Forum History
The Forum is conceived
The Forum was first conceived in San Diego by a group of education abroad professionals who felt the need for a stand-alone organization.
May 2000Mission & Goals defined
An organizational statement and goals for the organization were defined. A meeting one month later in Tucson resulted in the creation of a mission statement with five goal areas, the development of criteria for voting membership, and the establishment of subcommittees to produce a Communications Plan, Business Plan, Incorporation Plan, and Member Services/Tasks Plan.
January 2001The Forum is incorporated
The decision was made to incorporate as The Forum and, over the course of the next year, a Board was created and a search for an Executive Director took place. The Forum co-sponsored the University of Minnesota’s Curriculum Integration Conference and agreed to partner with Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, and adopt it as the official journal of the Forum.
The Forum’s Founding Board Members
July 2001The First Annual Meeting of The Forum
The Forum convened with over 150 members in attendance, who approved an Advisory Council (now called the Forum Council).
May 2002Office Opened at Smith College
Geoffrey Bannister, executive director, opened The Forum’s office at Smith College
October 15, 2002First Annual Conference
The Forum held its first annual conference in conjunction with the CIEE annual conference, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with 165 participants in attendance. A dynamic 2005 conference, originally planned for New Orleans, was held in Miami, Florida (again in conjunction with the CIEE conference) with 225 attending.
November 2004Recognition from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission
In 2005 The Forum received recognition from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to serve as the Standards Development Organization (SDO) for the field of education abroad. Through SDOs, the U.S. government encourages self-regulation and compliance with standards in a wide variety of fields. This important status grants The Forum legal protection in undertaking standards development work, and obligates the organization to exhibit the following elements in developing and disseminating standards: Openness, Balance, Transparency, Consensus, and Due Process.
2005Bylaws Revised
May 25, 2006Dickinson College Move
The Forum moved its operations to Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Brian Whalen, who had been serving as chair of the Forum Council, became president and CEO while continuing his duties as associate provost and executive director of global education at Dickinson College.
July 1, 2006The First Stand Alone Conference
The Forum’s third annual conference, Standards in a Diverse World: The Future of Education Abroad, was convened in Austin, Texas in March, 2007. This was The Forum’s first stand-alone conference, and it attracted 400 attendees. Presentations and sessions focused on the results of The Forum’s Standards Pilot Project.
March 2007Adoption of the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad
The Forum Board of Directors formally adopted the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad (2007) on July 14, 2007. Also in 2007, the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) was launched as a voluntary process for Forum member institutions to be recognized for assessing how well their programs meet the Standards of Good Practice.
July 14, 2007
The Forum makes the front page of the New York Times
In August, 2007 a front page New York Times article and subsequent investigation by both the New York and Connecticut Offices of the Attorneys General, examined relationships between institutions and provider organizations. The Forum played a critical role throughout this period and advocated both for its members and for following The Forum’s Standards of Good Practice. The Forum’s leadership during this time reflected the importance of self-regulation and adherence to standards.
August 2007
4th Annual Conference in Boston
The Forum’s fourth annual conference, Mapping the Field, was held in Boston, MA in April, 2008 with over 700 people in attendance.
April 2008Code of Ethics Adoption
The Code of Ethics debuted at the conference and The Forum Board formerly adopted it at its meeting in July, 2008.
July 2008The Forum Joins with the IIE to Expand Education Abroad
Also in 2008, a special workshop covering trends and issues in U.S. education abroad and the Standards of Good Practice was convened in Limerick, Ireland and was attended by all of the Irish Universities. The Forum announced in December, 2008 a joint project with IIE (Institute for International Education) funded by the U.S. Department of State to assess and expand education abroad capacity in key regions of the world.
December 20085th Annual Conference
In February 2009, The Forum’s fifth annual conference was held in Portland, OR with 725 attending. The theme of the conference, Being There: Teaching and Learning Abroad, focused on the unique opportunities and challenges of teaching and learning at education abroad sites. The Forum released the Standards for Short-Term Education Abroad Programs and the first edition of the Education Abroad Glossary. The Forum increased its presence overseas in 2009, offering workshops and presentations in Australia, England, and India.
February 2009Increased Overseas Presence
The Forum increased its presence overseas in 2009, offering workshops and presentations in Australia, England, and India.
20096th Annual Conference
In March 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina, The Forum convened its sixth annual conference, Vision and Value in Education Abroad, which attracted over 900 participants. A new member service was launched, Guided Standards Assessments, providing members with a way to assess their programs by focusing on specific areas of the Standards. The Forum continued to expand its international reach by conducting workshops in Australia, Brazil, England, and Spain, which attracted universities and education abroad programs located in these countries.
March 2010The Forum Continues to Grow
By 2010 The Forum membership had grown to include more than 450 member institutions, representing over 90% of the U.S. students who study abroad.
20107th Annual Conference
Making the Connection: Praxis and Theory in Education Abroad was the theme of The Forum’s Seventh Annual Conference, held April 6-8, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. Over 1,200 colleagues attended, and celebrated The Forum’s tenth anniversary
April 2011New Editions of Forum Publications
The 4th edition of the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad, the 2nd edition of the Code of Ethics for Education Abroad, and the 2nd edition of the Education Abroad Glossary were released.
20118th Annual Conference
Over 1,200 colleagues attended the Eighth Annual Conference, Tracing the Experience: From Inquiry to Integration, in Denver, Colorado.
March 20121st European Conference
410 people from 23 countries were in attendance at The Forum’s First European Conference, held on the University College Dublin campus, December 5-7. Highlights included the Opening Reception featuring an address by Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland, and 35 sessions on a wide range of topics related to the conference theme, “Reinventing the European Experience: Culture, Politics and Diversity in U.S. Education Abroad.”
December 20129th Annual Conference
More than 1,400 colleagues participated in the Forum’s Ninth Annual Conference, Moving Beyond ‘It Was Great’: Student Learning and Development in Education Abroad in Chicago, April 3-5.
April 2013Critical Incident Database Launched
The Critical Incident Database (CID) is a free tool for use by Forum member institutions in tracking critical incidents that occur while students are abroad. In addition, the CID serves as a method for tracking required information on incidents that should be reported in a member’s Annual Security Report as required by the Department of Education in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act). Learn more
August 2013Professional Certification in Education Abroad Program Launched
The Professional Certification in Education Abroad program is intended for any and all colleagues in the field who want to certify their knowledge and expertise in the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad. Learn more
January 201410th Annual Conference
More than 1,100 colleagues participated in the Forum’s 10th Annual Conference, New and Emerging Paradigms for Education Abroad in San Diego, April 2-4.
April 2014First Certified Education Abroad Professionals Announced
11 colleagues successfully completed the accelerated residency program at The Forum offices in Carlisle, PA. Learn more
September 2014