Iraq conflict unlikely to change U. study abroad

As international tensions between Iraq and the United States continue to escalate and the probability of war continues to increase, University officials explain that heated relations will most likely have no effect on Penn's study abroad programs. Though anti-American sentiments may present a potential public relations problem for students studying abroad, the administration believes that if a war with Iraq were to occur, it would be isolated, preventing the cancellation of any Penn-sponsored international program. According to Director of Undergraduate Study Abroad Geoffrey Gee, he and others "anticipate that if there were to be a war with Iraq, it would have a regional impact." Gee explained that because the University has no programs based in the Middle East, such cancellations -- either now or in the future -- will most likely not become necessary. He added that "if there is fallout in any part of the world in terms of anti-American sentiment... [the University and the Office of International Programs] will react to that." Currently, over 20 percent of the University's undergraduate student body studies abroad each year -- last academic year, 437 Penn students took courses in other countries. School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston echoed Gee's belief that if such a conflict were to occur, it would not affect Penn-based international academics. Preston also noted that even after the disastrous attacks of Sept. 11 and President Bush's declaration of war on terror, less than 1 percent of those studying abroad returned to the University. "You look back at 9-11... out of the 300 or so of the students studying abroad, only three came back," Preston said. Such reassurance may help increase student confidence in the stability of study abroad programs -- a faith which was shaken one year ago when University officials were forced to suspend Penn's program in Israel during the spring 2002 semester. After the U.S. State Department's advisories became more drastic -- due to rising tensions and security concerns -- University officials contacted the four Penn students studying in the region and requested that they return home. Along with Penn, the University of California system, the University of Colorado and the University of Southern California also decided to call their abroad students to return to the U.S. around that time. The suspension has yet to be lifted for study abroad programs in Israel. According to College of Arts and Sciences Dean Richard Beeman, such choices required of the administration are never easily made. "Decisions about whether to suspend study abroad programs because of world events are very definitely judgment calls," Beeman wrote in an e-mail. He continued explaining that such actions are "almost always based on imperfect knowledge and the need to balance our concern for our students' educational opportunities with our concern for their safety." Even after such a mid-semester cancellation, administrators must grapple with how -- and if -- students can count the academic progress they made while abroad. In such circumstances, Gee explained that issues over the completion of course work and the payment of abroad expenses are always dealt with on a situation-by-situation basis. He remarked that although problems are more complex when students are required to leave the programs mid to late in the semester -- rather than at the beginning of the academic period -- Gee said that the "University can be counted on to act responsibly in regard to its students."

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