A floating university

Semester at Sea: A Brief History

The five ships that have served as floating universities for Semester at Sea in the last 50 years

"Nearly 100 years ago, the idea for a floating university that would travel the world became the passionate pursuit of James Edwin Lough, a psychology professor at New York University. He believed changes needed to be made to traditional teaching methods of American universities and soon became a leader in a new educational movement. Travel and first-hand experience, he felt, must be part of every scholar's education, and he set out to find others who shared this vision," starts an article on the history of SAS. 

Because of two world wars and a global financial crisis, Lough's ambitions were not realized until the 1960s when Bill Hughes, a California businessman, resurrected the idea as the University of the Seven Seas. Affiliated with Chapman College in Orange, California, World Campus Afloat assured students that their credits would be transferable to the schools in which they were enrolled.

During the past 50 years, several universities, including the Universities of Colorado and Pittsburgh, sponsored this program, which is now under the academic control of the University of Virginia (America's oldest higher education institution, founded by Thomas Jefferson). Until six years ago, SAS chartered four ships, which became home to students, faculty and staff three semesters a year, including summer session. In 2007, UVA bought the MV Explorer, a beautiful, fast, majestic vessel built by a Greek shipping company that had fallen on hard financial times. 

The crew of 200 (including the captain and his staff, cabin stewards, cooks, waiters and janitors) is hired by a sea management company. The crew hail from 21 countries, serve on a rotating basis with at least six-week vacations in their home countries. There is very little turnover. "It beats working on a cruise ship with 3,000 passengers that come and go every week," said Akin Akargul, a Turkish citizen who is in charge of the kitchen and wait staff. "We become friends with the students and adults and hope to see them onboard the ship again," he said. 

MV Explorer runs shorter enrichment trips (between semesters) open to anyone who likes the idea of learning while traveling.