NASULGC, the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators are joining forces to co-found a new Center for Capacity Building in Study Abroad. The Center will focus its support of the education abroad field by:

• Building a rich information base to serve institutions wishing to expand their on-campus capacity rapidly, while maintaining quality.
• Identifying opportunities in emerging, potentially high-demand study abroad markets—beyond the traditional destinations—and providing guidance on how to best access those markets responsibly.
• Using innovative action-learning teams, convene groups of institutions experiencing rapid growth to share ideas and information, act as peer support, and foster collaboration.

NASULGC is a strong supporter of expansion of study abroad programs. Its interest in the field goes beyond its own member institutions, realizing that the growth expected requires participation by a wide variety of institutions. NAFSA traditionally takes into account the broad range of colleges and universities in its programming to more than 10,000 members.

The Need

To achieve the kind of expansion envisioned by the Simon Act legislation and to meet the increasing demand by students and institutions for a quality education abroad experience, there will need to be broader institutional commitment, more innovative programming to address students' interests, and a significant increase in the capacity abroad.

Many individual institutions and program providers will undoubtedly take the initiative to address increased demand. At the same time, higher education associations are already being asked to provide guidance, assemble and share best practices, and facilitate discussions for their institutional members—especially those with the desire to grow, but with limited resources to forge their own path in this complex programming area.

Service to a Variety of Institutional Types

Even before the Simon Act is funded, many colleges and universities are experiencing rapid growth in study abroad and are looking for examples of good practice and ideas for expanding programs. The Center will provide these examples and serve institutions large and small.

Focus on an Action Agenda

The Center will focus first on action: conference sessions, regional/local action teams of institutions wishing to expand their programs, and discussions with program providers and regional agencies about expansion of capacity abroad. At the same time, it will be consolidating the information that already exists—a portal for leaders to use to realize their expansion plans.

Join the Mailing List

If your institution is interested in participating, please join the mailing list by contacting ccb[at]nafsa.org.