“Are we maximizing our global potential?” This is the big question Bryton Wood and his Student Advisory Council (SAC) team sought to answer during a recent two-semester project.
The SAC is a group of BYU students who work with faculty and staff to make the student experience consistently better. Wood’s team specifically focus their work on increasing access to study abroad programs.
The team spent months getting input from faculty and students, gathering data through research and surveys while they brainstormed creative solutions.
It’s clear that BYU is a nationally ranked leader when it comes to international involvement One shining statistic from Open Doors shows that BYU is the #1 ranked university in the nation when it comes to foreign experiences.
However, the team says more can be done to maximize BYU’s global scope and become the school of prophecy.
For one thing, BYU has extraordinary untapped potential when it comes to international influence. Because of missionary service and other programs, a whopping 65% of students speak a foreign language.
The university also offers courses in 73 languages and a wide variety of international studies majors and minors. Despite all this, only 17% of the student body goes abroad.
Wood remarked that students’ language and cultural fluency would be “a waste” if they weren’t given more chances to serve. But why should BYU focus more on its study abroad horizons?
The answer lies in a new BYU guiding theme: “For the Benefit of the World.” The messaging is clear: BYU students are called to go forth and serve at home and abroad.
The team referenced this lofty objective in their project writeup: “As the church continues to grow globally, the need for [Christ’s] disciples to be more globally minded and competent is extremely crucial.”
Lynn Elliott, Associate Director of International Study Programs, cited his own experience studying abroad as a student and how it “changed his life.”
“I’m confident that almost every student would learn a lot by spending some time outside their comfort zone in a foreign place,” he said.
What does that learning look like? Wood commented on his own study abroad experience in Poland.
It gave him “confidence and competence” to work internationally, as well as a chance to interact with and serve people in his ward and community.
It should be noted that some very real barriers prevent many from pursuing study abroad programs. Chief among those barriers is the sheer cost for students and the university.
“It’s a big ask to allow more students to go study abroad,” said team member Ainsley Gearhart. “Study abroads are just so expensive, and I had a really hard time funding it myself.”
While pricing is a real and unavoidable consideration, Elliott said that “sometimes that’s the excuse, not the reason.” He believes that when there’s a will, there’s a way.
Wood, Gearhart and the rest of their team agree. They’re seeking to facilitate the process for all BYU students. They’ve proposed several ways to help students plan for study abroad programs, including a pop-up on MyBYU that lets students see what programs fit their path.
Depending on how much priority BYU leadership gives this project, such tools could become available within the next couple of years. More study abroad funding may also be allocated if greater demand is demonstrated.
For now, the team recommends that BYU students seek information about relevant study abroad programs online and in the Kennedy Center. They also advise meeting with professors and seeking scholarship opportunities.
Likewise, they hope faculty will do their part to advertise programs related to their department and inform students of the learning opportunities they can have abroad.
Elliott encourages any students who are hesitant about study abroad opportunities to talk to them in the Kennedy Center. Those interested should also see this page for more information.