All international global learning programs at TCC have been paused until further notice.
Prior to the COVID pandemic in 2020, the college had several study abroad programs that students participated in ranging from France to Germany and even Cuba. These opportunities came to a halt with the rest of the world but even now, six years later, the programs are still being turned down.
Vice Chancellor for Communications and External Affairs Reginald Gates said the college paused study abroad programs as of Feb. 23 because of “the current environment and budget considerations” with no time frame of when they will continue.
Many students say they paid for their own travel with the help of grants and scholarships. Gates did not respond to emails asking for clarification on how the trips affect the college’s budget.
This decision has several faculty members and students concerned about the future of study abroad opportunities for the college.
District Director of Academic Operations Rosalyn Walker said she is an advocate for study abroad programs. She has been working to get global learning back to how it was pre-COVID because she said it is beneficial to students.
“Based on our research of many different avenues, students that participate in study abroad exhibit improved academic performance than a traditional student,” she said. “They also complete their certificate sooner than a traditional student as well as it makes the student more competitive in the job market because they have the ability to adapt to environments and problem solve, as well as learning a foreign language.”
Former student Jason Warren participated in a global learning trip to Cuba in 2018 as a part of his Spanish class. He said at first he was a bit worried to go to Cuba because of the stigma of their government but after spending 10 days there he realized that everyone was welcoming.
“The people are just as friendly as we are friendly to them, you know?” he said. “So, it was really heartwarming to really connect to people on a human level rather than the political level.”
As well as changing his perspective about Cuba, Warren said going was a pivotal point in his life because he then went on to pursue a degree in Spanish.
“That was definitely something that I was really excited about. Being able to go to another country and kind of immerse myself in a language that I was trying to learn,” he said. “It definitely gave me encouragement to keep pursuing my Spanish journey. It’s opened up a lot for me in regard to connecting to Latin American communities, even here locally.”
Warren said the possibility that global learning programs might not be available to future students “hurts my heart a lot.”
NE Spanish instructor Humberto Rodriguez was one of the leaders of the trip to Cuba in 2018 and has participated in several study abroad trips even when he was a student himself. He said after the shutdown in 2020 they never could get traction again for the programs. He hopes they continue again for the students’ benefits.
“What I saw from my students was just how excited they were to use the language with real people in real life and just being immersed in the culture and seeing them really kind of come out of their shells,” he said. “Afterwards, seeing how much that the study abroad impacted them and how they were able to channel that excitement towards finishing their degrees or going back and traveling on their own which is really neat.”
He said these programs are so crucial for students because it may be their only chance to travel abroad. Many students after they graduate from TCC and go to a four-year college to finish their degree or even if they just go straight to work after, Rodriguez said they might never ever get the chance to go again.
“I think it’s a chance to inspire students. It’s a chance to put TCC’s name out all over the globe,” he said. “If we were able to have study abroad again, wherever it may be, I think it’s neat to just have that outpost and then create new connections with the other cities, with higher education institutions in other parts of the world. It’s just a great opportunity for us.”
