HBCU Study Abroad Program Draws Praise from NC Governor
North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue sent a letter of support to members of the North Carolina Study Abroad Engagement Consortium for pioneering international learning opportunities for HBCU students. Pioneered by the IERC Educational Foundation, the SAGE Consortium’s endorsement from Gov. Perdue is the second from a government official in as many months, with the first coming from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the recent HBCU Symposium. From the release:
“The governor’s supportive words are an honor, which we take very seriously; we want and will do great things for her state’s 11 HBCU community … in keeping with our mission and the New HBCU Narrative” he said.
IERCEF says that it has designs on creating a similar consortium for the four HBCUs in Maryland. Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore comprise the state’s four public HBCUs.
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Saint Augustine’s College is proud and excited to be a part of the SAGE Consortium. We are looking forward to the positive energy that this collaboration will bring to our campus as we endeavor to expand our global reach. We know that working with other HBCUs will increase our visibility and improve the quality of programs that we are able to offer our students. If our students are to be competitive in this global society, they have to be afforded the same opportunities that other institutions readily offer. We feel confident that the SAGE Consortium is a step in the right direction thus ensuring that our students have an equal opportunity to excel and succeed domestically and internationally.
Although study abroad by U.S. students is up 8.5%, the numbers for African-Americans and Latinos show no great improvement. According to the Open Doors 2009 Report on International Educational Exchange, in 2007/08 academic year, 262,416 students’ studies abroad. Of that total, 81.8 person were White, 4.0% African-American and 5.9% Latinos. The work of IERC Education Foundation with the establishment of SAGE Consortium’s should help improve these numbers.