Safety Concerns Close
Baylor University Costa
Rica Program
By Shannon Daily, The
Lariat Online
Despite Baylor
officials' desire to
expand globally, one of
Baylor's programs in
Costa Rica is being shut
down.
Over the past two
summers, with hundreds
of Baylor students
studying abroad, there
have been eight
incidents reported in
which a student was
accosted. Six of those
were from the
language-focused Baylor
in Costa Rica program.
Michael Morrison,
director and Jo Murphy,
chairman for the Center
for International
Education, said while
two of the incidents
took place late at
night, the other four
"occurred when students
should have felt safe."
Because safety couldn't
be assured to the
students or their
families, the program
was removed, Morrison
said.
Dr. Manuel Ortuño,
director of the Costa
Rica program, said,
"They do have this
problem with young
hoodlums, who may not
even be Costa Rican."
While no Baylor students
were injured, there were
reports of students from
other universities being
physically harmed. One
such student, a Marine
who recently returned
from Iraq, was shot once
in each leg after
refusing to give up his
laptop, Morrison said.
However, this is one of
only two reports of
physical violence from
the program.
During a trip to Santa
Ana, the area of Costa
Rica in which the
program is located,
Morrison discussed the
addition of security
cameras and an increase
in the number of police
in the area with the
mayor's office, local
administrators and
police.
Morrison said it was his
decision to close the
program. "But it wasn't
based upon
disappointment with the
program. It's a very
popular program, a very
good program."
Morrison also said the
doors are not completely
closed for the
language-focused Baylor
in Costa Rica in the
future. He said he is
willing to re-visit the
issue, but until the
safety issue is
resolved, students won't
be going back.
Sheridan, Wyo., senior
Margaret Ferries said,
"I never felt unsafe
while I was there, but I
didn't do stupid stuff.
I didn't go out by
myself." Ferries also
spent a summer abroad
with Baylor in Argentina
and a semester abroad
with the Baylor in
Maastricht program.
Despite the closing of
the language-focused
Baylor in Costa Rica
program, the
education-based Costa
Rica program will
continue, as it has had
no incidents reported.
The Center for
International Education
is actively looking for
programs to replace
Baylor in Costa Rica
until the program is
able to reopen, Morrison
said.
It is also looking to
expand the reach of
Baylor's programs. "The
2012 goal is to have 30
percent of each class go
abroad. Right now we're
at 17 percent," Morrison
said.
Ortuño agrees with the
importance of studying
abroad. "One of the most
important things
Americans can do is
learn to deal with
foreigners," Ortuño
said. "I think if we had
that know how, vis-a-vis
the Muslim world, we
wouldn't be in the fix
we're in with Iraq."
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