Responding to a policy restricting students from studying
abroad in
state Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) introduced legislation last month
designed to overturn the limitations, citing the relatively low level of
concern expressed by the State Department.
The university first employed the limitations in February
2002 after the State Department issued a travel advisory warning regarding
threats of terrorism in
Since then, the restrictions have prohibited UC students from studying in
under the systemwide Education Abroad Program. Students interested in traveling
to
pursue their studies through the Opportunities Abroad Program instead.
Under the restrictions, if students are in
for more than one quarter, they must withdraw from the university and apply for
readmission, a standard practice for any
student studying abroad. The $65 fee reapplication is normally waived for
study-abroad students, but students studying in a country with a travel
advisory warning must pay the fee. They must also sign a more extensive waiver
releasing the university from any liability if they are harmed while abroad.
While the program does not actually prevent students from
going to
there are financial aid restrictions on students who study in countries with a
travel advisory warning, Programs Abroad Office representative Jim Galvin said.
Migden proposed Resolution 18 last month in an effort to
reverse study-abroad restrictions. The bill is currently in the Senate
education committee and will likely receive a hearing in the next few months.
If approved, the resolution will could affect UC students as early as this
summer.
PAO Director Kim Burton said there are often related
programs that do not require students who want to study
to live there, and selecting one of these options enables students to avoid the
extra paperwork and financial challenges of going through OAP.
“One of the things that we try to do is we try to make sure
that they’ve thought about other places they could go to study Israel from afar
as opposed to going there,” Burton said. “We want to make sure they’ve explored
all of the options, maybe going elsewhere in the Middle East or maybe going
somewhere in Europe where they focus on study of that region. But for students
who have made a well-informed decision that they do want to go to
then we do have this procedure in place.”
According to
typical students who want to study abroad in
have some familiarity with the country, such as being in contact with relatives
who have visited or currently reside there.
Some Jewish advocacy groups have disputed the restriction
and expressed support for Migden’s resolution.
Lisa Goldstein, a rabbi at UCSD Hillel, said there are
specific parts of
that are more dangerous than others, but the locations of study-abroad
universities are relatively safe.
“It’s like saying that because South Central
is dangerous, you can’t go to
Goldstein said.
However,
said that as long as EAP remains a UC-operated entity, the university does not have the authority to
implement changes.
“Unfortunately we’re not involved in any of that decision
making, but we’re really glad that we’re able to provide students with a
process in the meantime to be able to go,” she said.
senior Michael Friedman, who studied in
for a year, works with MASA Israel Journey, an organization that helps people
ages 18 through 30 visit
Although Friedman was able to receive credit for the courses he completed while
abroad, he said the overall process entailed unnecessary bureaucratic hassles.
Friedman added that the
of
offices in
are now closed.
When Friedman failed to find a campus administrator to sign
a form that would enable him to study abroad, he discovered that the university
in
waiving the requirement for UC students because they found UC officials to be
uncooperative.
As an orthodox Jew, Friedman said it was ridiculous that he
could study abroad in a country such as
which does not have a travel advisory warning, where his safety would be much
more at risk than in
Friedman said that even though Israel was at war with
Lebanon at the time, everything at the university was normal and daily life
continued as usual.
“Not once did I feel that I was in mortal danger,” he said.
Friedman recently met with Chancellor Marye Anne Fox to
discuss the difficulties of studying abroad in Israel. According to Friedman,
Fox said it is important that the university be known as a friendly institution
for study-abroad opportunities, and she expressed plans to facilitate the
process for future EAP students.
