“On Top of the World” in Spain
Office of International Programs Florida Atlantic University Annual Report 2015-2016
Office of International Programs Florida Atlantic University Annual Report 2015-2016 The Office of International Programs (OIP) designs, coordinates and encourages international education activities for Florida Atlantic University (FAU), serving undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff in all colleges across each of FAU’s campus locations. OIP assists faculty to create and manage study abroad and overseas learning programs, negotiates and coordinates international agreements with leading educational institutions in other countries, and welcomes exchange students, co-op students and visitors from our partners abroad. OIP recruits students for programs abroad and advises students and faculty on fellowship and grant opportunities for overseas study, research and program building. OIP further encourages university and college internationalization efforts and international education strategic planning, and supports collaborative projects that link FAU to the global higher education system. This report highlights activities undertaken in Academic Year 2015-2016 Study Abroad FAU students can study abroad on one of four main types of overseas programs: • FAU faculty-led short term programs - FAU faculty are invited each year to develop and lead a 10 day to 6 week program for FAU students in a target location. Students typically earn 1 credit for every week abroad, and enroll in approved FAU courses sponsored by an FAU academic department and college. Groups range in size from 12 to 50 students, with an average size of 15. The students study with their fellow FAU students and participate in group activities and excursions. Appendix A outlines the thirteen (13) programs approved for the year. A new program on urban planning in Vancouver, Canada was offered and first time programs for Madrid and Japan were repeated in 2016. The highly successful “Nursing Practicum in Guatemala” featured two student groups of 12 each, and the Executive MBA program took a record number of students to Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore. 1 • Exchange partners abroad – Students register and pay tuition at FAU for study abroad courses and enroll at a partner school abroad; tuition fees are waived at the partner school. Students study at an exchange partner for the summer, semester or academic year, studying alongside students from the partner school, and usually live in on-campus housing for international students. Exchange programs can be the most cost effective way to go abroad since all financial aid including Bright Futures can be used. Co-op agreements allow students from an overseas partner attend FAU for non-degree or degree studies. This year OIP sent 45 students abroad on exchanges and hosted 73 exchange and co-op students from partner schools in Australia, the Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Brazil, Finland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, South Korea, and Thailand. • Program providers and affiliates – Students can enroll in third party provider programs that offer access to a wide number of countries and courses of study. FAU departments are asked to pre-approve all courses for major or elective credit. OIP has affiliate agreements with nine providers who then offer
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Approved faculty led programs “Textures and Impressions” for Italian language and studio art in Orvieto, Italy and “Disability and Society” in Costa Rica were canceled due to low enrollments.
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students a small discount on their program fees. Students can use most financial aid and bring back their work as transfer credit. • Other (Florida schools, ad hoc institutions) – Students can also go on other Florida university programs on a space available basis or to individual schools identified by a student on an ad hoc basis. In all cases the coursework is pre-approved by the relevant FAU department. A total of 2772 students studied abroad in 2015-2016. Students from across most colleges participate in study abroad, with Business and Arts and Letters leading as primary senders of students. The most popular locations remain Australia, Italy, Spain, France, England, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. About 43% of FAU students go abroad on short term programs of less than three weeks, which mirrors trends across the US for shorter periods abroad. FAU has a growing number of students who do seek to study abroad for an entire semester. About 1/4 of all FAU study abroad students are graduate students, which is higher than the national average. FAU has also continued the pilot program of domestic study away with Colby-Sawyer College of New London, New Hampshire.
FAU Study Abroad Participation by Program Type 2015-2016 UPDATE
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Summer or Spring Break
Academic Year or Semester
Total Number Studying Abroad
Total Number Studying Abroad %
FAU Faculty Led Programs (SAPs)
200
0
200
72.2%
Exchanges
2
43
45
16.2%
Providers and Other Schools
23
9
32
11.6.7%
Total by Program Length
225
52
277
This number is provisional as of late June 2016; we will update it as needed by the end of August 2016.
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Study Abroad Participation by FAU College 2015-2016 UPDATE Business Arts and Letters Science Nursing Design and Social Inquiry Education Honors College Engineering and Computer Science Medicine Other (non-degree or undecided) Total (includes double majors)
116 57 27 22 18 16 16 6 0 16 286
40.6% 19.9% 9.4% 7.7% 6.3% 5.6% 5.6% 2.1% 0% 2.8%
Marketing of study abroad options consumes a large amount of OIP staff time. Outreach on study abroad to FAU students, faculty and parents included the Fall 2015 Expo , Campus Days, Open Houses, presentations to Student Learning Communities and Greek life organizations, as well as summer orientations in 2015. OIP held regular Breezeway tables in Fall and Spring terms and hosted three Study Abroad Fairs (3). OIP advisors also met individually with advisors from various colleges and select department chairs to explain study abroad needs. Assistant Director Madison McShane participates regularly in the Advising Council, and Assistant Director Tania Tucker spearheaded the approval of 1-6 variable credits for all study abroad courses. Last but not least, OIP maintains an active social media presence on Facebook and Instagram to keep students engaged in study abroad before, during and after they return from abroad. OIP held our annual study abroad photo contest and exhibit at the Wimberley Library from late October 2015 to late February 2016. Nine student winners were selected in the categories of places abroad, people of the host country and students abroad.
A student shops in Thailand
Students ride camels in Australia
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OIP and International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) joined forces to celebrate International Education Week (IEW) November 16-21, 2015. Activities included study abroad information tables, sessions on the Peace Corps led by a local Peace Corp representative, and financial aid and study abroad information sessions. The week’s celebrations culminated in the annual International Education Week Reception honoring all international students and visiting scholars, as well as returning study abroad students. This year’s reception, which was co-sponsored by OIP, ISSSS and Navitas, was held in the Atrium of the College of Business with Dean Daniel Gropper as a featured speaker. OIP continued to advise and encourage students to apply for the three major U.S. government study abroad fellowships: Gilman, Boren and Fulbright. OIP joined forces with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry, the University Center for Excellence in Writing and the Honors Program to advertise the U.S. Student Fulbright program. As of summer 2016 OIP is currently advising students for the Fall 2016 deadlines for both the Fulbright and the new Schwarzman Fellowship Program for a fully funded one year Master’s Degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Student Exchanges and International University Partnerships FAU has twenty seven active student exchanges and another thirty nine current university partnerships connected through Agreements of Cooperation (AOC) and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). International university partnerships allow faculty and students to engage in teaching abroad, study abroad, conduct collaborative research, and work on community projects. Many partnerships that started for one purpose have expanded to include more faculty, students, departments and colleges across FAU. Some agreements are field specific, e.g. business to business and architecture to architecture; others are considered “comprehensive” agreements since students from two or more FAU colleges can participate. Study abroad as an exchange student is the most cost effective way to go abroad for FAU students, and therefore since 2006 OIP has emphasized finding new complementary “comprehensive” partners for students in all colleges in multiple world regions. New partners are constantly being added and agreements undergo periodic review by the sponsoring college(s) and OIP. (See Appendix B for the list of current partnerships).
Students visit the coast in Portugal 4
Agreements of Cooperation and MOUs Signed in 2015-2016 School Zheijang A&F University Wenzhou University Universidad de Sergio Arboleda Plymouth University Aalto University Tokushima University
Country China
Type Coop
Sponsor Science
New or Renewal New
China
Coop
Science
New
Colombia
MOU
Engineering
Renewal
England
AOC Exchange
Business
New
Finland Japan
AOC Exchange AOC Exchange
Business Comprehensive
Renewal Renewal
Nirma University Dr. NGP Institute of Technology IIT Madras University of Macerata Stockholm University Yildiz Technical University
India India
Coop AOC Exchange
Engineering Engineering
Renewal New
India Italy
MOU MOU
Engineering Arts and Letters
Renewal New
Sweden
AOC Exchange
Business
Renewal
Turkey
AOC Exchange
Comprehensive
New
Dozens of international visitors visited FAU and OIP this year representing universities from Egypt, England, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Thailand and Turkey. OIP arranges campus meetings for such visits to allow faculty and deans to explore possible linkages that meet the needs of FAU faculty and students. Dr. Meschievitz also traveled to Australia to visit our partner school the University of Technology-Sydney, and attend the Asia Pacific Association of International Education (APAIE) meetings in Melbourne, to meet potential new exchange partners from across Asia. Sponsored and Visiting Students OIP assisted the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences to host summer research interns from Nirma University in India in 2015 and 2016. OIP also serves as the managing office to host Brazil Science Mobility Program students. BSMP students are placed at FAU for one year of non-degree studies in engineering or biological and biomedical sciences. Brazil CAPES funding covers full FAU non-resident tuition. After one year the students return to Brazil to complete their undergraduate studies and many plan to return to the USA and FAU for graduate work. Since 2012-2013 nearly 60 Brazilians will have studied as academic or intensive English students at FAU under the BSMP program, including 21 in 20152016.
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University Internationalization Efforts OIP supports internationalization of the university through outreach events, invited lectures, talks and conferences, extramural grant writing, and special projects designed to foster and promote enhanced international opportunities. Two faculty committees assist OIP in these activities: ● FAU Council on International Education – Faculty representing all 9 academic colleges and key campus offices meet regularly during the AY to share best practices, encourage cross college communication, advise OIP on study abroad polices, and join in common projects. This year the group followed up last year’s White Paper entitled “Adding a Global Engagement Platform to the FAU Campus Strategic Plan: An Update on the International Education Task Force Report of June 2013,” (January 2015)3 with a series of meetings and recommendations to the Provost Office on how to advance the “Global Platform.” The Provost Office is now developing a multi-stage plan to expand global education and international student recruitment for FAU. ● FAU Study Abroad Safety and Security Committee – Faculty and university administrators advise OIP and FAU leaders on health and safety issues in study abroad, recommend policy changes as needed, and advise the Provost on petitions for exceptions to allow study abroad programs to certain world locations where there are State Department travel warnings. The committee also advises the Division of Student Affairs when student travel requests involve travel to a travel warning location. The committee assisted OIP several times this year to support students in Paris, Europe, Turkey, Japan and Ecuador in the wake of terrorist attacks and three earthquakes. All FAU students were safe and unharmed in these situations and the committee helped review, endorse and enhance communication protocols to be used for any future upheavals or crises. ●OIP maintains the International Landing Page accessible from the FAU main webpage; this landing page directs individuals (domestic and international) on the web to appropriate offices and sites at FAU to learn about international opportunities. http://fau.edu/international/ ● Visiting lecturers add to the campus extracurricular atmosphere and introduce students to new ideas and speakers about world affairs. OIP supports faculty who engage in the European Union Network of Florida schools (based at FIU and U of Miami) and the FAU Asian Studies Certificate Program. Dr. Meschievitz serves as the coordinator of the Boca Raton Warburg Chapter of the American Council on Germany, a non-profit institution promoting US-transatlantic dialogue on Germany, the EU and world affairs who provides guest speakers. A major lecture featured Dr. Howard Wolf, SUNY Buffalo who spoke to a large audience of students, staff and the public on the topic “ From Goethe to Grass and Beyond: Responsibilities of the Writer in the Postwar Period.” October 22, 2015. ● Dr. Cathy Meschievitz completed her third year on the Florida Consortium of International Education Executive Committee. The FCIE is the leading international education organization for the State of
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See the paper here: http://www.fau.edu/goabroad/pdf/Adding%20a%20Glogal%20Engagement%20Platform%20to%20the% 20FAU%20Campus%20Strategic%20Plan%20%20Jan%202014%20Update%20of%20the%20IETF%20Report%20of%20June%202013.pdf)
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Florida and provides resources and advice to colleagues across the state on best practices in international education. http://fcie.org/ The PAR Program: Program for Academic Readiness OIP continued to serve as the managing base for the PAR program in 2015-2016. PAR is a joint effort of OIP, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, International Student and Scholar Services, and the Department of Languages, Linguistics and Comparative Literature and offers 1 or 2 semesters of noncredit intensive English for academic purposes linked to conditional admission to FAU. Navitas students who need a semester of intensive English are also enrolled in PAR Level A courses. PAR enrolled 28 degree seeking students, taking either Level A or Level B courses, in the Fall 2015. Spring 2016 the numbers dropped somewhat (as expected) to 21 students. A small summer program will feature a new 8 week intensive PAR Level A from June 20 to August 12, 2016. In addition to on-campus activities to integrate into the FAU community, PAR students participated in several excursions including a bowling event and a visit to the Kennedy Space Center. PAR worked with the Graduate College, ISSS and all colleges to fine tune a new graduate conditional admission process for sponsored students, and a growing number of sponsored students from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait are coming to PAR. Overall PAR students represented 20 different countries this year. Four different LLCL graduate students were supported as PAR instructors for the year, giving them valuable support and experience for careers in ESL and beyond. Going into the new fiscal year PAR hopes to work with others to integrate intensive English offerings across FAU. OIP Administration Under the direction of Dr. Catherine Meschievitz, OIP is situated in the Center for Teaching and Learning and is a member unit of the Division of Undergraduate Studies in Academic Affairs. Office and staff contact information can be found below. Office Contact Information: Office of International Programs Florida Atlantic University 777 Glades Road GS 212Q Boca Raton, FL 33431 PH: 561-297-1208 FAX: 561 297-2850 Email:
[email protected] Web: https://www.fau.edu/goabroad
Dr. Catherine Meschievitz, Director
[email protected] 561-297-1039 Tania Tucker, Assistant Director (Exchanges & Coops)
[email protected] 561-297-3227
Madison McShane, Assistant Director (Study Abroad)
[email protected] 561-297-1080 Maria Gregware, Assistant Director Academic Support
[email protected] 561-297-3282 Meghan Schoeller, PAR Graduate Assistant
[email protected] 561-297-1208 Brianna Musielak, PAR Graduate Assistant
[email protected] 561-297-1208 Alex Acosta, OIP Office Assistant
[email protected] 561-297-1208
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Appendix A Approved Faculty Led Study Abroad Programs for 2015-2016
2015-2016
Faculty Leader(s)
1 Venice, Italy-Italian, Culture & Architecture
Ilaria Serra, Charles Roberts, Emmanuelle Pettener Carmen CaneteQuesada Mike Harris, Valentina Martinez Roberta Weber Rupert Rhodd, Eric Chiang Evelyn Trotter, Prisca Augustyn Sumiko Uo Rhonda Goodman, Lynne Palma Rhonda Goodman, Carrie Kairys Peter Henn Ann Root, Steve Smith Myriam Ruthenberg, Angela Dicosola Sharon Darling, Charles Duke
2 Madrid, Spain-Spanish and History 3 Ecuador, Salango-Anthropology & Archeology 4 Dublin, Ireland-Education 5 Costa Rica-Business 6 Berlin-German Language and Culture 7 Japanese Language and Culture-Fukuoka Japan 8 Global Health and Commt’y Nursing-Guatemala 1 9 Global Health and Commt’y Nursing-Guatemala 2 10 Urban Planning-Vancouver 11 Executive MBA to Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore 12 Textures and Impressions-Orvieto, Italy 13 COE Disability in Society-Costa Rica
NB: Orvieto and the COE program to Costa Rica were canceled due to low enrollments.
Appendix B - FAU International Agreements by Type and Geographic Region (June 2016)
Europe
LatinAmerica/ Caribbean
Asia
Middle East
Oceania
Czech-AAU
Brazil-UNISUL
India-IMTG
Israel-Haifa
AustraliaUTS
EnglandLSBU EnglandUNN England – Plymouth FinlandAalto France-ABS
Brazil-UFMG
Japan-UOT
EcuadorAzuay Ecuador-USFQ
Japan-Kansai Gaidai South KoreaKU Sejong ThailandChulalongkorn
Student Exchange
FranceESSEC FranceESSCA FranceTours GermanyAnhalt GermanyVDAC GermanyLMU Ireland-DIT Italy-Roma Tre Italy-AUR PortugalISCTE Spain-UCLM Spain-IQS Spain-Carlos III SwedenStockholm TurkeyBilkent University TurkeyYildiz
Africa
MOUs FranceSorbonne FranceENIM FranceUDLM Greece-TEIA
ColombiaSerbio Arboleda ColombiaDistrital
China-Xianda College
Colombia-UI Santander
India-TAPMI
India-IITM
Saudi Arabia-Al Baha TurkeySuleyman Demeril
India-B.S. Abdur Rahman Malaysia-Univ of Malaya South KoreaKorea Maritime & Ocean South KoreaWoosong
ItalyMacerata
Co-ops GermanyAccadis Spain-ESIC France-ISEN B and UBO
ChinaWengzhou China-ZAFU India-Nirma India-Dr. NGPIT PhillipinesAUF
Research/ Other FranceUDLM FranceMines d’Ales
EcuadorGuayasamin
GermanyUltrasport Italy-PARCO Calatino ItalyPiedmont Student Internship
Taiwan-China Medical ChinaResearch Institute for Tropical ForestryThailandNaresuan
Double Degree Programs Japan-UOT (renewal pending) Pending Agreements and MOUs: --East China Normal University, China --Universite Bretagne de Sud, France --PES University, India
Israel-Haifa IsraelTechnion
South Africa-NWU NigeriaMaiduguri