Critical Reflection on Study Abroad

Introducing a Re-entry Seminar for Abroad Students

The School of Education at Syracuse University will debut a one-credit seminar for returning study abroad students in fall 2015.

The course, EDU 300: Special Topics – Critical Reflection on Study Abroad will be held once a week and is designed to help students reflect on their experiences abroad. The first of its kind to be offered in the School of Education, this “re-entry program” will encourage students to think critically about their abroad experiences and apply their abroad experiences to their academic, professional, and personal lives at home.

Leading this in-depth reflection is three-time study abroad student and doctoral student Julie Ficarra, who graduated with a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and International Studies from the University at Buffalo and holds a Masters of Education in International Education Policy from Harvard University.

Research has shown the importance of “re-entry” programs as a part of the study abroad experience. The learning objectives of the course promise that students will learn to crucially reflect upon their experience, integrate their learning into their lives at home, decipher stereotypes, and develop means to speak and write critically about their time abroad. Furthermore, students will learn to create an extended engagement plan for staying connected with the global community and create a community with fellow study abroad returnees.

Students or advisors with questions about the course should contact Julie Ficarra at jmficarr@syr.edu. To register for the course, search course #28907 on MySlice.