The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE), the parent organization of Semester at Sea, today announced that the University of San Diego (USD) will be the study abroad program’s next university partner.
The partnership will return the 62-year-old nonprofit to its Southern California roots and align Semester at Sea with an innovative university renowned for its commitment to social justice, global engagement, and academic excellence.
“The Board’s decision to select the University of San Diego as our next university partner was based on our shared commitments to global education, transformational student experiences, and social impact,” said Conrad Herrmann, Chair of the ISE Board of Trustees.
Scott Marshall, President and CEO of ISE, added “USD’s earned reputation as a ‘Changemaker’ institution perfectly aligns with our commitment to developing the next generation of impactful, service-oriented global citizens.”
“For more than 60 years, the Institute for Shipboard Education and Semester at Sea have provided students with unparalleled opportunities to engage with and explore the world,” said USD President James T. Harris III. “As a university committed to supporting international experiences for our students and faculty, serving as the university partner for Semester at Sea is in alignment with our mission and core to our identity as a global Catholic university. We are excited to carry forward the legacy of excellence established by Colorado State University as Semester at Sea’s university partnership returns to the Pacific coast.”
A “Changemaker” Partner
USD was selected as Semester at Sea’s next partner following an invite-only search initiated last year. The university, which ranks No. 2 among universities nationally for the percentage of undergraduate students who study abroad, is an international leader in education abroad and a recipient of NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Award for Internationalization.
Nearly 90 percent of USD undergraduates go abroad. USD is also a longtime Semester at Sea affiliate and regularly sends both students and faculty on Fall and Spring voyages. It is home to the Changemaker Hub and offers an undergraduate minor in “changemaking.”
“USD offers a new home for a new era in the mission and maturity of our program,” Marshall said. “USD’s nationally recognized commitment to internationalization as well as its innovative culture, teaching excellence, longtime support of SAS, and even its coastal location make it the perfect home for our program.”
While the inaugural USD-backed voyage will not set sail until 2028, teams from ISE and USD are collaborating on a partnership agreement now. Due to the 18-month planning horizon required for Semester at Sea’s multi-continent itineraries, ISE and USD leaders will begin voyage preparations later this year.
A Decade of Excellence with Colorado State University
The transition to USD follows a highly successful, collaborative, and decade-long partnership with Colorado State University (CSU), which will remain ISE’s academic home until 2028.
Since 2016, CSU colleges, departments, and faculty have shaped and approved every course offered on the ship and appointed top professors and administrators to serve in Academic Dean, Advisor/Registrar, and Global Teaching Scholar faculty positions on each voyage. CSU academic and student affairs leaders, as well as other staff, have regularly served the program as Executive Dean, Dean of Students, Assistant Dean of Students, and in other important voyage roles.
Other key partners at CSU include the Registrar’s office, Student Disability Center, Financial Aid, Admissions, Library, Education Abroad, Health Network, and other offices and individuals. Earlier this month, CSU announced the faculty and staff who will lead and serve on the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 voyages.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the CSU administration and our friends and partners across campus,” Marshall said. “Our partnership, built by former Provost Loren Crabtree and Chancellor Tony Frank and sustained by President Amy Parsons and Vice President Blanche Hughes, has been defined by academic excellence and a shared passion for experiential learning. I have the deepest respect for CSU leadership and tremendous admiration for CSU faculty and staff. We will be celebrating and building upon this shared legacy over the next two years and far beyond it.”
Additional Details
- Maintaining a Northern Colorado Hub: Although a hybrid/remote organization, approximately one-half of current ISE employees reside in Northern Colorado. Home office operations are expected to remain in Fort Collins, CO, for the foreseeable future.
- Two Partners: While CSU remains Semester at Sea’s academic home through the Spring 2028 voyage, USD becomes the university partner in Fall 2028.
- CSU Rams at Sea: 196 CSU faculty and staff have sailed since 2016.
- History: Semester at Sea’s founding academic partner was Chapman University in Orange County, California. Since its founding in 1963, Semester at Sea has also partnered with the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Virginia, and Colorado State University.
- Semester at Sea voyagers earn 12-15 college credits, taking classes while traveling to 10 countries on 3-4 continents. This spring’s voyage was Semester at Sea’s 137th. Notable alumni and contributors to the program include Nobel Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Teresa, and many other world leaders and global thinkers.
- Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of San Diego confronts humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.
Media Contacts:
Jason Hughes, Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment at ISE | Semester at Sea, jhughes@isevoyages.org 970-672-0829
