Release date: Jan. 6, 2003

Contact: Frances Weyand, Director of Media Relations, 770-423-6203 or fweyand@kennesaw.edu
Writer: Karen Kennedy, 770-423-6203 or kkennedy@kennesaw.edu

Kennesaw State ranked nationally in study-abroad participation

Kennesaw State University ranks 11th in the country among master's institutions in sending students on short-term study abroad programs, according to the most recent Open Doors 2002 report from the Institute of International Education.

In academic year 2001-2002, 224 Kennesaw State students participated in short-term study abroad programs. One of the participants, Rayna Rasmussen, who has traveled as part of three programs, explains, "Some of the major rewards from studying abroad are learning about yourself, learning how to survive in a culture that is completely different from your own and developing a better understanding of how the United States functions in a global environment."

Kennesaw State will offer 13 short-term study abroad programs in 2003, with destinations ranging from Africa to Cuba. Programs in art, literature, health and history, among others, with be featured.

"Study abroad helps you to more fully understand American culture as you learn about other cultures," says Dr. Daniel J. Paracka, associate director of KSU's International Center. "You become a better informed and therefore more responsible global citizen in an increasingly complex interdependent world after studying in another country."

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Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of 15,600 from 118 countries. The fifth largest out of 34 institutions in the University System of Georgia, KSU offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.