WKU News

On Wednesday, September 26^th, Mass Media and Technology Hall Lobby was the stage for the largest Study Abroad Fair in recent memory. With over 550 WKU student participating in the fair it was the largest event of International Reach Week.  Students had the opportunity to learn about the range of study abroad options from a host of DELO supported Faculty Led Study Abroad programs, twelve independent study abroad providers in attendance, including KIIS, CCSA, Harlaxton, and Semester at Sea. The large turn out, nearly doubling last year’s attendance, was noticed by providers, students, faculty and staff.

With the Study Abroad Fair being the most important promotional event of the fall 2012 semester, staff and student representatives of the Office of Study Abroad and Global Learning utilized all avenues for advertising and marketing the event. Through posters, table-tents, postcard invitations, signs, and most importantly, an announcement to a record crowd of 22,000 at a WKU football game, the word spread.

The Study Abroad Office saw the fruits of their labors when a record number of students came out to the fair to learn about how they could study abroad. The fair was strategically placed at MMTH, so that students that were just passing through could stop and collect pamphlets and literature about study abroad programs. Many of the providers were so inundated with students that they ran out of informational materials.

The large turn out, nearly doubling last year’s attendance, was noticed by providers, students, faculty and staff. Feedback from fair participants was overwhelmingly positive. Michael Nelson, the representative from the independent provider CET, stated that the WKU Study Abroad Fair was the “best fair I’ve attended this year.” Planning to carry this momentum forward, the Study Abroad team is excited to continue assisting any and all interested individuals in studying abroad.

One of the major draws of the fair for students was the scholarship raffle. Mary Newton, a Freshman Elementary Education Major, and PanPhailin Thaweechokthawornsakul, a Sophomore Chemistry Major, both will receive scholarships towards their international education programs. Mary plans to spend the fall of 2013 at Harlaxton in Grantham, England. PanPhailin has not yet selected a study abroad program.

For more information please contact Abby Leake, abby.leake@wku.edu, 270-745-6146