About Us

OCS Purview

The Off-Campus Study Office serves the campus community in different areas:

1. Off-campus study opportunities for students:
   Off-Campus Study Program
   Domestic Programs
   Short-Term Study Abroad
2. Risk Management
3. Global Engagement

Off-Campus Study Committee

The Off-Campus Study Committee is a standing committee of the Faculty, charged with advising the Off-Campus Study Office regarding changes in policy and practice; participating in regular reviews of Swarthmore College study abroad programs; reviewing approved and proposed study abroad programs; reviewing student petitions to attend non-approved programs; and in general overseeing the educational quality of all supported programs while contributing to the effort to remove unnecessary institutional barriers to participation.

Members of the OCS Committee, Academic Year 2022-2023

• Jason Box. Head Men's Tennis Coach.
• Nanci Buiza. Associate Professor of Spanish.
• Varo Duffins. Director of Financial Aid.
• Karen Henry. Dean of First-Year Students.
• Tiffany Lee. Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History.
• María Luisa Guardiola, co-chair. OCS Faculty Advisor & Professor of Spanish.
• Pat Martin, co-chair. OCS Director.
• Benjamin Ridgway. Assistant Professor of Chinese.
• Kristen Smith. Registrar.
• Benjamin Zinszer. Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology.

Internationalization

Campus internationalization means connecting Swarthmore students’ on-campus studies and experiences to larger global contexts. These connections are made through intentional inclusion of international perspectives across the spectrum of Swarthmore educational and co-curricular activities. On-campus opportunities (academic and co-curricular) are complemented by students’ off-campus experiences through local community service, internships, and study abroad.

OCS supports internationalization through the following activities:

1. OCS encourages departments to integrate multiple cultural perspectives into Swarthmore education abroad program curricula.
2. OCS works with departments to align courses taken abroad with department academic policies and goals.
3. OCS facilitates internships, service learning, and community engagement opportunities - especially those activities that have international components.
4. OCS provides opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to share expertise gained through international experiences in all fields of study.
5. OCS meets with international visitors to other departments on campus, and hosts representatives from affiliated education abroad programs.