30th Anniversary History Book

First Beacon in Tuscany class.

“The really exciting and consequential American colleges and universities today understand the benefits of international involvement from two compelling vantage points,” Hagerty said. “One is certainly the advantage to institutional influence and reputation that a global presence brings.” But the real payoff of global involvement for a liberal arts college, he said, is the ability of international programs to transform truly the life of an individual student. As he observed, “There are few more influential moments in the undergraduate experience than spending a semester abroad.” Hagerty also knew that Beacon could — yet again — assume the mantle of “trailblazer” by building upon Dr. Shelly Chandler’s creative work on the college’s annual summer travel abroad opportunities. He knew federal data from the Institute of International Education found that only 5.3 percent of undergraduates participating in semester abroad

programs had a disability, and of that group, 42.1 percent of these students identified as having a learning disability. “There was enormous motivation to undertake this venture, and to do it well,” said Hagerty. He and his staff were confident that students would welcome the experience; that, like other undergraduates, their lives would be transformed; and that the five percent participation rate cited by Uncle Sam was artificially low because nobody had focused on or welcomed in a tangible way interested students with disabilities. The die was cast and, in September 2017, 28 Beacon students became the first participants in what has become the college’s signature “Beacon in Tuscany” semester-abroad experience. Thus, Beacon had arrived at the institutional status to which all superior liberal arts communities aspire: international recognition and influence by virtue of the college’s professional outreach, and a formal study-abroad program that had the potential to transform the lives and perspectives of those who choose to participate.

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