Going Global

Washington and Lee University's Spring Term Abroad program began with the first Spring Term in 1971, providing unprecedented international educational opportunities for W&L students and faculty.

What began as only a handful of six-week intensive language courses abroad quickly evolved to include classes in the arts, humanities and sciences, taking W&L students around the world and providing unique learning opportunities.

"Study abroad, when organized and implemented properly, is the quintessential liberal arts experience," said Laurent Boetsch '69, former professor of Spanish and W&L's first director of international education. "The opportunity to see how other people view the world and view us, the contact with the richness and diversity of the human experience, the loneliness of being in a foreign place and the chance to witness different customs, languages, music, food and art - all of these things make up the value of the study abroad experience."

Studying abroad during Spring Term (now a four-week semester since 2009-2010) has become increasingly popular in recent years. And Spring Term 2026 saw record numbers of students studying abroad, with 391 students enrolled in 25 classes offered in 21 countries across Africa, Asia, Central America and Europe.

A New Curriculum

In September 1970, under the leadership of university President Robert Huntley '50, '57L, W&L implemented a three-term academic calendar consisting of a 12-week Fall Term, 12-week Winter Term and a new six-week Spring Term. The calendar was introduced after a faculty committee analyzed W&L' s curriculum with what a 1969 issue of W&L Magazine called "an eye to any needed modernization," and the Spring Term was designed to provide a unique educational experience that would "add a new dimension" to W&L's traditional system of education.

The shortened semester allowed W&L students to study one or two subjects (not exceeding six credits), and Boetsch explains that W&L's faculty, who were already "extraordinarily innovative and creative in creating worthwhile experiences," welcomed the opportunity to discover new avenues for their teaching.

Spring Term offered the perfect opportunity to explore new subjects, and interdisciplinary study emerged as an early hallmark of the semester as faculty designed classes that were accessible to all students, regardless of their major, and invited cross-curricular approaches to the topic.

TODAY | Interdisciplinary classes remain a highlight of Spring Term, both on campus and abroad.

The Statistics in Korean Music course, taught during Spring Term 2024, was an immersive four-week experience based in Seoul, South Korea. Taught by Sybil Prince Nelson '01, P'28, assistant professor of mathematics, and Terry Vosbein, professor of music, the class explored the relationship of math and music, specifically the applicability of the mathematical pattern Benford's Law to musical composition. "The course has been really enjoyable because it creates a harmony between the two worlds - music and mathematics - which most people believe are unrelated," said Berkeley Wall '24.

Expanding Horizons

The increased flexibility of the new curriculum paved the way for additional study abroad opportunities. Previously, students interested in studying abroad had to apply to programs hosted by other universities, with the guidance of W&L's Foreign Study Committee.

The six-week "mini-semester" made it possible for W&L to host its own study abroad programs, and language programs in France, Spain and Germany were offered during the first Spring Term in 1971. Students lived with homestays and participated in academic and cultural programs, setting the standard for the immersive study abroad experiences that have become a staple of a W&L education.

In 1973, George Ray, professor of English emeritus, taught The Play's the Thing: Shakespeare in Performance as the first Spring Term in Great Britain program sponsored by the Department of English. Ray traveled with eight undergraduate students to London, where they studied the production of Shakespeare's plays from the Elizabethan age to the present day. And in 1975, professor of biology Cleveland Hickman launched a supervised field study course in the Galapagos Islands, which he would continue to offer until he retired from teaching in 1994.

Spring Term Abroad programs continued to expand, taking students to new corners of the globe. Building upon the European programs introduced in 1971, W&L offered a politics course in Africa in 1972. Taught by James Loesel, instructor in politics who specialized in comparative African political science, the class was believed to be one of the nation's first non-Western foreign study course at the undergraduate level. By 1980, W&L offered regular Spring Term Abroad programs in England, France, Germany, the Mediterranean, Japan, Spain, Taiwan and the Galapagos Islands and offered its first program in the Soviet Union and Poland in 1989.

TODAY | Current Spring Term Abroad programs continue to emphasize the importance of immersion and exploring new places, and students are drawn to the cultural exchange at the heart of these experiences.

Social Innovation in Scandinavia, taught by Drew Hess, associate provost for academic development and operations and professor of business administration, during Spring Term 2025 introduced students to the business, history and culture behind sustainability initiatives in Sweden and Denmark. Students found that being physically present in the environment they studied made the material more engaging and memorable. "Immersing myself in Swedish culture through the language, food, social norms and everyday life added a personal layer to the experience that I didn't fully anticipate," said Connor Smith '26.

Spring Term Abroad classes can present once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for W&L students. Most of the students in associate professor of art history Elliott King's Spring Term 2022 course had never traveled outside the United States. But as part of King's Modern Art in Barcelona: From Gaudí to Dalí class, they spent three weeks in Spain, studying the artists who defined Catalan modern art in the late 19th and early 20th century.

A Modern Approach

By the early 2000s, Spring Term was popular among students and faculty alike and had grown to include study abroad programs, internships (including Washington Term) and field-based research in addition to on-campus classes. However, amid a reduction of faculty teaching hours and conversations about maintaining W&L's high standard of academic rigor, the academic calendar was adjusted for the first time in three decades.

In 2007, W&L faculty approved university President Ken Ruscio '76's Academic Life Proposal for implementation during the 2009-2010 academic year. The proposal included adopting a four-week Spring Term during which students would enroll in only one extensive course. The four-week Spring Term - which remains the current model - was also supported by a $650,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2009 to enhance the educational effectiveness of the term, and these revitalization efforts allowed for the development of more than 175 new and innovative courses.

TODAY | While Spring Term Abroad has come a long way since its inception in 1971, many of the original hallmarks remain, including interdisciplinary opportunities, cultural immersion and intensive study of a specific - and often unique - topic.

Exploring Happiness, co-taught by professors of cognitive and behavioral science Karla Murdock and Wythe Whiting during Spring Term 2024, was designed to help students better understand the factors that both promote and hinder well-being. Students spent the first two weeks of the semester on campus followed by two weeks of experiential learning in Copenhagen, Denmark. "With Spring Term, you have the time to take a beat and get the broader perspective and also dive into a specific topic […] It's a more enriching learning environment, and to be able to go abroad, it's that much more special," Whiting said.

Unlocking Opportunity

Spring Term Abroad (STA) is a special part of the W&L curriculum and experience, and the university takes steps to ensure the program is accessible to all students. While students do not pay separate tuition to W&L for Spring Term, additional fees are required for STA trips to cover the travel, accommodation, facilities and other educational costs.

Need-based financial aid is available for STA programs, separate from the financial aid a student may be receiving for the fall and winter terms. Program costs may vary, and students with demonstrated financial need will receive grant assistance.

Students are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid with questions or for guidance in applying for financial aid.

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