A major part of St. Edward’s University’s fulfillment of its global mission, the study abroad program in Angers, France, has significantly less participation for its upcoming second semester, largely because it is colliding with the current economy.
This fall, there are 18 students enrolled in the Angers program out of a possible 25 spots. For the upcoming spring semester there are 13 students scheduled to study in France.
Current and Prospective Angers Students Express Financial Concerns:
Current Angers students have expressed the difficulty of managing their money in a down economy, especially with the value of the dollar compared to France’s euro.
“The U.S. dollar has progressively gotten weaker so it has come to take adverse effects on the feasibility to travel, go out to eat and many times a night out on the town,” said Albert Vasquez, a St. Edward’s student studying in Angers.
Study abroad is a major expense for students and their families, and the instability and unpredictability of the economy is making it much more difficult to accurately budget ones money.
“Being from humble backgrounds, I knew that my study abroad experience would be expensive; but one thing is assuming, and another is living on the budget,” said Vasquez.
The economy is also influencing how students who are scheduled to go to Angers next semester plan for their time abroad. Debbie Cruz, a St. Edward’s senior who is one of the 13 students scheduled for this coming semester, said that she is going to great lengths to prepare financially.
"I'm not shopping like I used to and if I do buy something I think twice about it,” Cruz said. “I try to find the cheapest places to eat. I'm trying to save as much as I can. I talk myself out of buying things I don't need.”
The Financial Model for a Semester in Angers:
While some students are struggling to make ends meet, the concept of the Angers program was in fact the opposite. The tuition for a semester in Angers is the same as a semester at St. Edward’s. Scholarships and financial aid apply in the same way, too. For the fall semester, tuition is $15, 570, not including travel and food.
“The idea behind the Angers program is that you are taking St. Eds classes and paying St. Eds tuition, just in France,” said Natacha Martin, an advising specialist in the school of Humanities.
Martin explained that the cost should be the same, besides paying for a plane ticket. She said that it should not be an issue of cost.
“Other study abroad programs very widely in cost,” Martin said. “You accept their tuition.”
Why The Downturn in Enrollment?:
While the initial cost of a semester in Angers may be close to the same as a semester in Austin, the financial burden comes in part from a lack of supplemental income that is available while in the states. Many students have jobs while going to school, so to travel overseas for a semester would mean giving up that income.
“I think a lot of it is uprooting yourself for a semester.” Martin said. “If you are working here, you aren’t working there.”
Vazquez explained that he worked hard at his job as a bank teller to save money for the trip, but it has proven to not be enough.
"I was only able to save roughly $2,500 by myself and have relied on family assistance because I soon found my money draining and fast,” Vasquez said. “Some adjustments that I’ve HAD to make to fit my budget, is to eat in and thanks to friends I’ve learned how to cook and quite well too. More so on food what many have done is cook for one friend one night so that the other can cook the next night."
Cruz said that financial aid and scholarships that she’s been awarded are filling a large part of her already thinly stretched budget plan.
“I'm worried I'll run out of money even on a tight budget,” Cruz said. “I applied for scholarships and I plan to live off those funds next semester."
Martin thinks the downturn in participation is do more to students not wanting to sacrifice a semester in Austin. Students value their time at St. Edward’s and the Austin area so much that they simply are not willing to sacrifice an entire semester to go overseas. Study abroad is always more popular in the summer, possibly because students don’t have to lose a valued semester.
“As bad as it sounds to give up a fun semester, this is the time to do it,” Martin said.
The Benefits of Studying Abroad:
The University is taking steps to increase enrollment for the upcoming spring semester. The application deadline was extended by more than three weeks, from Oct. 8 to Oct. 30. The University also began marketing internship opportunities in France that could be obtained while studying at Angers.
Cruz has high hopes for her time in Angers, outside of the financial concerns.
"I am expecting to gain another wold view and immerse myself in a new culture," Cruz said.
Martin said there are many benefits to studying abroad beyond class credit and internships, but it isn’t for everyone. Beyond being a great experience to grow as a person, it is great for your resume, Martin said.
“The benefits are huge,” Martin said. “There is a whole other world out there.”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Austin Chronicle's Michael King speaks to St. Edward's students
A senior editor at the Austin Chronicle spoke to a group of St. Edward’s University students regarding the alternative news business as it adapts to the online medium, and his experiences in it on Thursday.
Michael King joined the Austin Chronicle in 2000 after leaving Texas Monthly. He spoke of the challenges and opportunities arising with the transition to the Internet, both at the Chronicle and in journalism more broadly.
“The difference in the last ten years is the explosion of online journalism,” King said.
The problem is figuring out how to make money off of online journalism. With print readerships dropping, everyone is trying to be a part of the new platform for journalism.
“Like everybody, I’m wondering what is going to happen,” King said. “Can you make a living doing it, I don’t know.”
King described the effects a struggling economy and the rise of the Internet are having on journalism and the Chronicle.
“I haven’t had a freelance budget at all in over a year because revenue’s go down and expenses go up,” King said.
Certain things are simply not possible anymore with the changing landscape. He explained that he has to prioritize coverage based on his staff and available funds. Blogging is an example of the situation, he said, as it basically forgoes any real reporting because it costs money and offers mostly just opinion.
“My mandate is to do the best I can, covering the whole city with seven writers,” King said.
At the Chronicle, the online version offers breaking news and the majority of the sports coverage, because there isn’t the money or the staff to cover it in print.
“More and more there is the expectation of new stuff all the time,” King said.
He described the online version of the Chronicle, and online journalism in general, as fast, disappearing, and not financially self-sufficient. He sees it as a vortex of information that nobody comprehends.
“The online coverage is more freewheeling, less edited and more off the cuff,” King said. “Online coverage is more insider oriented.”
While the online version offers more freedom in reporting and writing, King is a traditionalist.
“I’m old school,” King said. “I’d much rather get it right than get it fast. You take risks online that you wouldn’t take in print. It’s part of an attempt to do things on the edge.”
While King portrays a somewhat pessimistic and resistant view of the evolution to online, he remains confident in journalism more generally.
“Journalism will survive whether the objects from which we read it survive,” King said.
Michael King joined the Austin Chronicle in 2000 after leaving Texas Monthly. He spoke of the challenges and opportunities arising with the transition to the Internet, both at the Chronicle and in journalism more broadly.
“The difference in the last ten years is the explosion of online journalism,” King said.
The problem is figuring out how to make money off of online journalism. With print readerships dropping, everyone is trying to be a part of the new platform for journalism.
“Like everybody, I’m wondering what is going to happen,” King said. “Can you make a living doing it, I don’t know.”
King described the effects a struggling economy and the rise of the Internet are having on journalism and the Chronicle.
“I haven’t had a freelance budget at all in over a year because revenue’s go down and expenses go up,” King said.
Certain things are simply not possible anymore with the changing landscape. He explained that he has to prioritize coverage based on his staff and available funds. Blogging is an example of the situation, he said, as it basically forgoes any real reporting because it costs money and offers mostly just opinion.
“My mandate is to do the best I can, covering the whole city with seven writers,” King said.
At the Chronicle, the online version offers breaking news and the majority of the sports coverage, because there isn’t the money or the staff to cover it in print.
“More and more there is the expectation of new stuff all the time,” King said.
He described the online version of the Chronicle, and online journalism in general, as fast, disappearing, and not financially self-sufficient. He sees it as a vortex of information that nobody comprehends.
“The online coverage is more freewheeling, less edited and more off the cuff,” King said. “Online coverage is more insider oriented.”
While the online version offers more freedom in reporting and writing, King is a traditionalist.
“I’m old school,” King said. “I’d much rather get it right than get it fast. You take risks online that you wouldn’t take in print. It’s part of an attempt to do things on the edge.”
While King portrays a somewhat pessimistic and resistant view of the evolution to online, he remains confident in journalism more generally.
“Journalism will survive whether the objects from which we read it survive,” King said.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sex crimes common at college campuses
Nearly 3 percent of college women experience a completed and/or attempted rape during a college year, a U.S. Department of Justice report released today estimates.
The report, "The Sexual Victimization of College Women,” offers a comprehensive view of the frequency and nature of sexual assault occurring at American universities.
The data supports research suggesting that college women are at a greater risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women in the general population or in a comparable age group.
The report showed that women at a college that has 10,000 female students could experience more than 350 rapes a year, while 13 percent reported having been stalked since the beginning of the school year.
The study showed that for completed on-campus rapes, 60 percent took place in the victim’s residence, 31 percent in other living quarters and 10 percent occurred at a fraternity.
“Most victims knew the person who sexually victimized them,” the authors wrote. “For both completed and attempted rapes, about nine in 10 offenders were known to the victim.”
The report found that women do not characterize their victimization's as a crime because of embarrassment, not clearly understanding what it means to be victimized or because they blame themselves for the assault. The study reinforces the importance of many organizations’ efforts to improve education and knowledge about sexual assault.
The federally funded report was released by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and was conducted by Bonnie S. Fisher, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, Francis T. Cullen and Michael G. Turner.
The report was based on a telephone survey of a randomly selected, national sample of 4,446 women who were attending a 2 or 4-year college or university.
The report, "The Sexual Victimization of College Women,” offers a comprehensive view of the frequency and nature of sexual assault occurring at American universities.
The data supports research suggesting that college women are at a greater risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women in the general population or in a comparable age group.
The report showed that women at a college that has 10,000 female students could experience more than 350 rapes a year, while 13 percent reported having been stalked since the beginning of the school year.
The study showed that for completed on-campus rapes, 60 percent took place in the victim’s residence, 31 percent in other living quarters and 10 percent occurred at a fraternity.
“Most victims knew the person who sexually victimized them,” the authors wrote. “For both completed and attempted rapes, about nine in 10 offenders were known to the victim.”
The report found that women do not characterize their victimization's as a crime because of embarrassment, not clearly understanding what it means to be victimized or because they blame themselves for the assault. The study reinforces the importance of many organizations’ efforts to improve education and knowledge about sexual assault.
The federally funded report was released by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and was conducted by Bonnie S. Fisher, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, Francis T. Cullen and Michael G. Turner.
The report was based on a telephone survey of a randomly selected, national sample of 4,446 women who were attending a 2 or 4-year college or university.
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