Developing Study Abroad
Program Orientations
Office of Education Abroad
Ohio University
Why Orientation Matters
 Sets
expectations and guidelines.
 Builds community.
 Encourages better student behavior.
 Informs students of risks & realities on-site.
 Minimizes risk of litigation due to inaccurate
or misleading information.
 Leads to more successful student
experiences.
OEA Orientation: Bobcats Abroad


Student Code of Conduct/Conditions of Participation.
Avoiding political rallies and confrontational situations.
 General safety guidelines.
 Appropriate alcohol use.
 Safe sex.
 General health guidelines.
 How to respond in an emergency (keeping perspective,
knowing who to call/where to go).
 Managing expectations (academic, cultural, and personal).
 OHIO requirements (embassy registration, HTH insurance,
copies of passports and flight itineraries to OEA).
 Identity issues.
 Cross-cultural communication.
 Logistical tips from returned students (packing, travel deals,
etc.).
The Nuts and Bolts: Orientation
Basics
All study abroad orientations should include:
 Site-specific health and safety information.
 Advice on logistical matters.
 Cultural norms and appropriate cultural
behavior.
Site-Specific Health and Safety
Information.
 Students
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
Risks associated with site.
Recommended or required immunizations and
medications.
Meeting places and responsible persons during
emergency.
Laws of host country.
 Students


should be aware of:
should receive:
HTH insurance card and brochure.
Emergency card with appropriate information.
Logistical Support
Students should receive:
 Course
request form and information on
academics.
 Direction on arrival to site, including travel
from airport to lodging.
 Detailed, printed program itinerary.
 Required paperwork for OEA and hosting
organization.
Logistical Support, Cont’d…
Students should be informed about:
 Travel

documents and timelines.
Check carefully and use OEA as a resource. This will be different for non-US citizens.
 Weather
at destination.
 Packing list and culturally-appropriate dress.
 Communication– calling cards, cell phones,
e-mail, skype.
Logistical Support, Cont’d…
Students should also be informed about:
 Money
matters- exchange rates and where
to exchange money. How to carry $ and
make payments.
 Meals and types of food that will be
available.
 Resources available on-site.
 Program rules and disciplinary procedures.
Cultural Norms and Culturally
Appropriate Behavior

Inform students of gestures, terminology, or
behaviors that may be inappropriate in host
culture.
 Share resources for learning about culture:
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International students, returned students.
Literature.
Films.
Periodicals.
Culture Grams.
Inform students of host country practices or
beliefs that may differ from US. American views.
Additional Ideas

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Q&A with returned students or students from
host country.
Have students do their own research and
present on what they’ve learned.
Include resources for LGBT students and
multicultural students.
Have students collaborate on a project to build
community.
Consider making your orientation for-credit.
Consider involving parents in your orientations.
Program Orientations and
Experiential Education

“Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may
remember, involve me and I will understand.”
– Chinese proverb

Involving and engaging students in reflective
exercises at every stage of the study abroad
process:

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Promotes active learning
Strengthens group relationships
Encourages personal development
Experiential Education, Cont’d…
“Experience alone is
insufficient to be called
experiential education, and
it is the reflection process
which turns experience into
experiential education.”
(Joplin, 1995).
Image from: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/enviroprojects/what.html
Maximizing Study Abroad
 Study
abroad orientation and culturelearning curriculum developed by the
Center for Advance Research on
Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the
University of Minnesota.
 Audience: students, language instructors,
study abroad professionals.
 Goal: To prepare students for the
language and culture learning that will
occur abroad.
Discovering your Cultural
Diversity
 p.
187 in Maximizing Study Abroad Guide
 Summary: Students list words that
describe a significant part of who they are
and debrief the activity as a group.
 Goal: Encourages students to reflect upon
their identity and how they may be
perceived abroad.
Contact Office of Education Abroad for
this resource.
Core Cultural Values & Culture
Mapping
 p.
221-226 in Maximizing Study Abroad
Guide.
 Summary: Students are presented with a
handout describing various cultural values
(Individualism vs. Collectivism, Equality vs.
Hierarchy). They are asked to rank their
own values, American cultural values, and
the values of their host culture along this
continuum.

Contact Office of Education Abroad for this resource.
My Personal Coping Strategies
 p.
283-4, 293-8 in Maximizing Study
Abroad.
 Summary: Students review the stages of
cross-cultural adjustment and brainstorm
some coping strategies for culture shock.
They also review scenarios and give
advice for successfully crossing cultures.

Contact Office of Education Abroad for this
resource.
Using Technology
 How
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to use Blackboard:
Create a “Non-term based course”.
Contact Service Desk at 593-1222.
 Consider
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a program web site or blog.
Sample: http://www.bobcatsabroad.com/dia/
Use for:
• Student Blogs
• Itineraries
• Updates for parents
Student orientation is a
continuing process
 Encourage
students to reflect on their
experience before, during, and after their
study abroad program.
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Journaling
Group reflection questions
Returned student gathering
Resources
State Department: www.travel.state.gov
Centers for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov
Travel guides – Lonely Planet, Let’s Go, Frommer’s
Periodicals / Online news sites – international sections of
US periodicals and international newspapers.
Association for Experiential Education: http://www.aee.org/
Paige, R. M., Cohen, A.D., Kappler, B., Chi, J.C. &
Lassegard, J. P. (2002). Maximizing Study Abroad: A
Student’s Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture
Learning and Use. University of Minnesota: Center for
Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.
Culturegrams: http://www.culturegrams.com/