Wooster’s Commitment to Diversity Abroad

At The College of Wooster, we follow all federal and state civil rights laws banning discrimination in private institutions of higher education. The College takes our policies on non-discrimination, sexual harassment, and other Title IX-related offenses seriously.

Students abroad will quickly realize how their identities are intersectional with their new experiences. Our Wooster students need to consider how they will be equipped to have an enriching experience abroad.

They soon will also realize that their host country could have different norms regarding personal rights compared to the federal and state civil rights students are used to. How people in the host country see students identify as an individual – for example, a student might require special services and accommodations or a safe place to express their faith – will impact the students’ experiences, potentially in a significant way.

Students will undoubtedly have a great multicultural experience abroad while learning a second language or just simply studying with fellows from other countries and the local host country. However, not all countries are equipped with a system that can guarantee support or access to different individual needs. This personal growth journey could bring frustration, uncertainty, and sometimes stress.

For this reason, as well as many others, we ask students to take time before they travel to research their host country and try to discover the different regulations and norms related to various types of diversity and personal identities. Our website contains a broad collection of resources to aid in this discovery process.