See the World

UNC Asheville’s Global Engagement Office Helps Connect Students to Study Abroad Opportunities

By UNC Asheville

July 21^st, 2023

While UNC Asheville students are encouraged to take advantage of experiences beyond the classroom such as undergraduate research and creative activity, internships, and study abroad, some students may feel that study abroad just isn’t an option for them. Two UNC Asheville faculty currently leading the charge at the University’s Global Engagement Office (GEO) are working to help students engage globally.

Sensitive to the perception that study abroad may be out of reach for some students, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Humanities and Religious Studies Seth Ligo and Associate Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Studies Jake Butera are working to make educational travel experiences accessible.

“There’s still a perception among many students that study abroad is for a certain kind of student,” says Ligo, “a certain set of majors, a certain kind of background, a certain kind of support or even financial liquidity, or freedom of time or from responsibilities.”

It’s an issue of accessibility: students are sometimes unable to afford the cost of studying abroad out of pocket and are not aware of resources available for financial and logistical support.

The GEO is trying to build those connections within the study abroad system. Ligo recently secured a grant of $4,125 from the Institute of International Education (IIE) to participate in the IIE American Passport Project.

The grant will cover the costs associated with passports for first year, Pell-eligible students. Students must also be part of a community that has been historically underrepresented in study abroad, including students who are of races or ethnicities that are underrepresented, LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse students, first-generation students, students with disabilities, veterans, and non-traditional age students.

Not many first-year students are actively planning a potential study abroad experience, but, Ligo says, “This is a way to start a conversation with them about international education before they would even have the need or opportunity to start applying.” He adds, “We want to show that we are present and supportive from day one when students arrive on campus.”

“Having a passport in hand suddenly makes you feel like the rest of the world is at your fingertips, accessible and open in a way you might not have thought before you had that passport,” says Butera.

Opening Up Worldviews

UNC Asheville undergraduate Channing Neorr, who goes by Star, majored in religious studies with a focus on Eastern religions. She grew up exposed only to Christian perspectives, but wanted to live in a country with a different majority religion and ended up spending a semester in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Studying abroad is a great way to open up your worldview, meet people from different cultures and places, see different parts of the world to benefit everyone’s education in school and as a human and global citizen,” she says.

Ligo and Sara King, study abroad coordinator and international student adviser/PDSO, offered Neorr logistical support. Also key to her success was financial support through the McClinton Scholars and Buddhism Scholarship programs. She was able to cover the costs of her plane tickets, travel expenses, and travel around Asia, and didn’t have to worry about finances.

The GEO manages the endowment for the McClinton Scholars program, which provides students studying abroad with financial assistance if they act as peer mentors when they return, educating other students who are considering or planning a study abroad experience. They provide “insider voices, voices from different backgrounds and positionalities – intersectionalities – that are not represented by staff,” Ligo says.

These perspectives help to bring more students into the fold. The IIE American Passport Project will complement the McClinton Scholars program by letting students know that they have options and support. It also helps the GEO create a culture on campus of opportunity around going abroad.

“There are a lot of options for financial aid, to overcome and work through obstacles, and there are so many people here to help you do that. No one should be off-put,” Neorr says. She suggests students ask questions and keep an open mind. “You'll learn so, so much from [study abroad] and it’s something you’ll never regret.”