College ranked in international study

The College's commitment to international study was recognized recently by the Institute for International Education, which ranked the College seventh among peer institutions nationwide in the number of students who engage in study abroad.

The College sent 400 students to study abroad during the 2001-2 academic year. Saint Olaf College ranked first with 644 students, Colgate University second with 544. After that the grouping was tight. A margin of only 29 students separated Smith College, in third place, and Union.

"The IIE study validates what those of us at Union have held all along," said William Thomas, director of international programs. "International study is an important part of the undergraduate experience, and at Union it is an integral part of the curriculum."

The number of U.S. university-level students receiving credit for study abroad in 2001/02 increased 4.4 percent from the previous year, reaching a record total of 160,920, according to Open Doors 2003, the annual report on international education published by the IIE with funding from the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

"Despite a weak economy and post-9/11 concerns, American students continue to regard study abroad as a critical component of their higher education experience," said an IIE release that accompanied the study.

For more details on the IIE study, see: http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/.