SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The University of Rhode Island will become the official School of Record for select programs operated by educational travel and experiential learning provider WorldStrides beginning in August, expanding a partnership aimed at increasing student access to study abroad opportunities.
Under the agreement, URI will provide academic oversight for certain international and community engagement programs offered directly by WorldStrides, a Virginia-based organization that serves more than 550,000 students annually through educational travel and study abroad experiences. Founded in 1967, WorldStrides is among the nation’s largest providers of international educational programs.
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As a School of Record, URI will review course syllabi, approve course offerings, evaluate instructor qualifications and help ensure academic quality standards for eligible WorldStrides programs. The arrangement is designed to allow students participating in those programs to earn transferable academic credit.
According to URI, WorldStrides sought a university partner with a strong academic reputation, a commitment to student success and experience supporting diverse student populations. The university said its designation as a Carnegie R1 research institution and its efforts to expand participation in study abroad programs helped position it for the partnership.
The collaboration builds on an existing relationship between the two organizations through URI’s Rhody Abroad programs, which offer study abroad opportunities in countries including Spain, South Korea, Costa Rica and Ireland. The programs are delivered in partnership with WorldStrides and are intended to reduce financial and academic barriers to international education while maintaining academic rigor.
“We’re proud to partner with a university so clearly invested in access to global education,” said Jennifer Acosta, executive vice president for WorldStrides Higher Education. “From our collaboration on the Rhody Abroad collection to their role as our school of record, we see this partnership as a powerful step toward removing barriers and creating more opportunities for students to study abroad.”
URI officials said the expanded partnership will help create additional pathways for students to participate in global learning experiences and earn academic credit.
“Serving as the School of Record for WorldStrides allows URI to expand access to high-quality global learning opportunities while ensuring that academic rigor, learning outcomes and curriculum alignment remain at the center of the student experience,” said Kristin Johnson, URI’s vice provost for global initiatives.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor of the Providence Business News, where he also covers the nonprofit and education beats. He can be reached at Mudambi@PBN.com.
