institutions of higher education, and by countless American students, over many decades. By the 21st century virtually every college and university had some kind of study abroad office, often with a wide array of programs in terms of location, specialization, and duration. A major group of professionals had developed in the field, replete with significant journals like Frontiers—and with the United States clearly in the lead in its level of organization and its commitment to study abroad aimed substantially at global awareness. During much of the 20th century, study abroad was the major gesture American higher education made to responsibilities for providing exposure to international issues. By 2008, with a somewhat more abundant curricular repertoire, study abroad programs stood out a bit less strongly. On the other hand, many educators and educational policymakers continued to think of study abroad as the most obvious (and easiest) response to the importance of widening American student perspectives. It was deeply reassuring that, in the wake of the many fears provoked by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, study abroad did not significantly slacken—a real tribute to intelligent student interest and to the vigor of response by the higher educational establishment in the United States. The federal government, indeed, began debating increased levels of support as a means of recognizing growing needs for global awareness and expertise. Other countries were beginning to identify similar responsibilities. Japanese and Korean institutions, for example, began to plan study abroad semesters, frequently with American destinations, for the same reasons that American universities pushed their programs. Korea University, for example, is now requiring a semester experience for several categories of undergraduates, and has even built some dormitories in North America to underwrite opportunities. And, amid all this general fanfare, it is vital to remember how life-changing study abroad experiences have been for many individual American students, deeply affecting careers and outlooks for decades after the visits ended.
