Seton Hall’s study abroad program has undergone a dramatic transformation over the last four years, with a major leap forward arriving in the form of the university’s announcement on Tuesday that it had joined the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC).
USAC is a nonprofit organization that offers programs around the world for students. Students from traditionally underrepresented majors, such as Biology and STEM, now have access to semester-long study abroad opportunities—a possibility that didn’t exist before, according to Doug Cantelmo, director of study abroad and global engagement. Moreover, students have access to prestigious universities that were previously out of reach for SHU students, he explained.
One of these students is Owen Root, a junior diplomacy and philosophy major who will study in Scotland this semester.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend St. Andrew’s in particular,” Root said. “The school is very prestigious, renowned in both international relations and philosophy, and if it wasn’t for USAC, there would have been no way for me to study there.”
Root also participated in SHU’s Rome Connection and Post-Conflict Reconstruction programs. He said studying abroad has made him “more independent, more sociable, and more collaborative.”
“I’m eager to broaden my perspective on the world and to learn more about myself in the process,” he said.
This expansion is part of a broader, years-long effort led by Cantelmo, who joined SHU in April 2021 with a clear mission: to rebuild and modernize study abroad operations from the ground up. At the time of his arrival, SHU’s study-abroad participation rate was just 8%. Today, it has risen to 29%, he said.
Cantelmo said his first order of business was knocking down infrastructural barriers to participation, starting with building a website. Previously, the Study Abroad office lacked an online presence entirely. Now, students can browse programs, submit applications, schedule advising appointments, and even make deposits through a centralized digital portal.
“We offer over 70 advising slots a week,” Cantelmo said, noting that the application system syncs with students’ Banner accounts to automatically import academic information.
He also helped secure a new space for the Office of International Programs on the main floor of Jubilee Hall—a bright, glass-walled suite.
“International Programs was in the lower level of Presidents Hall—it [wasn’t] a publicly visible office,” Cantelmo said. “So even if we were giving very supportive service, the student might feel like an afterthought by just going into that space.”
Organizational changes also helped streamline services. Previously, a single director oversaw both international students and study abroad. Now, Cantelmo and Johanna Pan-Carr lead distinct units for Study Abroad and International Student Services, respectively—a move that has improved clarity and support for students.
Once these foundational improvements were in place, Cantelmo said he shifted his focus to outreach. He launched the Freshman and Sophomore Year Engagement Plan, which aims to introduce every first-year student to the idea of studying abroad.
In fall 2024, Cantelmo visited nearly 300 classes, including every Core II course, and the Study Abroad team presented at Open Houses and Pirate Previews. At the latter, the team earned a 90% approval rating and became the second most-attended session.
Cantelmo also said that SHU is now the university with the most faculty-led program offerings in New Jersey.
Tim Dziekan, a former graduate assistant in the Study Abroad office, said that one of USAC’s most valuable features is its affordability. SHU students are billed only their standard SHU tuition, and their university scholarships apply directly to the USAC program.
“It really opens the door for a lot of low-income students to go abroad,” Dziekan said. “I’ve been working with a couple of students who wouldn’t be able to afford to study abroad otherwise.”
This semester, 27 students are slated to go abroad—nearly double the 14 who went last spring—and about half are participating in USAC programs, Dziekan said.
To further increase accessibility, Cantelmo said he is working with alumni donors to expand scholarship support, especially for short-term and summer programs, which can involve additional tuition costs.
There are four types of study abroad programs available at SHU: Rome Connection, spring embedded, summer abroad, and semester programs.
Cantelmo developed Rome Connection as a freshman experience in which students can apply to spend 15 days in Italy’s capital among a cohort of their peers. Students accepted in the program must complete the pre-departure requirement of either their Core II class or, for Honors students, a 1-credit Study Abroad Skills course during their spring semester. That course is also available for non-Honors students who are particularly interested in intercultural studies.
Spring embedded programs follow a similar format to Rome Connection—students are required to enroll in a course specific to their selected program during their spring semester. Then, they travel for one or two weeks during either spring break or after finals. These programs are led by SHU faculty.
As long as a student is only taking 18 credits—the maximum allowed to be a full-time student at SHU with no additional fee—the program’s tuition is included as part of the spring semester. Therefore, students only have to pay the program fee.
While spring embedded programs appeal to students who desire a quick trip abroad, Cantelmo explained that summer abroad programs appeal to those who prefer traveling for a month or two.
SHU offers a variety of these programs. Some, like Celtic Chronicles, which brings students to Cork, Ireland to focus on travel writing, are faculty-led programs and fulfill the Core III requirement. Others, such as Esports in South Korea, are faculty-led internships. Finally, programs such as Summer in Liverpool and Summer in Japan are offered by partner universities.
“The one disadvantage for students [for summer abroad programs] would be paying separate summer tuition for these programs,” Cantelmo explained. “That’s why we, as a university, need to step up with scholarships and financial support for high-need students—which is why our work with Advancement is so important.”
The semester abroad programs are where USAC will make an impact. In the past, Cantelmo explained, SHU’s offerings were Euro-centric and very limited. For example, the semester exchange in Innsbruck, Austria is limited to business students. Attending the University of Münster in Germany required proficiency in German.
In the past, there were no campus locations in popular language destinations for French and Spanish speakers, for example. Now, SHU offers three campuses in Latin America, four in Spain, and two in France. Students interested in Asia now have the option to study at campuses in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, India, and Vietnam.
Cantelmo said he was eager to broaden the program offerings, and joining USAC provided the ideal opportunity. Now, students can choose between 57 campuses in 24 different countries for their semester abroad, with most programs offering a variety of disciplines to cater to diverse academic interests.
Behind all of this growth is a team that sees the work as more than just logistics.
“Hard work definitely pays off,” Dziekan said. “We are a very, very hardworking office. Everything we do is in service to the students.”
Dziekan added that commitment doesn’t stop once students leave the country.
“We’re making sure [students] all send us pictures and tell us how it is, and we’ll solve any problems that come up while they’re abroad,” he said. “It’s honestly been such an amazing time.”
Megan Pitt is the head editor for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at megan.pitt@student.shu.edu.
