On September 30 a number of institutions from around the globe will arrive in East Lansing to learn how Michigan State University is placing student development at the heart of its study abroad programming and developing strategies to send students abroad sooner. Recognized by peers as an innovative program, MSU will share its experiences with Freshman Seminars Abroad, a unique combination of on-campus freshman seminars with learning objectives of study abroad.

According to the Institute for International Education 2010 Open Doors Report 58.4 percent of U.S. students who study abroad do so in the last two years of their studies.

Recognizing that the first year of college plays a crucial role in student success and readiness for intercultural learning, MSU has blended lessons from its study abroad programming with principles from on-campus freshman seminars. The result is an innovative program known as the Freshman Seminar Abroad and the main topic of the day-long symposium.

Inge Steglitz introduced MSU's strategy for freshman seminars abroad in the article Education Abroad for Freshman (PDF)*, which was published in the NASFA-International Educator Association magazine in 2010. Since then colleagues from around the world have been calling upon Stelitz for consultation.

“Many U.S. institutions are now starting to develop early programming abroad as an ‘appetizer’ to a longer experience or as a strategy to increase student’s readiness for intercultural learning on campus,” said Brett Berquist, executive director for the Office of Study Abroad at MSU.

Since its inception, nearly 1,000 MSU students have participated in freshman seminars abroad with approximately 70 percent engaging in a second study abroad program during their academic careers.

Other institutions are finding programs abroad in the freshman year are important components to retention or in meeting student demand for early mobility.

The symposium will showcase MSU’s model and feature speakers from Purdue, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Cincinnati who have developed or are developing their own freshman abroad programs. Professionals from across the U.S., Australia, Italy and Mexico have registered for the symposium.

“We are excited to provide this forum for a dialogue with peers, to share our model and learn together how we can continue to improve education abroad for first-year students,” said Berquist.

The Freshman Seminars Abroad Symposium will be held on Friday, September 30, 2011 in the Riverside Room of the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The symposium is designed for education abroad professionals as well as faculty, administrators and staff interested in learning about high-impact international learning experiences in the context of students' first-year experience.

Larry Braskamp, a senior fellow at the American Association of Colleges and Universities, Senior Scientist at The Gallup Organization and President of the Global Perspective Institute, will deliver the keynote address, Challenging and Supporting Students to Develop Globally and Holistically.