The study abroad program is one of the leading assets provided through majors at UNCW. Students and faculty/staff can take advantage of the chance to study in a foreign country. The university does a wonderful job promoting this opportunity given to all. Through the use of IMC with the Study Abroad Ambassadors, the program continues to grow each semester.
According to the Institute of International Education 290,000 university students studied abroad for academic credit in 2012-2013. At UNCW, more than 500 programs in over 50 countries are offered, with many academic majors requiring students to gain credits abroad.
Similar to other universities with enrichment programs, UNC Wilmington allows study abroad returnees, who are passionate about their experiences, to join the Study Abroad Ambassador program. Ambassadors assist the Office of International Programs with promoting and marketing their study abroad experiences through on-campus events and social media portals.
Walking down Chancellors can be chaotic for most students and faculty members. Many ignore organizations passing out pamphlets and stickers to never noticing the chalk from Wag to Randall. The variety of outlets the Study Abroad Ambassadors utilize to promote opportunities helps reach a broader audience.
- Study Abroad Fair
- On-Campus Tabling
- Banners
- Intercultural Festival
- Pre-Departure Organization
- Classroom Presentations
- Individual Meetings/Guest Speaker Events
The Ambassadors at UNC Wilmington are passionate about study abroad programs and helping others gain access to any information, making dreams of studying abroad become a reality. The Study Abroad Fair and the Intercultural Festival are two prime examples of promotional events with on-campus marketing techniques. The Ambassadors who attend these events significantly contribute to the brand of the program. They generate content for various on-campus events and serve as a face for the organization. Through their donation of time, they add credibility to the organization, showing fellow students their passion for the program. Walk into Fisher Student Center or Randall and notice organizations tabling? Most student organizations at UNC Wilmington use that technique to market their purpose and mission. The study abroad program uses Ambassadors to promote the idea of traveling across the world, from freshman to seniors.
Recently, the Office of International Programs released the Study Abroad Online Magazine– containing pictures and testimonies from Ambassadors and study abroad returnees. Offering easy access to information and keeping up-to-date with today’s marketing techniques. Similar to other on-campus organizations, the study abroad program has up-to-date social media accounts. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, students and faculty/staff are informed on informational sessions, scholarship opportunities, and photo contests.
-Jonathan Callahan, Erin Fouhy, Julia George, Joseph Hines, and Sarah Suggs
IMC Hawks Blog 
I like how you structured the blog with a buildup to what the student ambassadors is all about by starting with their main source of interest. It made me want to learn more about going abroad!
This blog post was so helpful! Thank you. I want to study abroad but I haven’t been quite sure where I should start. I am a junior and I’m worried that I won’t graduate on time if I study abroad. Now I know to go talk to Student Ambassadors and go meet with someone at the Office of International Affairs.
UNCW has a strong reputation for the majority of their students studying abroad at some point in their college experience. I was made aware of this reputation before I became a student here through a family friend that is actually faculty on campus. She shared with me that she has met very few people that went to UNCW and didn’t go abroad. She went on to inform me how many wonderful opportunities studying abroad presents you with. I personally think that being able to study abroad is a fantastic experience that I would love to take part in before I graduate. I especially love how many programs and places they have for students to narrow down from; it feels like our options are endless.
Thank you for this information, I have actually been looking online for a good internship abroad program and reading this has helped me find better routes to go for finding the information i need. I will probably stop by the Friday Annex next week and meet with someone!
As an international student and Study Abroad Ambassador myself, I really have to thank you for your post and the awareness it has created for the study abroad programs that UNCW is offering.
The number of comments it generated surprised me and I didn’t even know that so many people in my IMC 1 class were interested in studying abroad. I will definitely try to talk to them to help them get started; if anyone else is interested in going abroad, I would be happy to give you more information and share my experiences with you, too. Studying abroad will be one of the best experiences of your life!
Nevertheless, after reading through the comments on this post, I felt like we could do more to promote our programs. Most students (including myself) often get annoyed at the number of tables promoting one organization or another on Chancellor’s Walk and if you are lucky, they will stop to grab a free sticker or pen as they walk past. Maybe we could host more international and intercultural events on campus that draw attention to the program and attract more students. What are some of your suggestions?