How can I apply study abroad benefits in the context of the CEGEP system?
Whether you’re pitching an idea for a new study abroad program or securing funding for an existing trip, it’s important to be able to link your program’s objectives to policy documents.
Quebec’s college-wide common competencies (compétences communes de la formation générale) are entirely synonymous with the outcomes of study abroad identified by the Erasmus Impact Study (Souto-Otero et al., 2019):
College-wide common competencies*
- Solve problems: Students can identify a problem, list and classify solutions, and implement the solution they believe is most effective.
- Use creativity: Students can discover new ways of doing things while assessing the effectiveness of each.
- Adapt to new situations: Students can analyze the situation at hand, then identify and test ways to handle change.
- Exercise a sense of responsibility: Students can act ethically and with integrity, exercise critical judgment, and follow through on their commitments.
- Communicate: Students can listen to and deliver coherent messages adapted to each situation, evaluate the impact of their communication, and review strategies as needed.
Erasmus Impact Study outcomes
A study based on 77,000 survey responses from staff and students who participated in Erasmus mobility programs across the European Union found that students benefitted from increased scores in:
- Adaptation to change
- Sense of responsibility
- Open-mindedness
- Self-confidence
- Interpersonal relationships
* Ministère de l’éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, 2017
In addition, your college’s strategic plan (plan stratégique) is likely to include an international component that will tie in nicely with your study abroad aims.