Salisbury University joins National Student Exchange

SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury University students now have an exciting new opportunity to expand their education beyond our region. “Really, it just provides the students the opportunity to have a semester abroad, but in a place like the Grand Canyon, or the great Northwest, or New Orleans; some place that’s really culturally different, historically significant, and inside the United States,” said Assistant Provost of International Education Dr. Brian Stiegler.

The university recently joined the National Student Exchange. It’s a network of about 170 schools, stretching across the United States, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Canada. About 150 of those programs are on U.S. soil. “Not only is there cultural difference between the different regions of the United States – and certainly, the divisiveness of our day suggests how different cultures can be within the United States – but students get access to different curriculum,” said Dr. Stiegler.

Dr. Stiegler says even though many students don’t end up crossing international lines when they participate, the experience is just as valuable as studying abroad. “An environmental studies major studying in the southwest will really get to take some courses that we don’t offer here. Or, let’s say a communications major or journalism major might see things in the South or Louisiana that they’re not going to get a chance to see here,” he said.

Salisbury University tells 47ABC roughly 2,000 students participate in the national student exchange each year. About 60 percent of them are Pell grant eligible. “Hopefully we’ll see not just a number of students participating, but students who maybe would not have participated in other programs. We’re always trying to open up access and be more inclusive of students to have this kind of experience,” said Dr. Stiegler.

The program begins in the Spring 2022 semester. Students can still sign up here.