Geneseo professors want to kick their students out of the country - preferably for spring break, a month in summer, a semester or even an entire year.
Such encouragement to leave the States was apparent at the annual Study Abroad Fair, which took place Wednesday afternoon in the Union Ballroom and lobby. Professors heading Geneseo-sponsored study abroad programs, as well as representatives from other schools such as Binghamton and Albany, were on hand to spark interest and answer questions about studying abroad.
"[Studying abroad] challenges students to think in new ways about themselves and where they come from," said geography professor David Aagesen, who also serves as the Faculty Fellow for International Programs at Geneseo.
Geneseo currently offers three sections for each of the two required Humanities courses abroad. There are also about 14 opportunities to travel and study in 12 different countries for a semester or a year, according to Aagesen.
"More and more people are studying abroad and there are more opportunities to do so," he said. According to Aagesen, about 20 percent of Geneseo students have studied abroad at some point in their academic career.
"I think that students should put more pressure on their advisors to get the information they need to study abroad," said anthropology professor Ellen Kintz. Kintz recommended that students of all class years should participate in a study abroad program.
At the study abroad fair, Geneseo students who have gone on specific trips were there to share their experiences.
"It's amazing experiencing other cultures," said senior Patrick Geraghty, who went to Mexico for an international service-learning program.
English professors Rachel Hall and Rob Doggett were promoting a summer program to Ireland that could count towards English literature or writing credits.
"No education is complete without it," said Hall of studying abroad. "You learn so much about yourself."
For more information about studying abroad, be sure to check out http://studyabroad.geneseo.edu or call 585-245-5546.