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Study Abroad and Global Programs

Overview

Study abroad and off-campus programs have been a defining feature of Hamilton College life since at least the mid-twentieth century. The Spectator corpus documents the full arc: an all-male Hamilton sending a handful of students to Paris in the late 1950s under a “Junior Year in France” program directed by the Romance Languages faculty; the growth of that program into one that annually enrolled roughly 57 students from dozens of colleges by the mid-1970s; the addition of a parallel Spain program by the 1970s; the launch of the Hamilton Program in Washington, D.C. in 1969; and the 1996 debut of the Associated Colleges in China (ACC) Beijing program. By 1978 the Career Center listed over 120 approved foreign study programs for Hamilton and Kirkland students. The period 1996–2003 also brought a notable financial aid controversy in which the ISA (International Students Association) successfully pressured President Eugene Tobin to reverse a policy that had barred international students from applying Hamilton financial aid to approved study-abroad programs. In the twenty-first century, study abroad became widespread enough that a 2015 opinion piece lamented it had grown “too ordinary,” and by 2019 the Washington program celebrated its 50th anniversary. A partnership with Arcadia University (formerly Beaver College) has channeled Hamilton students to London programs at least since the mid-1970s and continued into the 2020s.

Key Points

Hamilton-Sponsored Programs: Origins and Long History

Junior Year in France — founding: The earliest Spectator documentation of a Hamilton-sponsored Junior Year in France program dates to the late 1950s. In April 1959, a faculty promotion notice identifies Franklin G. Hamlin, a member of the French faculty since 1948, as “the director of Hamilton’s Junior Year in France program this year.” In May 1959, a student prize announcement identifies a junior then “in Paris studying on the Hamilton College Junior year in France program.” The program’s annual Biarritz orientation was described in 1975 as having been running “ever since its inception 19 years ago” — placing the founding circa 1956. The program’s connection to Biarritz was explained by its founder as stemming from the presence of the American University, established there by the U.S. military after World War II. (The Spectator, April 24, 1959; The Spectator, May 22, 1959; The Spectator, October 31, 1975)

Junior Year in France — structure and scale (1970s): A 1975 Spectator feature article provides the most detailed documentation of the France program in the corpus. That year, 57 students participated — selected from about 100 applicants — representing 6 nations, 15 states, and 29 colleges. Only 12 were Hamilton or Kirkland students (four Hamilton, eight Kirkland); the program drew broadly from peer institutions including Goucher, Skidmore, Duke, Boston College, Bowdoin, Stockton State, and Franklin and Marshall. The program began with a month-long orientation session in Biarritz — living with French families, taking courses at the Lycee de Biarritz, going on excursions — followed by study at the University of Paris. Franklin G. Hamlin directed the program that year; he was also director in 1959, suggesting a career-long tenure. Separately, in fall 1974, 14 Hamilton students and 9 Kirkland students were enrolled in the France or Spain programs combined. (The Spectator, October 31, 1975; The Spectator, November 22, 1974)

Junior Year in France — additional directors: Beyond Hamlin, the corpus names other directors of the France program: Prof. Marcel I. Moraud, chairman of Romance Languages, is described in fall 1961 as being in Paris “supervising the Hamilton College Junior Year in France program”; Prof. Frank Piano directed the 1960–1961 program; and Prof. James Davis of the French department was assigned to the France program in spring 1976. (The Spectator, September 21, 1961; The Spectator, November 10, 1961; The Spectator, April 30, 1976)

France program — grade and credit policy: A 1978 Career Center guideline states explicitly that grades earned on Hamilton’s own programs in Spain and France “are not computed in the cumulative grade-point average,” distinguishing them from grades earned on other institutions’ programs (which were recorded on the Hamilton transcript). This gave Hamilton’s own programs a distinctive academic character. (The Spectator, March 17, 1978)

France program — scale and competition (1975–1978): By 1978 a Career Center guide listed over 120 approved foreign study programs for Hamilton and Kirkland students. At least one student quoted in the 1978 Spectator chose a Swarthmore program in Grenoble over the Hamilton Paris program specifically because he felt there were “10,000 American students in Paris” and preferred deeper integration into a French university. The Swarthmore program was approximately $1,000 more expensive. (The Spectator, March 17, 1978)

Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain (HCAYS): A Hamilton-sponsored Spain program is documented with early affiliations through NYU’s program (three Hamilton students enrolled in the NYU in Spain program in 1964–65). By 1974 a notice refers to “the Academic Year in Spain program” as a Hamilton offering with a March 15 application deadline, administered by a “Mr. Medina.” By spring 1976, the program was led by Jose Tato, assistant professor of Spanish, and was sometimes called the “Junior Year in Spain.” A 1978 policy note names it explicitly alongside the France program as a Hamilton-sponsored program with its own grade-point rules. By 2013, the program had a formal name — Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain (HCAYS) — and placed students in homestays with Spanish families in Madrid, required a pledge to speak only Spanish while abroad, and offered coursework at Hamilton’s own academic center in the city. (The Spectator, December 11, 1964; The Spectator, March 8, 1974; The Spectator, April 30, 1976; The Spectator, March 17, 1978; The Spectator, April 4, 2013)

Hamilton Program in Washington, D.C. — founding and operation: The Hamilton Program in Washington, D.C. was founded in 1969. At its 50th anniversary celebration in October 2019, Professor Philip Klinkner, James S. Sherman Professor of Government and then-director of the program, noted that when it started “Richard Nixon was president, the Vietnam War was still going on, the Soviet Union still existed, and the Internet did not exist.” In the modern form documented in 2019, 16 Hamilton students per semester live and work in Washington, interning with government, think tanks, NGOs, non-profits, and lobbying firms while completing an independent project and taking two courses with a Hamilton professor. An editorial from fall 1996 had raised the credit problem: because Hamilton did not accept credit for internship components, students who completed D.C. semester programs that included internships often returned one credit behind the graduation pace. (The Spectator, November 8, 1996; The Spectator, October 31, 2019)

Associated Colleges in China (ACC) / Beijing program: In January 1996, Hamilton announced a new intensive Chinese language instruction program in Beijing, administered at Hamilton by Hong Gang Jin, associate professor of Chinese. The program was called the “Associated Colleges in China” (ACC) and was set to conduct two sessions in 1996: a summer session (June 28 – August 23) and a fall session (September 2 – December 9), with enrollment capped at 30. It was open to any college student who had completed at least one year of Chinese language instruction. Professors Neil Kubler (Williams College) and Der Lin Chao (Oberlin College) served as advisors. Dean of Faculty Bobby Fong endorsed the program, framing it explicitly as an extension of Hamilton’s “distinguished language programs in France and Spain.” Students were housed at Capital University in Beijing. The program used individualized instruction with small-group drill sessions of no more than five students and daily one-hour individual sessions; students pledged to speak only Chinese while enrolled. Costs were $3,950 for the summer, $5,900 for the fall, and $9,500 for both sessions. Fong said the program would be self-supporting financially. (The Spectator, January 19, 1996)

France program — 9/11 connection: By 2001, the France program was established enough that retired French history professor Jean-Pierre Boulier remained associated with it. The program brought Hamilton students into contact with the September 11 attacks through their network of contacts in Paris. (The Spectator, September 21, 2001)

ISA (International Students Association)

ISA origins and scope: The International Students Association (ISA) appears continuously in the Spectator corpus from the 1980s through the 2010s. A 1982 article identified the ISA as having 150 members — three times more than the prior year — with international students becoming automatic members and many American students joining as well. The 1982 faculty advisor to international students was identified as Rosalind Hoffa. Events included an International Weekend, a Russian film festival, and periodic co-sponsored receptions with the United Nations Association of the Upper Mohawk Valley. By 1996 the ISA had shifted toward open, country-focused meetings open to all students. (The Spectator, October 29, 1982; The Spectator, September 6, 1996)

ISA and financial aid (1995): In November 1995, ISA members met with President Tobin to discuss depletion of financial aid funds used for international students. The loan funds, which would take two to three years to restore, had been depleted due to a 30% default rate on repayment. Tobin said he would discuss the matter at the December Board of Trustees meeting and that each student’s case would be examined individually. This episode prefigures the sharper 1997 controversy. (The Spectator, November 10, 1995)

Financial Aid Controversy (1997) and Tobin Reversal

Policy and protest (fall 1997): In September 1997, the Spectator reported that a reinstated College policy prevented international students from transferring their Hamilton financial aid to approved study-abroad programs. At the time, Hamilton financial aid enabled 42 international students to study in the United States. The ISA, led by Ngoc Do ‘00, drafted a protest letter to President Tobin. Among those directly affected: Kiki Yang ‘00, who had planned to attend the London School of Economics, was forced to remain on campus. The policy particularly disadvantaged language majors, who required a period abroad to fulfill major requirements. Associate Dean of Students Nancy Thompson — also the advisor to international students — observed that the policy placed international students at a compounded disadvantage, since they were already ineligible for federal financial aid. Thompson stated: “I support the international students as they raise questions about this policy.” (The Spectator, September 26, 1997)

Policy reversal (fall 1997): By November 21, 1997, President Tobin reversed the policy, citing “principled intellectual arguments” from the international student community. Effective immediately, international students could use College financial aid on approved study-abroad programs. Tobin communicated the reversal via email to 55 international students. (The Spectator, November 21, 1997)

External Program Partnerships

Beaver College / Arcadia University: The Beaver College Center for Education Abroad (which became Arcadia University) was a significant partner for Hamilton students seeking foreign experiences from at least the mid-1970s. A 1978 Spectator article features Hamilton student Ed Sommer ‘79, who attended a Beaver College program at the London Polytechnic Institute — a program with about 130 participants from small Northeastern American colleges. Beaver College advertisements ran regularly in the Spectator in the mid-1990s, directing students to “your study abroad advisor.” By the early 2020s, Arcadia University administered Hamilton’s “Fall in London Freshman Program” for January admit students, with Arcadia’s Director of Student Services coordinating housing, orientation, and student life — and providing access to over 300 clubs and societies through a partnership with University College London’s Student Union. (The Spectator, March 17, 1978; The Spectator, February 21, 1997; The Spectator, February 2, 2023)

Scale and breadth of approved programs (1978): As of 1978, a Career Center document listed over 120 foreign study programs approved for Hamilton and Kirkland students, covering Africa, the Far East, the Middle East, Latin America, the U.S.S.R., and most European countries. Students could also earn credit for individually designed programs of foreign study by submitting a petition and getting advisor approval. (The Spectator, March 17, 1978)

No scholarships for Hamilton-sponsored programs abroad (1970s policy): A 1974 article on program costs notes that “Hamilton does not make scholarships available to students in the programs abroad. The student may still apply for college loans, or use regents or other outside scholarships to defray the cost of study abroad.” The France program cost $4,200 that year including $400 for travel. (The Spectator, November 22, 1974)

Early Foreign Students at Hamilton (Inbound)

Foreign exchange students: The Spectator documents foreign students attending Hamilton as early as 1959, when four exchange students enrolled in the freshman class: Charles Thomas (France), Gil Olympio (Togoland), Hans Pickaar (Holland), and Mike Smith (Scotland). By fall 1961, seven foreign students were enrolled. In May 1959, Hamilton announced five foreign exchange students would attend the following year — one each from China, Denmark, Finland, Scotland, and Sweden. These inbound flows were separate from and earlier than any organized study abroad office. (The Spectator, February 6, 1959; The Spectator, May 22, 1959; The Spectator, September 21, 1961)

Study Abroad Culture in Later Decades

Tobin abroad (1999): In late 1999, President Tobin returned from a period abroad and described it as reinforcing his commitment to study abroad. He was then pursuing discussions with an Oxford undergraduate college about special admissions consideration for Hamilton students in Oxford’s master’s degree programs. (The Spectator, December 3, 1999)

Returning students and re-adjustment (2001): A fall 2001 Spectator article documented the re-adjustment experience of Hamilton students returning from abroad (some had been studying in the Middle East and moved to Geneva, Switzerland for safety reasons). The Dean of Students office articulated a four-stage re-adjustment process: initial euphoria, irritability and hostility, gradual adjustment, and adaptation. (The Spectator, August 31, 2001)

Study abroad as “too ordinary” (2015): A 2015 Spectator opinion piece lamented that Hamilton’s pre-departure orientation for sophomores studying abroad filled the KJ auditorium “with students listening with general disinterest,” arguing that commercialized study abroad programs had lost their intrinsic value and been reduced to “GPA boosters or a semester of partying.” (The Spectator, April 9, 2015)

Washington Program 50th anniversary (2019): In October 2019, Hamilton held a day of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hamilton Program in Washington, D.C. Current and past participants gathered for a reception; government professors Sharon Rivera, Gbemende Johnson, and Alan Cafruny attended. Philip Klinkner provided historical context. (The Spectator, October 31, 2019)

January admits in London (2023): Hamilton’s January admit (“Jan”) students in the Class of 2026 spent their first semester in the “Fall in London Freshman Program,” administered by Arcadia University. Students took three courses per day, including a required writing intensive course (“Cornerstone: Showcasing the Nation”), with instruction by Arcadia faculty. Some Jans were also sent to the Turks and Caicos islands. (The Spectator, February 2, 2023)

Open Questions

• When exactly was the Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain formally established as a Hamilton-run program (rather than an affiliation with NYU’s program)? The corpus suggests a transition occurred sometime between 1964 and 1974.
• What became of the ACC Beijing program after 1996? It launched during a period of U.S.-China educational exchange; later disruptions (including 9/11, and subsequent political context) may have affected it.
• The 1978 guideline names a program in Spain whose grades did not count toward GPA — was this the same HCAYS documented in 2013, or were there intervening changes to program structure?
• Who administered Hamilton’s study abroad advising office and when did it become a dedicated office? The 1978 Career Center appears to have held this function initially; by the 2010s a separate “off-campus study office” is named.
• Were there any safety incidents involving Hamilton students on the France or Spain programs in the Cold War or post-9/11 era? The 2001 corpus documents one student displaced from a Middle East program to Geneva for “safety concerns,” suggesting some institutional awareness of risk.
• Did the ACC / Beijing program remain active post-2001? Its launch announcement (1996) emphasized it would become “the pre-eminent language instruction program in China,” but no later corpus documents confirm continuation or closure.
• What was Hamilton’s total off-campus study participation rate in any given year? The September 1997 article notes 121 students on approved leaves as of August 15, 1997, but does not give a percentage of enrollment.

Sources

Related Topics

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