Daniel Knox attended Wednesday’s Study Abroad Information Fair with one goal in mind: to find a European program where he could travel and study historic architecture.

“I want to see the world,” Knox, Overland Park sophomore and architecture major, said.

The University of Kansas was recently ranked 11th among public universities in the nation for study abroad participation. The University also ranked 16th among public universities for short-term study abroad participation.

The University’s rankings come from the Institute of International Education’s 2008 “Open Doors” report, which was based on numbers for the 2006-2007 academic year. The report stated that about 27.5 percent of undergraduate students studied outside the United States during the 2006-2007 academic year.

Nancy Chaison, associate director for the Office of Study Abroad, said during the 2008-2009 school year, more than 63 short-term programs and 50 semester-and year-long programs were available for students. A short-term program takes place during a summer, winter or spring break.

“The study abroad program has really dedicated itself to finding kinds of opportunities that will work for students in a variety of programs, not only in content and location, but also in duration,” Sue Lorenz, interim director for the Office of Study Abroad, said.

Lorenz said short-term study abroad programs were a University strength because they gave students more flexibility.

“The shorter-term programs enable a lot of students to be able to study abroad in a way that fits their academic schedules, curriculum and their budget,” Lorenz said.

Lorenz said students often participated in shorter study abroad programs early in their University careers and would later study abroad again through longer programs.

Such is the case for Stephanie Shiflett, Overland Park junior, who participated in The London Review with Mary Klayder, honors lecturer, during spring break of 2007.

Shiflett said she enjoyed her experience so much that she spent the following spring semester studying in Angers, France.

“Traveling in and of itself makes you feel so alive,” Shiflett said. “There’s so much to look at and think about.”

Lorenz said the number of students participating each year continued to grow, which she attributed to an overall aim from departments and schools to provide international experience for students.

With the economy faltering and students struggling financially, Lorenz said the Office of Study Abroad continued to try and offer study abroad options without raising costs. Chaison said although the economy was tight in the United States, the value of the dollar was stronger in some countries. Students would be able to find some study abroad programs cheaper than last year.

To help students financially, the Office of Study Abroad offers scholarships. Students can also use financial aid, such as student loans, toward studying abroad. Chaison said many departments within the University also offered scholarships for study abroad and that the Office of Study Abroad had financial aid advisors for students.

“Students are able to accomplish their goals and save the money they need to save or find the aid they need to find when they’ve done some careful planning,” Chaison said.

Rachel Gray, Kansas City, Mo., junior, said she used a loan from the Kansas University Endowment Association to help pay for The Costa Rica Experience, a two-week study abroad trip in January. Gray said the trip helped her interact with students she normally wouldn’t meet.

“You can learn more in the span of time you are in a different country than you can in four years at the University,” Gray said.

Jenna Sheldon-Sherman, a 2006 graduate who studied abroad five times, said studying abroad could give students skills to use beyond graduation. Sheldon-Sherman now attends Stanford Law School and said her study abroad experiences helped prepare her for career-related issues involving international law and human rights.

“A lot of people at Stanford are from other countries and for me to bring something to the table in terms of my personal experience is great,” she said. “To have experienced that for myself gives me more perspectives.”

— Edited by Heather Melanson