International Programs Office Holds Info Fair for Bumpers College Students

Photo by Lacey Howard

Interested students talk with professor Nilda Burgos, a fellow student and professor Thad Scott about international opportunities.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The International Programs Office in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences strives to increase student participation in international programs to meet employer demand. In October, the office held an information fair to introduce students to several study abroad opportunities.  

The event provided information and gave students the opportunity to speak one-on-one with faculty about upcoming international programs. The fair allowed students the opportunity to speak directly with program leaders to have their questions answered.  

Assistant Dean Leslie Edgar, who directs the college's international and honors programs, said the purpose of the fair was "to allow students the opportunity to talk directly with faculty who are leading international programs. Students visited with faculty who participate, promote, recruit and lead the students in their specific programs."

International experiences provide benefits for students beyond graduation. According to a study by the University of California, Merced, college graduates who studied abroad earn 25 percent higher starting salaries than graduates who did not study abroad. The same study revealed 97 percent of study abroad students found employment within 12 months of graduation compared to 49 percent of all college graduates, and 59 percent of employers said study abroad will be valuable in an individual's career throughout their time with their organization. A QS Intelligence Unit global employer survey found 60 percent of companies considered international experience in hiring and promotion.

Engaging faculty and students by providing various types, durations and financial programs is a key factor for the success of the programs, Edgar says.

The International Programs Office provides approximately 30 $1,000 scholarships to Bumpers College students, and honors students have additional financial opportunities as well. New funding is being integrated and given to faculty to use toward building internship programs.

The U of A currently has three community development programs and Bumpers College has faculty leaders participating in two — Mozambique and Belize — but Bumpers students participate in all three programs.

The college also offers faculty-led opportunities in Belize, China, Greece, Italy, and Mozambique; courses and exchanges in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom; and internships and research opportunities in Brazil, India, Philippines, Scotland and Uganda.

Alex McLeod, an agricultural communications student, went to Belize last summer with an interest in community development.

"Through this program, you are giving back and getting back as much as you are giving," said McLeod. "Your perspective is changed all over the globe and you need to go in with an open mind. Students learn more than they expect, and you learn a lot about yourself as well."

Approximately four percent of graduating Bumpers College students have international experience, but the college is focused on increasing that number, says Edgar.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.