Studying away

Temple’s study abroad exchange programs have expanded. Between new exchange programs with partner universities, Temple joining the Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program and increasing initiatives from the Office of International Affairs, students are learning beyond the boundaries of Main Campus.

Study away options are important, and student exchange programs are an exciting opportunity for students lucky enough to participate in them. And unlike study abroad programs that are expensive at a time when the university needs to be extremely picky about what it is allotting money to, exchange programs come at little to no cost to the university.

The Temple News is happy to support this effort. It is a great option to keep the office expanding without dipping into Temple’s metaphorical wallet. And, as Becky Kerner reports in [“Headline”], p. 1, it comes at no additional cost to students, either.
The Temple News encourages students who can to take advantage of this opportunity to do so. It is a great learning experience that will be harder to come by once life in the “real world” starts getting in the way.

The Temple News has also been fielding complaints from participants in the School of Communication and Theater Study Away Office’s South Africa program, which was suspended for Summer 2012.

The Temple News understands why they are upset, and that this experience was something personal to them that they were passionate about. However, unlike exchange programs, there is a financial aspect to study abroad programs. Additionally, programs are discontinued, changed or only offered on off semesters or off years, at Temple and many other universities all the time for a whole slew of reasons. This is a common occurrence, and although The Temple News does not support the decision to suspend it, we do understand that there has to be a give and take with these situations. Additionally, SCT plans to reinstate the South Africa study away program.