OP-ED: Study abroad merit awards a must for IGS
by Stephanie Karol
Op-Ed | 2/10/09
Posted online at 12:51 AM EST on 2/10/09
But, when someone like me, a Justice Brandeis Scholar, chooses to attend Brandeis, this decision is based on a contract with the school that implies that the cost of receiving one degree will not exceed the cost of any other. Justice Brandeis Scholars pay no tuition so long as a certain GPA is upheld. I personally resent being charged extra for following my dreams in choosing the IGS major and, therefore, studying abroad.
Recently, I have looked into doing a summer study abroad in lieu of a fall or spring study abroad. I am looking into programs in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I learned that many summer study abroad experiences do not fulfill IGS' international experience requirement because of a small difference in the number of credit hours involved in the summer versus during the fall or spring semester. Additionally, if I were to find a summer internship in Buenos Aires, this would not count either because summer internships are meant to fill this requirement if they are domestically based with an international focus.
It is not impossible that one of the summer programs in Buenos Aires will fulfill the requirement, but if it does not, and an internship in Buenos Aires is out of the question, I will be effectively barred from completing an IGS major the way I feel an IGS major is meant to be completed-with some experience of another part of the world and culture.
I understand that Brandeis has been hit hard by the economic crisis and that cuts are being made in many places besides merit aid portability. However, the University is wronging those of us who are here on merit scholarship.
The study abroad experience is key to producing the kind of global citizen that Brandeis openly strives to create. Adding a higher price tag for this experience, which is also a literal requirement for one of Brandeis' most popular majors, is completely unethical. Breaking contract with those the University determined to have earned merit-based aid is likewise unethical. If it behooves the University not to make such contracts for future classes or to raise the GPA standards for current students wishing to study abroad, then so be it, but the University has an agreement with current Brandeis students that must not be broken.
The writer is an International and Global Studies major and a member of the Class of 2012.
Recently, I have looked into doing a summer study abroad in lieu of a fall or spring study abroad. I am looking into programs in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I learned that many summer study abroad experiences do not fulfill IGS' international experience requirement because of a small difference in the number of credit hours involved in the summer versus during the fall or spring semester. Additionally, if I were to find a summer internship in Buenos Aires, this would not count either because summer internships are meant to fill this requirement if they are domestically based with an international focus.
It is not impossible that one of the summer programs in Buenos Aires will fulfill the requirement, but if it does not, and an internship in Buenos Aires is out of the question, I will be effectively barred from completing an IGS major the way I feel an IGS major is meant to be completed-with some experience of another part of the world and culture.
I understand that Brandeis has been hit hard by the economic crisis and that cuts are being made in many places besides merit aid portability. However, the University is wronging those of us who are here on merit scholarship.
The study abroad experience is key to producing the kind of global citizen that Brandeis openly strives to create. Adding a higher price tag for this experience, which is also a literal requirement for one of Brandeis' most popular majors, is completely unethical. Breaking contract with those the University determined to have earned merit-based aid is likewise unethical. If it behooves the University not to make such contracts for future classes or to raise the GPA standards for current students wishing to study abroad, then so be it, but the University has an agreement with current Brandeis students that must not be broken.
The writer is an International and Global Studies major and a member of the Class of 2012.
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