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About Us

Mission

The mission of the Office for Study Abroad is to provide alternative learning environments for University of Iowa students in order for them to benefit from new academic perspectives and intercultural experiences. In fulfilling this mission, our primary responsibilities include:

  • Developing and administering study abroad programs and exchanges for the University of Iowa
  • Promoting study and research abroad opportunities among students, faculty and staff
  • Providing assistance to interested students in the selection of a suitable study abroad
  • Offering program support, guidance and a variety of services to UI students before, during and following a study experience abroad; including administration of scholarship competitions supporting study or research abroad

Staff

The Office for Study Abroad has 10 permanent staff members:

  • A Director (Janis Perkins) and Assistant Director (Phil Carls)
  • Six Program Coordinators/Advisors (Sterling Bacher, Lori Eiserman, Maria Hope, John Rogers, Autumn Tallman and Elizabeth Wildenberg de Hernandez) and a Participant Services Coordinator (Teresa Kout)
  • An Office Manager (Janet Parham Walker), Secretary (Julia Labua) and Account Clerk (Lisa Koizumi)

Three graduate assistant positions provide essential services as well: graphic design/publications, exchange student programming, and Curriculum Integration.

In addition,10 students work part-time in the office as Peer Advisors or Clerical (Work-Study) Assistants.

Location and Hours

The Office for Study Abroad is located in the International Programs (1111 UCC) suite in the University Capitol Centre. The Study Abroad Resource Room is open from 8-5 Monday through Friday. The main phone number for the office is 335-0353.

Population Served

The constituency of the Office for Study Abroad theoretically includes the entire undergraduate and graduate student body of the University of Iowa, as well as the faculty of the academic departments with whom the Office for Study Abroad works to develop and promote study abroad programs. Our constituents also include the faculty, students and study abroad offices of the 11 other Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) institutions for whom we administer four jointly sponsored programs. We also serve colleagues and students at the other Iowa Regents institutions through jointly sponsored and administered study abroad programs.

Each year the Office for Study Abroad directly serves several thousand UI students who visit the office seeking information on study, travel or work abroad. We provide far more in-depth services to the 1100+ degree-seeking UI students who study abroad each year, to the approximately 150 non-degree students and those from other institutions who participate in programs administered by the office, and to the 50+ non-degree-seeking international students who study at the UI each year on reciprocal exchanges administered by OfSA.

Programs/Activities/Services

The Office for Study Abroad currently administers approximately 50 study abroad programs and exchanges. The University of Iowa also co-sponsors an additional 30 consortial or departmental programs, for which the Office for Study Abroad shares some administrative responsibility. At any given time, new programs are under development or considerations. The office also administers scholarship competation for study abroad.

OfSA staff additonally provide study abroad advising, orientation, credit approval and transfer processing, and re-entry counseling to UI students who participate in study abroad programs sponsored by institutions other than the UI.

In addition to student advising and routine administrative activities, the Office for Study Abroad plans and implements the following activities:

  • Study Abroad Fair
  • Informational sessions
  • General pre-departure orientation workshops
  • Program-specific orientation seminars
  • Re-entry workshops
  • Presentations to residents of living groups
  • Class visits
  • Faculty/administrative meeting presentations
  • Presentations and informational tables at Hawkeye Visit Days and other visitors' days at the UI

Much of our on-campus work is done in cooperation with other UI academic and administrative units. As mentioned above, we also work with academic departments to develop and administer study abroad programs. OfSA interaction with other offices falls into a number of different categories of activity, including publicity/recruitment; student advising; program development; and program administration.

Outside of the university, OfSA staff members contribute to the administration of consortial programs, and represent the University of Iowa in a variety of ways. Such representation includes program administration and representation for the CIC Study Abroad Directors; CIEE Policy Representative; serving on NAFSA:AIE panels, both nationally and regionally; program and policy decisions for the Iowa Regent's study abroad program committee (RISC); membership on University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) Board of Directors, the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) Council of Advisors and the Butler University National Advisory Council.