By Wendy Weiler
BYU plummeted in the rankings of schools with the most study abroad students because of mayhem in the Middle East.
The Institute for International Education, a New York-based research group, released their annual report on Monday. It showed that BYU has slipped from the first spot to the tenth spot on the list of number of students studying abroad.
In the 1999-2000 Open Doors report, BYU was number one with 1,967 students traveling to foreign lands. The next year, with turmoil in Jerusalem swelling, only 1,235 BYU students traveled abroad to study putting BYU at the number ten spot.
Michigan State University grabbed the first place spot by sending 1,835 students in 2000-01. That”s a jump from 1,674 students the previous year.
The reason for the nine-place fall is entirely due to the closing of the Jerusalem Center, said to Carri Jenkins, assistant to the president of university communications.
“We used to send 820 students to Jerusalem every year,” Jenkins said. “We”ve lost those numbers, but outside the Jerusalem Center we are doing very well.”
Jenkins said enrollments are continuing to grow or are at least reaching their capacity.
“We would still be number one if we were sending students to Jerusalem,” said Rodney Boynton, director of international study programs.
Boynton said Jerusalem used to be the most popular program; now it”s the London study abroad program.
“We”re anxious to send as many students abroad as can qualify and for whom it will be a valuable experience,” Boynton said.
The First Presidency sent BYU-Jerusalem students home during the fall 2000 semester and cancelled all future groups until strife between Israelis and Palestinians settles.
Lindsay Leininger, 22, a junior from Ogden, Weber County, majoring international politics was one of approximately 175 students sent home that semester.
Leiniger said she feels a deeper sense of gratitude that she was able to go when she did before the center closed.
“I feel a great obligation to share my experience,” Leiniger said. “My sister has always wanted to go and she can”t – at least not right now. I want to share my experience with her, so she can in some small way have that part of the Jerusalem experience.”
Layne Thompson, 22, a junior from Jackson Hole, Wyo., majoring in construction management was one of hundreds of students who had to cancel Jerusalem plans.
“I applied to go to the Jerusalem Center for fall 2001,” Thompson said. “When it was cancelled I was really disappointed. It was something I was really looking forward to.”
Thompson said he still wants to go, and he hopes he”ll have another chance.
“I think it was prudent that they pulled the students out, but I hope they”ll open it again,” he said. “If they do, I”ll apply again to go with BYU.”
No one can say how long it will be until the upheaval in the Middle East calms down. Meanwhile Boynton said students have other options.
“More departments are seeing the value of an international study programs,” Boynton said. “At the moment, we”re able to accommodate all students who want to go and we could accommodate more.”
