Short-term study abroad avoids pitfalls of longer programs

Adventure awaits: Short-term study abroad at EOU 

Feb. 18, 2021 LA GRANDE, Ore. – Study abroad programs can seem overwhelming or expensive, but with short-term study abroad opportunities, traveling during college is an imaginable possibility. 

“After participating in study abroad as a student and leading short-term study abroad for students, I witnessed first-hand the positive impacts these experiences had on our students. I wanted to be able to formally quantify these experiences​ to better understand the impacts on our students,” said Laura Gow-Hogge, Associate Professor in the College of Business. 

Eastern Oregon University professor Laura Gow-Hogge, is set to present her colloquium on short-term study abroad from 4 to 5 p.m., on Feb. 25 via Zoom. 

“Developing a short-term study abroad program in a country that has significant cultural differences, while not being too far away, would allow these students to begin to explore unique places and unique experiences in a metered approach,” Gow-Hogge said.

These short-term study abroad programs have a duration of 10 to14 days and typically take place during the breaks in between terms. The participation barriers that a long-term study abroad experience entail are avoidable and students aren’t forced to make the financial and time commitments needed for long-term study abroad. 

The study abroad offered at EOU can be applied to many different degrees and is something all students should have access to, Gow-Hogge said. 

“Eastern Oregon University (EOU) is a liberal arts university designated as a LEAP (Liberal Education and America’s Promise) institution which endorses high-impact learning and commitment to general and liberal arts learning outcomes,” Gow-Hogge said. “The short-term study abroad program is one element of the curriculum utilized in meeting the global business competency requirements of the university’s LEAP commitment and the business program accreditation requirements.”

After four years of research, she is very familiar with how students can benefit from studying abroad. Studying abroad can be a gateway for cultural exposure and short-term experiences offer opportunities for students to engage with different cultures while keeping in mind time and budget. 

“Results indicate that short-term study abroad programs are effective at improving intercultural competencies. This finding supports the idea that short-term study abroad programs can be considered high-impact learning and supports EOU’s LEAP outcomes of Global Knowledge and Engagement and Intercultural Knowledge and Competence and should be an opportunity made available to our students.”

Learn more about Gow-Hogge’s work on Feb. 25 via Zoom. For more information about other upcoming colloquium presentations, visit eou.edu/colloquium. 

Written by PR Intern Emily Andrews