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Off-Campus Study

Off-campus study opportunities exist for all Colorado College students, no matter your major, age, gender, orientation, financial ability, or disability. The key to a successful experience for students with disabilities lies in careful planning with the Office of International Programs and the office of Disability Services. These departments work together to assist students in obtaining reasonable accommodations, where possible, but it is important to be aware of cultural differences that can affect the provision of accommodations.

Students with disabilities who plan to study off campus are encouraged to consult early with the Coordinator of Off-Campus Study, Heather Brown, as well as the Director of Disability Services, Jan Edwards, in order to plan for a successful international experience and arrange any available accommodations in advance of departure.

Student Stories

Many students with a variety of disabilities have taken advantage of off-campus study opportunities. Colorado College alumna, Laura Hershey, wrote a book on the process, which is available from the Disability Services office: Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities.

In addition to Laura Hershey’s book, a variety of student experiences are described on the Mobility International USA (MIUSA) website:

  • “My biggest fear of going abroad was lacking travel friends because they would find my disability too much of a limiting factor in getting around—being creative and clear about what I could do helped me to find travel companions who remain good friends. Researching the transit system … helped alleviate uncertainty … Successful spending time abroad reinforced my confidence in how independent I can be, and was one of the best semesters of college.”
    —Carolyn Belle, Colorado College, studied in the Netherlands

  • “If you had told me freshman year that I would be in Africa now, I wouldn’t have believed you. … See, I’m diagnosed with ‘anxiety,’ and a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder thrown in for fun.”
    —Stanford student, studied in Kenya
    (listen to Her Story: Studying Abroad With a Mental Illness)
  • “When I applied to study abroad, I wondered how I would fare in a non-English speaking country as a profoundly deaf person, but I also worried about my health and access to medication. [Yet] I would not trade these memories for anything.”
    —Sarah Franz, University of Michigan, studied in Italy and Costa Rica
    (read Dreams Come True in Italy and Costa Rica)
  • “I was elated to receive a letter … notifying me that I had been granted funding for a full year of study in China … just one week later I was diagnosed with Type I, insulin dependent diabetes … With adequate preparation and support … studying abroad can indeed become a reality”
    --Elsie Reed, National Security Education Program Boren Scholarship recipient, studied in China
    (read Studying Abroad in China with Diabetes)

Tips for Off-Campus Study

MIUSA offers a variety of tip sheets to assist students as they consider off-campus study:

A full listing of tip sheets is available on the MIUSA website: http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets

Links to International Exchange Resources

Colorado College maintains a carefully-reviewed list of approved and affiliated programs for off-campus study that should meet the academic needs of most students. This list is available from the Office of International Programs. Please consult the Office of International Programs if you intend to receive credit for any off-campus study plans.

The following websites also provide supplemental information that may benefit students: