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To allow more students to study abroad, Miami University's Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) in Luxembourg is looking to expand enrollment by housing students in residences halls as well as with host families.
Although the decision has not been finalized, Provost Jeffrey Herbst said the increase in students should take place in 2013.
"Once we move into the new Luxembourg campus, there will be more capacity for students," Herbst said.
Currently, Miami's Luxembourg campus offers classes in the Differdange Chateau, which has a capacity of 125 students.
Miami's new location will be on the Luxembourg University campus. This new location will be significantly larger than the Differdange Chateau and will allow students access to classrooms, laboratories and other facilities not previously available in the program.
Herbst said the university's residence halls will allow Miami's Luxembourg program to increase enrollment by an additional 300 students per year or 150 per each semester. The expansion allows students to live in residence halls with other European students.
Students who choose to study at the Luxembourg campus, such as junior Kina Dragoo, currently live with local host families.
"I lived with an older Italian couple that only spoke French," said Dragoo, who studied in Luxembourg in the fall of 2007. "I liked it a lot because it forced me to practice my French."
According to Cordelia Stroinigg, MUDEC coordinator, when it comes to choosing host families, the university encourages the families to bond with the students.
"We usually invite them to receptions and try to draw them in," Stroinigg said. "The most popular families are the ones who are active and involved with the students."
Host families are encouraged to take the time to get to know the students who live with them, allowing them to feel like they are a part of the Miami family, Stroinigg said.
Stroinigg added living with host families will still be an option for students, yet availability will be limited.
Dragoo said she believes living in residence halls could add significantly to the benefits of the program.
"It would have been nice to meet more people your age, it definitely would have made it easier to interact," Dragoo said. "You can definitely get a better idea of the culture from someone closer to your age."
According to Herbst, the expansion of the Luxembourg program will have a tremendous impact, offering students new experiences.
"Right now, we are driven by the desire to offer more educational opportunities for our students," Herbst said.
According to Stroinigg, about 150 applicants typically apply for the semester program in Luxembourg and approximately 130 are accepted. For the summer program, about 80 students apply and approximately 40 are accepted.
"It's a great opportunity," said Dragoo. "It's easy since it's directly through Miami."
Students don't have to go through the extra effort to see if credits coordinate with Miami, it makes scheduling significantly less stressful, according to Dragoo.
With the current recession, Stroinigg said the Luxembourg program surprisingly has not been dramatically affected. Though there are fewer scholarships offered for students, there are still a excess of applicants.
"By the time the new location is available to Miami in 2013, the economy will not be a factor," Stroinigg said.
