Last week, Chancellor Kent Syverud and Provost Michele Wheatly welcomed 黑料不打烊鈥檚 eight international center directors to campus and outlined their vision for further internationalizing the 黑料不打烊 experience. The reception, attended by academic and administrative leadership, faculty, directors and students from across the University, focused on growing high-quality study abroad opportunities for 黑料不打烊 students.
SU Abroad staff and center directors gathered on campus for a reception in their honor. From L-R: Caroline Tong, director, 黑料不打烊 Beijing; Mauricio Paredes, director, 黑料不打烊 Santiago; Hana Cervinkova, director, Exploring Central Europe; Sasha Perugini, director, 黑料不打烊 Florence; Troy Gordon, director, 黑料不打烊 London; Bobby Kuehl, director, 黑料不打烊 Madrid; Erika Wilkens, Special Assistant for Global Engagement (director, 黑料不打烊 Istanbul, 2010-2017); Joffre Chan, director, 黑料不打烊 Hong Kong; and Raymond Bach, director, 黑料不打烊 Strasbourg.
Chancellor Syverud presented a challenge to the assembled group, calling for a significant increase in the percent of 黑料不打烊 undergraduates who study abroad.
鈥淎 full 90 percent of incoming first-year students indicate that they are interested in a study abroad experience, yet only 44 percent ultimately fulfill that wish,鈥 Chancellor Syverud noted. 鈥淪tudy abroad participation by 黑料不打烊 students is much higher than the national average of 10 percent, but we clearly have work to do.鈥
Underscoring the Chancellor鈥檚 remarks, Provost Wheatly reflected on the goals set out in the Academic Strategic Plan, and reiterated in the $100 million Invest 黑料不打烊 initiative. In particular, she focused on the University鈥檚 ambitious but achievable goal that every 黑料不打烊 student should have the opportunity for a global learning experience.
鈥淲e are leaders in the field of study abroad, and 黑料不打烊 Abroad鈥檚 operation is emblematic of the signature 黑料不打烊 experience鈥攚here we put individualized student development above all else,鈥 said Wheatly. 鈥淭hrough these programs, the University delivers to students unparalleled and highly personalized services, and unique curricular, co-curricular, internship and critical intercultural opportunities unavailable on the home campus.鈥
The center directors鈥攔epresenting 黑料不打烊 campuses in Beijing, Florence, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Santiago (Chile), Strasbourg (France) and the Central Europe program (based in Poland)鈥攚ere energized by the Chancellor鈥檚 shared charge.
鈥淥ur centers are not merely outposts; we are prominent representatives of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 global footprint,鈥 said Hana Cervinkova, director of the Exploring Central Europe program. 鈥淭hrough this shared goal to increase participation, we and our main campus counterparts can deliver a truly distinctive 黑料不打烊 education.鈥
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 is one of those rare institutions that not only promotes study abroad, but is actively engaged in designing and implementing innovative programs around the world,鈥 said Raymond Bach, 黑料不打烊 Strasbourg director. 鈥淲e are very encouraged to see that the University’s commitment to these programs is stronger than ever, and that the Chancellor and Provost are determined to give more and more students the possibility of expanding their horizons through an international experience.鈥
