Study abroad

Today's NYTimes takes a closer look at the industry behind study abroad programs at many schools. Having just taught a class overseas, I am a little shocked to hear about the largess and kind treatment that these folks received. We were drafting on sheets taped to the hotel floor and hoping to somehow stay within the budget - and loving it. But I did appreciate their perspective on how important this rite of passage has become:

As overseas study has become a prized credential of the undergraduate experience, a competitive, even cutthroat, industry has emerged, with an army of vendors vying for student money and universities moving to profit from the boom.

It wouldn't be a successful industry were it not for the recognition that students, parents, employers and grad programs all have about the importance of these programs.