As the March 1 deadline for applicants to Miami University's Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) in Luxembourg draws near, the program is seeing a significantly lower number of applicants for the upcoming fall semester.
While enrollment looks good for the 2008 spring semester, according to Cordelia Stroinigg, coordinator of MUDEC in Oxford, the numbers for the upcoming fall semester are significantly lower than the fall of 2006.
"Every year people tend to flock to one semester or the other - there are so many different factors involved," Stroinigg said. "And this year, again, people are flocking to the spring semester."
Stroinigg said the program's first round deadline, Jan. 24, saw fewer applications than in previous years, even though she could not give definitive numbers. The program will still accept rolling applicants, however, following the March 1 deadline until all spots are filled.
Each semester there are 125-130 openings for the MUDEC program - where Miami students are given the chance to study for a semester or a year at Miami's campus in Luxembourg. According to Stroinigg, the program usually fills or comes close to filling these spots each semester.
Stroinigg said that the shift in applications may be due to the emphasis the university has placed on having an international education.
The dean of MUDEC, Ekkehard Stiller, agreed via e-mail, and claimed that while the number of study abroad options has increased for Miami students, the number of students applying and committing to an international study experience has not.
"Hence it becomes more challenging to recruit students for our program," Stiller said.
According to Marcia Waller, a Miami study abroad adviser for the Office of International Education, it is impossible to gauge participation levels for the other study abroad programs Miami students can apply to, as many have deadlines late into the summer.
However, Waller said the difference in Luxembourg applications may stem from the increased popularity of short-term study abroad options, versus longer semester programs. Miami currently offers about 40 of these shorter-term programs, including a new Luxembourg summer program.
Stroinigg also sees the summer programs as a factor for the current low enrollment numbers.
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
"We really try to talk with all students who inquire about the summer program to try and see if maybe they could - or should - do a semester program like (Luxembourg) because it offers so much more cultural immersion," Stroinigg said.
In addition, Stroinigg sees financial factors deterring some students from considering an international education experience - such as extra travel expenses incurred while studying. MUDEC tries to express that a semester abroad is financially possible, pointing out that scholarships are available and financial aid transfers automatically to MUDEC.
To attract more students, Stroinigg said the program is always looking for ways to improve. In addition to a new summer program - which will take place for the first time this summer - MUDEC will also offer several new courses. These include field study tours, such as this year's course on Islam in Europe with a weeklong field tour in Spain.
Stiller also mentioned that the MUDEC might be moving from his current location to a neighboring city in the future, allowing Miami students to interact more intensively with students from the University of Luxembourg.
According to Stroinigg, these plans are in the infancy stage and discussions are under way.
To advertise the MUDEC program, Stroinigg and Stiller are now turning to the program's alumni. They've asked these students to share their experiences with others on campus, either talking with friends or recruiting classmates.
Miami senior and president of the Luxembourg club, Jace Hunter, is one of those students spreading the word.
"Everybody who goes has an incredible experience, from what I've seen," Hunter said. "So you want to maximize the number of people going because it is really a life-changing experience and opportunity."
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.