It houses study abroad options, gives universities a risk-management tool, students processing updates and study abroad offices relief. And University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials have entered negotiations to bring the study abroad application optimizer to campus by as early as fall 2012.
Rebecca Luhrs, acting director of Study Abroad at UNL, said the university has secured approval and all but finalized the contract for Terra Dotta's StudioAbroad — software that combines study abroad searches and the application process in addition to the student information system for universities across the country and world.
"It's a little like a part-time employee," Luhrs said.
A contract for the software's licensing would cost the university $49,000 paid over five years and $8,800 annually after that, according to a Terra Dotta sales representative. Luhrs and other university officials said they hope the software decreases the paperwork and increases the number of UNL students choosing to study abroad.
"It's not just getting students to go, but getting them to somewhere that works really well for them," Luhrs said.
In the 2009-2010 academic year, 742 UNL students studied abroad, according to Luhrs. Nationally, 270,600 students traveled overseas to study, according to a Nov. 18, 2011 article by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Tentative figures for 2010-2011 suggest a decrease in UNL students studying abroad with Luhrs reporting only 655. She said she hasn't seen final figures yet, but expects that any decrease could be a result of the tough economy.
A new study abroad database could help draw students turned off by the sometimes bulky, overwhelming process, she said.
With StudioAbroad, the university could better organize the plethora of study abroad programs available to interested students and make recommendations, which students can view even before setting foot in the International Affairs office, she said.
In addition, the electronic application process would require no paperwork and could use existing university data to streamline students' checklists.
Among UNL's Big Ten peers, the University of Minnesota, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Pennsylvania State University use the program, while many other Big Ten schools use their own home-grown sites, according to Laurie Bellows, a supporter of the program and assistant dean of Graduate Studies.
"We considered developing a home-grown database, but we just don't have the time or staff with the expertise to develop one," she said.
David Wilson, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the software would also provide the university a way to contact students and faculty abroad when disaster strikes — a program the university could have used when an earthquake rocked Japan last March.
"We didn't know who we had in Japan," Wilson said.
That wouldn't have been the case if the university had the software, he said, because administrators could see exactly where students and faculty are located.
Overall, the prospects of the new program have Luhrs and her colleagues in Study Abroad excited to provide a better service to students and leave paperwork behind.
"We feel like we're jumping into the 21st century," Luhrs said.
Study Abroad at a glance in 2009-2010:
- 742 UNL students studied abroad in 2009-2010, 270,600 nationally
- Top three study abroad destinations: Britain, Italy and Spain
- Michigan State University sent 2,589 students abroad in 2009-2010
- 643 Northwestern students studied abroad in 2009-2010
- 297 UNL seniors studied abroad compared to 13 freshmen
- At UNL, women studied abroad more than men, 453 to 289
Sources: UNL Study Abroad and Chronicle of Higher Education
RileyJohnson@DailyNebraskan.com
is a member of the 
1 comments