The fact that the university’s study abroad office is now managed by a single person is a travesty.
As of December 2023, the staff at St. Joe’s Center for International Programs (CIP) is down to just one person, Tom Kesaris, director of the CIP. With a staff of one person, it is clear the university is not prioritizing the experiential learning of studying abroad for its students.
St. Joe’s abroad opportunities include study tours, summer programs, semester-and year-long programs, with informational and financial assistance provided by the CIP.
According to the CIP’s newly-launched website, “The Center for International Programs (CIP) at Saint Joseph’s University is strongly committed to internationalization and globalization, both on our campus and elsewhere. We provide information and services to students who wish to study abroad on a short-term or long-term academic program. We are also responsible for the implementation of new international education initiatives and the support of the University’s International Travel Policy.”
With a statement as strong as this one, leaving just one staff member to bear the responsibility of managing, planning and overseeing all of St. Joe’s abroad opportunities is a disservice to St. Joe’s students who have a desire to study abroad as part of their college experience.
It is also an injustice to the faculty and staff members who facilitate and organize study tours and summer programs in order for students to have a successful experience abroad. These faculty members spend months organizing and planning these programs, and it is unfair for the CIP to come up short with necessary support.
We need to hold the university accountable to uphold its own mission, which, according to the CIP’s website, is, “The Jesuit mission knows no borders, and Saint Joseph’s University, as a Jesuit institution, encourages students and faculty to take a truly global view of their opportunities and their responsibilities.”
If the university truly means it when they say they encourage members of the St. Joe’s community to study abroad, hiring more CIP staff members needs to be a priority.