AUC Caravan

With the new campus and the current financial crisis, study abroad students are re-assessing whether The American University in Cairo is the place where they want to be.

The number of study abroad students has fallen this semester due to several factors, and it continues to gradually decline.
According to the International Programs office, the number of study abroad students this semester decreased as a result of bad publicity and the difficulties that accompanied the move to the new campus. In addition, concerns arise as to how this semester’s H1N1 break will affect the decisions of study abroad students in the near future.

“In Spring 2009, AUC had 340 study abroad students, however, this semester the number has fallen to 301 students due to bad publicity from our side and the growing problems of the new campus dorms and facilities,” Ann M. Lesch, Associate Provost of International Programs said.

Lesch pointed out that dormitory construction was still underway when students came to the university in Spring 2009. Aside from the fact that the move to the new campus affected the number of study abroad applicants, AUC did not sufficiently publicize the study abroad program.

“We didn’t publicize the university enough and we didn’t take enough measures to build connections with prestigious universities, as a result the number of students coming to AUC dropped dramatically and we suffered,” Lesch added.
According to Lesch, students go back to their universities and “de-publicize” AUC. The extra cost of living abroad is making students think twice before deciding to enroll at the university.

“I think we are past this [publicity] now, facilities have improved and students are somewhat content with the way things are,” Lesch said. “We are constantly meeting with other universities and showing them around AUC, as a means of publicizing ourselves so that once again, we can attract the maximum number of study abroad students.”

Next semester there will be 230 study abroad students coming to the university, according to the International Programs Office. Compared to previous years, in which over 350 study abroad students were coming from all over the world each semester, this number is considered to be a huge drop.

Some study abroad students feel that this semester was just a loss since they did not gain much academically.

“I really don’t feel like I gained much this semester academically due to the Swine Flu breaks, but the Arabic program here has been great for me since at my home university we only have Arabic class twice a week. Kayla Marquet, a study abroad junior said. “While the swine flu holidays were great for traveling, it did bother me that the semester became so condensed after we returned.”

Marquet, however, feels that she learned a lot outside of the university, rather from the educations system within the university walls.

“Despite the struggles, I’ve learned a lot externally from AUC, and it’s interesting to be exposed to the different perspectives of people here. I would recommend my friends back home to take a semester at AUC, but I will also caution them to be ready for anything and not expect any efficiency or consistency because it is an expensive education for the level of quality it actually holds,” Marquet added.

Many of the study abroad students complain that academics and administration at the university is weak and unorganized. This is also a reason why some say they would discourage other study abroad prospects at their home universities from coming to AUC.

“I will not encourage my friends to come here because dealing with AUC is so frustrating and difficult; the administration is very incompetent and disorganized,” Christine Losgren, a Political Science study abroad junior said. “I don’t know how I could’ve done so much traveling if it wasn’t for the swine flu break.”

Losgren is also questioning the efficiency of academics at AUC.

“I don’t feel like I’m benefitting academically, the teachers are much more lax on grading and giving assignments than at my home university. Plus, I feel like they teach from a much more biased perspective here than at my home university.”

Ashraf El Fiqi, Vice President for student affairs points out that the current situation of the study abroad program was different in past years.

“Up to the year 2007, we were closing the door for study abroad students because so many were applying and we had limited spots, however since then the number has been dropping,” El Fiqi said.

Fiqi adds, “Now the swine flu break is affecting the academic program, but we are working diligently to find alternative plans to resume classes.”

According to Fiqi since the move to the new campus, the number of study abroad students has decreased and this negative effect will take a while to subside. El Fiqi believes that since over the past two semester international students have faced many difficulties, it will take a while to re-establish AUC’s reputation and hence attract international students once again.

“What I’m concerned about is the gap year coming up next semester,” El Fiqi points out. “There won’t be many students applying then.”

-By Lucy Shafik