ABSTRACT
Study abroad programs have expressed an extraordinary level of commitment by many American institutions of higher education, and by countless American students. Study abroad experts admitted that research on the results of study abroad was not as comprehensive as one might like, and that in the business field there were better data on the consequences of global ignorance than on the positive effects of foreign exposure. The idea of study abroad as part of a challenging course of personal development might, as already suggested, lead students and administrators to see the programs as one of several options, with the actual international learning focus downplayed in favor of personal challenge. Few study abroad programs screen students individually, though of course they must be available to inquiring students to provide information and encouragement. Many study abroad sites have contractors who can arrange housing with families, but they vary greatly in quality and oversight.
