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Attending Syracuse University’s study abroad program in Santiago, Chile in spring 2022, Jensen Bee said her mission was to improve her language skills and immerse herself in the culture through classes taught in Spanish.

But when SU announced at the end of January that beginning in spring 2024 the Santiago program would only offer courses taught in English, Bee said she knew she wouldn’t have been able to fully immerse herself if her Santiago classes had been in English.

“It was a little sad, I think, initially to hear (about the changes) and to comprehend, just because the reasons why I loved the program so much and the reasons that I decided to go through with that program are no longer parts of that program,” said Bee, an SU senior.

In last month’s announcement, SU’s study abroad office wrote that the new center in Santiago would launch in 2024 and offer English-taught humanities and social science courses in the spring, while also offering courses for advanced Spanish-speaking students in the fall.

Dr. Mauricio Paredes, director and founder of SU’s Santiago program, said one factor leading to the change is inconsistency between the American and Chilean academic calendars. While SU’s spring semester runs from January to May, Chile’s begins in March and ends in July.

Under the schedule it currently operates with, Paredes said the Spanish immersion program in Santiago doesn’t align with the American summer, which can limit students’ opportunities. He said because the program’s timeline prevents students from having summer jobs and internships in the U.S., it’s been an impediment for students who want to apply to the program.

Another reason for the program’s shift was declining participation. With the implementation of the English semester, students who don’t speak Spanish can still learn in Chile, Paredes said.

Enrollment in the Santiago program has historically been between 15 and 20 students per semester, said Delaney Van Wey, the campus outreach manager for SU Abroad. But in the time following the COVID-19 pandemic, student cohorts have comprised around 10 students per semester, she said.

Paredes said he noticed that student interest in Latin American study abroad was growing until the pandemic, which he said led to a shift in interest to Europe programs.

“When you are older, and you have jobs in the U.S., the likelihood that you will visit Europe is bigger than visiting Latin America,” Paredes said. “I really encourage the students to try to come now to see this part of the world, which is really interesting and safe also.”

Program advisor Mauricio Paredes commemorates the first day of classes by taking a group photo with the Spring 2022 cohort. The group took courses in Campus Oriente, one of the campus part of Universidad Católica, the university that hosts SU’s Santiago program. Courtesy of Emma Dahmen

In both the English and Spanish programs, students take classes at Chilean universities, including a course Paredes teaches. In the fall Spanish program, students begin the semester in Buenos Aires with a three-week immersion, while in the spring English program, students will now travel to Buenos Aires and Patagonia for shorter trips during the semester, according to the SU Abroad website.

Vianka Calderon, an SU sophomore studying sports management and Spanish, said that while her parents are Chilean and she’s traveled to the country before, she wanted to attend the Santiago program for study abroad to experience Chile in a new way. But because of her schedule, she could only participate in the English spring semester.

“I do not want to go to Chile just to speak English and not have any of the classes transfer over for my Spanish minor,” Calderon said. “If you’re going to study abroad in a country whose native language is Spanish, an entire program should be in Spanish.”

Kathryn Everly, a Spanish professor at SU, said she and other faculty in the Spanish Language, Literature and Linguistics department faculty are “disheartened” by the decision.

Instead of immersion in the language, Everly said the new abroad program brings North American cultural imperialism to South America. She said it’s not possible to fully understand another country or culture without having at least some knowledge of the native language.

“There’s a real problem at this institution that language is seen as not important, despite all of the rhetoric around internationalization and globalization,” Everly said. “Language is not just conjugating verbs, it’s cultural knowledge.”

Aside from two beginner-level Spanish courses, there aren’t currently any opportunities in the new semester program for students to take courses taught in Spanish, Paredes said. Still, all participating students stay with host families in Santiago, which Paredes said is one aspect of the program he wants to maintain to ensure some language and cultural exchange.

Paredes said he doesn’t want the program to be limited to a bubble-like experience, where despite being abroad, students study the same way they do in the U.S. But for Bee, any sort of program that gives students the opportunity to experience the country for themselves is still worthwhile.

“Ultimately, I respect their decision for making those changes in terms of keeping the program alive, because Chile is a beautiful country, and I want more students at Syracuse to be able to experience it and enjoy it,” Bee said.

Published on February 15, 2023 at 11:36 pm

Contact Claire: charri39@syr.edu