History of QA/SAE

History of the Quarter/Semester Abroad: Europe Program

Dr. Sandra Soares, 2001
Updated by Brad Gee, 2013
Updated by Wes Chapin, 2023

The Semester Abroad: Europe program was initiated in 1963 by the late Robert B. Bailey, III. Dr. Bailey conceived of the Quarter Abroad program, as it was known then, as a special opportunity for University of Wisconsin-River Falls students to engage in experiential learning projects and independent travel in Europe.

Dr. Bailey completed his undergraduate work at Talladega College in Alabama. In 1950 his sociology professor (and friend) suggested that he apply for a Fulbright scholarship. Bailey hesitated; he "was certain that the U.S. State Department of 1950-51 would not send [him], a southern black, to study overseas" (all quotations are from an article "The River Falls Experience: Custom-designing Study Abroad" that Dr. Bailey wrote for a CIEE publication, Black Students and Overseas Programs, 1991). He applied for and received a Fulbright scholarship to England in 1951-52. After studying in England for a year, he studied for three years at the Universities of Frankfurt and Munich, and then completed a Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Dr. Bailey came to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (at that time Wisconsin State College) in 1957 as the university’s first African American faculty member. He did not really believe he would stay long in River Falls, but in fact he was there until his retirement in 1991. At the time of Bailey's arrival, UW-River Falls was a fairly isolated institution: "a trip to Minneapolis-St. Paul, some 40 miles away, was a rare occasion for most. Certainly no study abroad program existed, nor was there any thought of developing one." In the summer of 1961, Bailey took a group of non UW-River Falls students to Germany. This group was from "an American socio­economic class with which [he] had not had previous contact," but they "represented the  typical profile of American study abroad students in 1961 … upper- or upper-middle class white women from professional families who had  previously traveled abroad, and they had studied at least two years of a second language."

After this first trip abroad with university students, Bailey decided to establish an international program at UW-River Falls.

"The profile of students at Wisconsin State College was quite different from those students I had led to Europe in 1961. The Wisconsin students were typically lower-middle class, from farm or non-professional families, who had not traveled outside of the Midwest and who had not studied a second language. However, they were also wholesome, unspoiled, diligent, possessed of great intellectual curiosity, and very excited at the prospect of going abroad."

The typical study abroad program at that time was the "Junior Year Abroad." Bailey considered the Columbia University-run Reid Hall in Paris to be an example of these elite programs. Former Semester Abroad program director Sandy Soares says she always understood exactly what Bailey was talking about. Coincidentally, she participated in a junior year abroad program in 1961, and she remarks that, as a west coast product of public schools, she felt very out of place among the upper-east-coast private school women.

Bailey consulted directors of programs at large universities about starting a program of his own at UW-River Falls, and they tried to discourage him. He was not, however, discouraged, and he began to develop a model for the student population at UW-River Falls. Since he felt that a year abroad would be beyond the means of most of the students, he created the Quarter Abroad Program.

From the outset the long orientation period was an important feature of Quarter Abroad. Bailey's belief, which has been proven to be right, was that "the success of study abroad is greatly influenced by the length and depth of orientation." One of the major parts of this orientation is sensitivity training in adjusting to other cultures. The following description of the orientation process was written by Bailey in 1991. It reflects some later changes, such as from quarters to semesters, but the philosophy behind the orientation has not changed since 1963:  At River Falls, we spend one semester of orientation on campus preceding the semester abroad. That is, we meet once a week for two hours of orientation for the entire semester. In these weekly sessions the students develop an undergraduate research topic with their major professor which they will pursue once overseas. Contacts are made with professionals and academics abroad in the preselected country of study. A large portion of orientation is devoted to cross­ cultural sensitivity training. Students are also encouraged to plan and structure meaningful travel, focused on cultural learning.  They typically travel either independently or in small, rather than large, groups.

The other important part of the concept of Quarter/Semester Abroad is that students do not form an American enclave in Europe, but function independently, out of the classroom.

The first Quarter Abroad group went to Europe in the fall of 1963.  At that time, Dr. Bailey assumed that River Falls students would rarely, if ever, have studied a second language, and the program focused on the Netherlands, the British Isles, and Denmark. Bailey still had many contacts in these countries, as well, and was able to provide family stays for many of the students.

As the program developed over the years, students branched out into other countries, partly because a greater number of River Falls students had studied another language in high school or college, and partly because more Europeans of the post-war generation spoke English.

Early Quarter Abroad groups went over by ship; a number of student ships existed at that time, and the days at sea were used for further orientation and to allow the group to get to know one another. When flying became more economical, sometime in the early seventies, the group began to fly to Europe.

Dr. Bailey led the group every year (some years were skipped in the mid-sixties) until 1975. Since then, many faculty and academic staff have served as group leaders and program directors (see list below).

Some changes have been made in the program since its inception. A midterm meeting was originally held in Munich at the end of Oktoberfest. Since this festival ends the first week of October, the change to semesters placed the meeting too early in the term. For several years, the midterm meeting was shifted to November, with the group gathering in Barcelona, Spain.  It then switched back to Munich, before moving to the small seaside resort town of Levanto, Italy. Levanto was selected to steer the participants off the beaten track and away from the distractions of a large city. During the three-night stay the participants had individual meetings with the group leader, a dinner at a local restaurant, and informal time for sharing their experiences with each other.  In recent years, this meeting has occurred towards the end of the semester, concluding the experience in locations such as Scotland.

When the University was on the quarter system, the group left around the 25th of August, before the beginning of the academic term, and returned just before Thanksgiving. With the change to semesters, the group left the first or second day of fall classes and returned around the 15th of December.  Since the program was shifted to spring semester, the group typically leaves shortly before classes begin at UW-River Falls.  Students either return towards the end of April/beginning of May, or can opt to remain in Europe longer, extending their experience.

For the first twenty-five years of the program, clerical support was housed in the Sociology department, in the capable hands of Ms. Donna Arne, a pillar of the program. In a 1988 issue of Falcon Features, Bailey remarked that Donna was “always on top of the mammoth clerical job required to keep up with plane fares, tickets, hostel cards, international ID cards, Eurail passes, financial aid, registration, tuition, departure information, etc. In addition, she is excellent at comforting anxious parents." Currently these duties are shared by the program coordinator, the group leader, the Office of International Education, the Student Billing Office, and others.

With the exception of a few students who studied in Africa in the 1980s, participants have always carried out their projects and travel in Europe. The European focus was further emphasized when the name was changed to Semester Abroad: Europe in 2004.

Dr. Bailey served as director for many years before selecting Dr. Sandy Soares to succeed him.  She was followed by David Heberlein and Katrina Larsen, who served as co-directors.  Dr. Magdalena Pala from the Chemistry Department and Brad Gee from the Chalmer Davee Library became program co-directors in 2004. After Dr. Pala’s retirement in 2013, Brad served as acting director.  Then, for several years, the leadership was shared by a committee including Drs. Rich Wallace, Charlie Rader, Ian Williams, Claire McCarty, and Paige Miller.  In 2022, Dr. Ken Stofferahn began serving in this role, followed by Dr. Wes Chapin in 2023, and Kayla Klanderman from 2024 on.

The 6 credits of International Studies 377 are approved to meet the University requirement that students complete a Global Perspectives (GP) course.  In addition, periodic approval to complete General Education requirements, such as Humanities and Fine Arts, has been obtained on a year-to-year, temporary basis.  To satisfy these requirements, the students submit two shorter papers in addition to their longer, 40-50 page project papers. The program is seeking ways to permit these credits to count for other requirements—especially useful if, for example, a student has already taken a GP-approved course.

In 2020 the Program was interrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic but resumed in fall 2022, and for one year was combined with the International Traveling Classroom.  Fulfilling a decision that had been made several years earlier, in 2023 the program was moved to being a spring semester offering.  Students now begin their semester jointly with the Experience Scotland Program in Dalkeith, Scotland, with students then traveling to project sites across Europe.  At the time of this writing, the spring 2024 Semester Abroad: Europe group is completing its orientations and preparations.   

In 1991, Bailey wrote that over 700 students had participated in the program. By the time of the 60th anniversary in 2023, the figure had reached nearly 1,100. In 1983, 1988, 2003, and 2013, hundreds of program alums attended reunions in Hudson and River Falls, Wisconsin. During summer 2022, more than a hundred program alums and others who remembered Dr. Bailey gathered in Rodli Hall to dedicate the Office of International Education in his name, and to create endowed scholarships for future program participants, a testament to the important role this program played, and continues to play, in their lives. 

"Bailey's Folly," it was called in 1963. The program has stood the test of time. With its unique focus on directed research and independent travel, Semester Abroad: Europe continues to provide opportunities and transformational experiences to UW-River Falls students.

Quarter/Semester Abroad: Europe Group Leaders

1963 -1974 - Robert B. Bailey, III
1975 - Edward Robins, Sociology
1976 - Robert B. Bailey, III
1977 - Edward Robins
1978 - Robert B. Bailey, III
1979 - Edward Robins
1980 - Robert B. Bailey, III
1981 - Edward Robins
1982 - Sandra Soares, Modern Language
1983 - Robert B. Bailey, III
1984 - Sandra Soares
1985 - Robert B. Bailey, III (Soares stayed for four weeks, due to a large group)
1986 - Sandra Soares
1987 - Charles Lonie, English
1988 - Robert B. Bailey, III
1989 - Sandra Soares
1990 - Robert B. Bailey, III (Quarter Abroad becomes Semester Abroad)
1991 - Charles Lonie (Bailey retires)
1992 - Sandra Soares
1993 - Charles Lonie
1994 - Katrina Larsen, Agricultural Education and University Outreach
1995 - David Heberlein, Art
1996 - Lee Karnowski, Elementary Education
1997 - Charles Lonie
1998 - Sandra Soares (Lonie stayed for six weeks due to a large group)
1999 - David Heberlein
2000 - Katrina Larsen
2001 - Wes Chapin, Political Science/International Studies
2002 – Magdalena Pala, Chemistry
2003 – Brad Gee, Chalmer Davee Library
2004 – David Heberlein (“Europe” added to program name)
2005 – Magdalena Pala
2006 – Dennis Cooper, Animal and Food Science
2007 – Brad Gee
2008 – Ian Williams, Geology
2009 – Kerry Keen, Geology
2010 – Lynn Jermal, Art and Art Education
2011 – Magdalena Pala
2012 – Dennis Cooper
2013 - Brad Gee
2014 - Charles Rader, Geography and Mapping Sciences
2015 - Ian Williams
2016 - Kerry Keen, Plant and Earth Sciences
2017 - Rich Wallace, Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
2018 - Claire McCarty, Management
2019 - Ian Williams
2022 - Rich Wallace (Group was temporarily combined with the International Traveling Classroom, and the program switched to beginning in Scotland)
2023 - Wes Chapin, Politics, Geography, and International Studies; and Ken Stofferahn, Music and Stage and Screen Arts (First group to begin in spring semester)
2024 - Kris Tjornehoj - Music and Stage and Screen Arts
2025 - Grace Coggio, Media and Communication Studies