An International Spring Tour Experience: African-American Male Undergraduate Students’ Perception of the Impact

Belinda Johnson White; Keith B. Hollingsworth; Cheryl L. Allen; Teloca Murdock-Sistrunk

Belinda Johnson White, Keith B. Hollingsworth, Cheryl L. Allen, and Teloca Murdock-Sistrunk

Morehouse College, USA

Volume 6: 2011, pp. 175-194; ABSTRACT

Internationalization of undergraduate curricula has become a popular initiative throughout higher education. However, despite the focus and enthusiasm, too few college students elect to participate in study abroad programs, especially African-American males. Anecdotal evidence suggests they are more likely to participate in international programs with durations shorter than the traditional full year, summer, or semester. This study describes a short-term international experience involving a group of African-American male undergraduate students who recently traveled on Tour to Africa and Europe. The Tour's educational value is interpreted in the context of experiential learning. Survey data of students' perception of the Tour and its effect on their development as potential global leaders is reported. Results suggest the Tour is well-suited as an effective approach for global leadership development of African-American males. To our knowledge this study provides the first empirical evidence on the impact of an international experience on African-American male undergraduates.

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