Study Abroad Office Faces Restructuring
By Erin McLaughlin
Staff Writer

Pomona's Study Abroad programs, used by about half of students before they graduate, are on the verge of major changes. The first of these are in the works for the current year.

A staff position in the Office of Study Abroad was recently reallocated to another department. Study Abroad will now have three staff members, instead of four. As a result, the office is being restructured, with final results expected July 1. Many students planning to study abroad are already concerned.

Students applying this fall for next year's spring programs will be the first affected by the changes. Some programs will be cut, although the still-pending decision about which programs will be affected and how many choices will remain for future applicants rests with the Study Abroad Committee. About 40 programs have been available in the past. The cuts will likely affect students' flexibility in applying to non-Pomona-sponsored programs.

As yet, students abroad have been unaffected. Rick Berggreen '04, currently studying in Spain, said, "They are extraordinarily helpful in terms of getting you ready to study abroad. They really take care of all the mundane details so each person doesn't have to work through them all."

Study abroad has remained a popular option for Pomona students, even in the wake of terrorism-prompted fears about the safety of foreign travel. Over two hundred students went abroad this year, nearly twenty more than in 2001-02. "I think what September 11 did was create a new interest in the world out there," said Director of Study Abroad Rhoda Borcherding.

There has been concern over programs in countries stricken with civil unrest. Programs in Israel and Venezuela remain suspended, but students are currently allowed to apply for the Nepal program, though they are encouraged to apply to a backup program. "We're certainly not giving up Nepal," said Borcherding.

Although Pomona doesn't currently have any programs in the Middle East, each program is reviewed annually. Said Borcherding of safety concerns, "We're not going to send students into a place where they could be in harm's path."