DENVER – The University of Denver and its Office of International Education (OIE) hosted the annual Global Reveal celebration for their outbound study abroad students on Friday, February 22nd at The Cable Center on Buchtel Boulevard.
The event began at 3:30 p.m., ran until slightly after 5 in the afternoon and featured music, refreshments, and group meetings with returning students. Participants in Global Reveal lined up alphabetically and received their nominations to programs from the university, and proceeded to breakout in groups where people could go to find out more about their upcoming few months.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity we have, both to continue to be friends and to make new friendships and memories,” noted Matthew Moscati, a sophomore who is fortunate enough to be heading to Seville with several of his fraternity brothers in the fall.
Among the large crowd in attendance, returning Juniors and Seniors were especially eager for the opportunity to answer questions and share their experiences to bright eyed, excited future travellers.
“Something that I’m really going to carry with me after abroad is the ability that abroad gave me to assess my own desires and boundaries,” stated Junior and International Business major Carter Fite, who returned from a program in Thailand with a plethora of new experiences to share.
The study abroad program and the OIE at the University of Denver is extremely well connected, partnered with over 150 academic institutions in over 50 nations through the DU Partner Program initiative. All of these DUPPs transfer at least elective credit back to the University of Denver, allowing 72.6 percent of the undergraduate population to study abroad, circa 2017. OIE director Denise Cope, who has been with the university since 2014 has worked tirelessly to raise the University of Denver’s study abroad reputation to elite status. She took little time to produce tangible statistical improvement, resulting in a number one rating for undergraduate study abroad participation at DU after her first year in Colorado.
It should therefore come as no surprise that the department’s present day statistics remained solid enough for a top-5 international education ranking from the Open Doors report published in November 2018, by the Institute of International Education. Nationally, the University of Denver can also boast having the fourth most students studying abroad for credit out of doctorate-granting institutions.
This upper echelon reputation in terms of study abroad aligns well with the University of Denver’s vision of inclusive excellence, seeking equal opportunities for all of their students regardless of socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, race or age. The University of Denver’s international departments are structured around fostering multicultural awareness for domestic students, as well as support for international students in Denver and English language instruction.
The Office of Internationalization on Josephine Avenue, affectionately referred to around campus as the ‘I House’, houses many departments including the Office of International Education, campus’ study abroad-centric office. Denise Cope and her team of advisors are available at the I House Monday through Friday during the academic year, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 in the afternoon.
