| dc.description.abstract | Georgia Tech’s First-Year Semester Abroad program, or FYSA, launched in 2021, providing students with an opportunity to begin their Georgia Tech career abroad. After a short three weeks of learning and preparation on the Atlanta campus during the summer, participants in FYSA study abroad at either the Georgia Tech Europe campus or Oxford campus during the fall semester before returning to the Atlanta campus in the spring. For many college students, the first semester is often critical to building the academic and social foundations of their college career. Students who study abroad experience many personal and professional gains; however, they may not have access to the same traditional resources and programs available to students on the main campus. Our goal for this quality improvement study focused on providing FYSA program administrators with more insight into program participants’ success in comparison with two other matriculation pathways at Georgia Tech across three factors - academics, relationships, and intercultural sensitivity. Furthermore, we completed the study by providing data driven recommendations based on our findings and existing literature to further improve student success for FYSA participants. | |
