WKU’s students and faculty infected with wanderlust will be happy to know a new study abroad organization will be on campus this fall.

The headquarters for the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad will now be located at WKU. The CCSA is an organization that coordinates study abroad trips in English-speaking countries. The group is comprised of 23 colleges and universities in 10 states including Kentucky.

Jerry Barnaby, director of Study Away, said the CCSA also offers internships in different subjects for academic credit which will help students with their résumés.

“That’s an important thing to consider when you look at the time and the cost it takes to do these, you want to make sure you’re getting the most you can from it,” Barnaby said.

In previous years, the CCSA has coordinated trips to Australia, Belize, Canada, Ghana, India, Ireland and South Africa. Trips to some countries are hard to coordinate because of cost and lack of interest, Barnaby said. He said WKU will try to keep the cost of these low, but admitted it will be a challenge.

Craig Cobane, chief international officer, said despite this he is hopeful that study abroad trips increase in the future.

Barnaby said CCSA provides support to students and faculty who may feel uncomfortable or reluctant about studying abroad.

“It’s a good entry point for students and faculty,” he said.

Cobane said there will be small overlap, if any, between the Kentucky Institute for International Studies, another organization that facilities study abroad trips, and CCSA because the former focuses primarily on countries where English is not the official language.

CCSA began as the Cooperative Center for Study in Britain in 1982. WKU served as its first host before the organization changed its name and expanded their study abroad destinations a year later. CSSA’s previous host was Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

The location for CCSA’s office on WKU’s campus has yet to be determined. WKU’s tenure as CSSA’s host will begin on Aug. 1 and end 2018. WKU can choose to renew its host status afterward.