By Ryan Quinn
The Fordham London program experienced a spike in popularity this semester and expects this trend to continue, according to the International and Study Abroad Programs office.
According to Rienti, 36 percent of Fordham Students currently study or have studied abroad at some point in their college career. Students enrollment at the London Centre has increased by 20 percent in the past two years. In addition, the office anticipates a 29 percent increase for 2016-2017.
To accommodate for London’s surge in popularity as a destination for students going abroad, the International and Study Abroad Programs Office added three new buildings for housing. This sent the number of housing options from two to five, giving students a taste of five different neighborhoods — three more than last year.
Dr. Joseph Rienti attributes the rise in students in part to the increase in programs and facilities.
Fordham in London provides students with four different programs: London Liberal Arts, London Dramatic Academy, Gabelli School of Business in London and London Internship Program. Through these four programs, more students than ever experience the benefits of these programs in the capital of England, according to the International and Study Abroad Programs office.
Fordham added the Sophomore Liberal Arts Program, encouraging students in their sophomore year to experience study abroad.
With more students comes larger class sizes. According to Danison, there are about 30 students per classroom in Fordham London. In contrast, classes generally had about 20 students last year according to previous Fordham London student, Monica Barton, FCRH ’17.
Rienti, however, said that classes in London are “fairly consistent” with those in New York, at about 10 to 20 students per class. To accommodate for more students, Fordham added sections to certain classes and resorted to using a teaching assistant for one section.
Fordham’s website boasts of “over 125 study abroad programs in 52 countries, on 6 continents” and, according to Rienti, the International and Study Abroad Programs office is working towards having more than half the student population will have studied abroad at some point in his college career by 2019.
Danison said having more students abroad is a net positive for Fordham.
“There is something nice about having so many Fordham students in London because you get to not only experience what it’s like to live in another country, but you get to do it with your friends and make new ones along the way,” said Danison.
Fordham started offering programs in London in 2003 when the university obtained Marymount College in London, along with the school’s study abroad programs. The current centre at Heythrop College in Kensington started in 2008.
