FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2016
Contact: Julia Wood
865-694-6405
Pellissippi State recognized for its study abroad practices
The Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad initiative recognized Pellissippi State Community College for exceeding its study abroad goals during the 2014-2015 school year.
The college was one of only 12 higher education institutions to be recognized during the IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad in Washington, D.C. This is the second year in a row that Pellissippi State has been recognized by the IIE.
This past summer, Pellissippi State sent 204 students on study abroad trips in partnership with Tennessee Consortium for International Studies. That exceeds Pellissippi State’s annual goal for study abroad participation.
“Students who study abroad have been shown to earn better grades and are more likely to persist through college to earn their degree,” said Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr. “Study abroad isn’t something that should be reserved only for the few.”
According to IIE research, fewer than 10 percent of American undergraduates study abroad. Pellissippi State offers students scholarships, up to half the cost of the trip, to make study abroad accessible to more students.
“Just two years after joining Generation Study Abroad, colleges and universities across the country are seeing measurable results in their study abroad participation rates,” said Allan Goodman, the president and CEO of IIE. “Studying abroad is one of the best ways to prepare to enter and succeed in the interconnected, globalized workforce, yet 90 percent of American college students do not study or intern outside of the United States. We owe it to the next generation of Americans to explain why study abroad is more crucial than ever and to find ways to make it more accessible to a wider range of students.”
TnCIS, headquartered at Pellissippi State, organizes study abroad opportunities as part of its mission of boosting international experience and culture in higher education across the state. In the nine years since its founding, TnCIS has supported 2,656 students statewide in pursuing a global education.
IIE Generation Study Abroad grants funding and scholarships to community partners and higher education institutions in its network.
For more information about TnCIS, visit www.tncis.org or call 865-539-7280. For more information about Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu or call 865-694-6400.
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Pellissippi State Community College is a member of Tennessee’s Community Colleges. Tennessee’s Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, visit www.tncommunitycolleges.org.