Administrators and faculty are scrambling to figure out why enrollment numbers have plummeted for Dartmouth's Language Study Abroad programs and how to bring them back up.
Enrollment in LSA programs fell to 252 students last year, from a peak in the 1982-83 academic year of 435 students, according to Assistant Dean of the Faculty and Exchange Coordinator Peter Armstrong.
Among the reasons administrators offered to explain the decline in enrollment are stricter acceptance requirements, poor promotion to freshmen, and a nationwide decline in student interest in certain languages.
Professor of French and Italian John Rassias said one of the greatest problems with the current system is that there is nothing that fully communicates to freshmen the benefits and opportunities associated with studying abroad.
"I am really upset by the fact that incoming students are not getting enough information," Rassias said. "The educational value is not getting across to students."
German Professor Bruce Duncan agreed, saying, "I think everybody began to take LSAs for granted."
In 1984, requirements for entry into LSAs were changed from taking one term of study in the language to two, Armstrong said.
After an immediate drop, enrollment numbers have continued to decline.
Interest in languages nationwide has recently declined, Armstrong said, with the exception of Spanish, which many students find more useful as a second language.
According to Armstrong, Dartmouth's LSA enrollment drop is a reflection of this trend, citing nationwide drops in Russian and German.
Dartmouth's fall German LSA in Mainz, Germany, was recently canceled due to lack of student interest.
Duncan said international events can have a huge impact on language enrollments, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, when enrollment patterns exploded.
Armstrong said that Fall term LSAs suffer most from a general decline in enrollment.
Associate Dean of the Faculty Mary Jean Green said the dual problems of fraternity and sorority rush and scheduling conflicts for many students pursuing science majors are responsible for low Fall term LSA enrollment.
Yet Dean of the Faculty James Wright said that Fall term conflicts are not the main problem.
"The broader issue is that the total numbers of students selecting these programs is down," he said.
Administrators said problems with financial aid do not appear to be holding down enrollment figures.
Rassias said that, in his conversations with students, he did not hear about monetary concerns keeping students from going abroad.
Director of Financial Aid Ginny Hazen said the Office of Financial Aid generally awards more money to students going abroad, using dollar amounts calculated by the Office of Off-Campus Programs.
These amounts include airline tickets and local transportation, she said. Also factored in is money from any wages students would have earned while holding a job in Hanover.
Hazen said her office sees it necessary to help all students who show an interest in LSAs and have successfully been admitted to them.
"Our awards are much more generous that what other schools are doing," she added.
By contrast, Harvard University Admissions Officer Bob Klagget said that Harvard does not award more money to students studying overseas.
The Office of Off-Campus Programs is trying to combat the decline in LSA enrollment with programs to inform freshmen of the overseas opportunities available.
Rassias has organized an informational meeting for '00s scheduled for Sept. 24. To encourage freshmen to plan on signing up for LSAs, this mandatory meeting will feature alumni who will come and speak about their experiences abroad.
This is part of a general effort, Rassias said, to raise awareness about LSAs.
"Everything is going to be reviewed," said Rassias. This includes the application process itself, in particular letters of recommendation and the time of the deadline, he said.
Numbers for foreign study programs have held relatively steady, Armstrong said.
