“On Top of the World” in Spain

Office of International Programs Florida Atlantic University

Annual Report 2015-2016

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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

1 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

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

2 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 116 40.6%

Arts and Letters 57 19.9%

Science 27 9.4%

Nursing 22 7.7%

Design and Social Inquiry 18 6.3%

Education 16 5.6%

Honors College 16 5.6%

Engineering and Computer Science 6 2.1%

Medicine 0 0%

Other (non-degree or undecided) 16 2.8%

Total (includes double majors) 286

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

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Agreements of Cooperation and MOUs Signed in 2015-2016

School Country Type Sponsor New or Renewal

Zheijang A&F University

China Coop Science New

Wenzhou University

China Coop Science New

Universidad de Sergio Arboleda

Colombia MOU Engineering Renewal

Plymouth University

England AOC Exchange Business New

Aalto University Finland AOC Exchange Business Renewal

Tokushima University

Japan AOC Exchange Comprehensive Renewal

Nirma University India Coop Engineering Renewal

Dr. NGP Institute of Technology

India AOC Exchange Engineering New

IIT Madras India MOU Engineering Renewal

University of Macerata

Italy MOU Arts and Letters New

Stockholm University

Sweden AOC Exchange Business Renewal

Yildiz Technical University

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 2015-

2016.

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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

3 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 non-

credit 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: goabroad@fau.edu Web: https://www.fau.edu/goabroad

Dr. Catherine Meschievitz, Director cmeschie@fau.edu 561-297-1039 Tania Tucker, Assistant Director (Exchanges & Coops) trtucker@fau.edu 561-297-3227

Madison McShane, Assistant Director (Study Abroad) mmcshane@fau.edu 561-297-1080 Maria Gregware, Assistant Director Academic Support mgregware@fau.edu 561-297-3282 Meghan Schoeller, PAR Graduate Assistant parinfo@fau.edu 561-297-1208 Brianna Musielak, PAR Graduate Assistant parinfo@fau.edu 561-297-1208 Alex Acosta, OIP Office Assistant goabroad@fau.edu 561-297-1208

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 2 Madrid, Spain-Spanish and History Carmen CaneteQuesada 3 Ecuador, Salango-Anthropology & Archeology Mike Harris, Valentina Martinez 4 Dublin, Ireland-Education Roberta Weber 5 Costa Rica-Business Rupert Rhodd, Eric Chiang 6 Berlin-German Language and Culture Evelyn Trotter, Prisca Augustyn 7 Japanese Language and Culture-Fukuoka Japan Sumiko Uo 8 Global Health and Commt’y Nursing-Guatemala 1 Rhonda Goodman, Lynne Palma 9 Global Health and Commt’y Nursing-Guatemala 2 Rhonda Goodman, Carrie Kairys 10 Urban Planning-Vancouver Peter Henn 11 Executive MBA to Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore Ann Root, Steve Smith 12 Textures and Impressions-Orvieto, Italy Myriam Ruthenberg, Angela

Dicosola 13 COE Disability in Society-Costa Rica Sharon Darling, Charles Duke 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 Africa

Student Exchange

Czech-AAU Brazil-UNISUL India-IMTG Israel-Haifa Australia-UTS

England-LSBU

Brazil-UFMG Japan-UOT

England-UNN

Ecuador-Azuay

Japan-Kansai Gaidai

England – Plymouth

Ecuador-USFQ South Korea-KU Sejong

Finland-Aalto

Thailand-Chulalongkorn

France-ABS

France-ESSEC

France-ESSCA

France-Tours

Germany-Anhalt

Germany-VDAC

Germany-LMU

Ireland-DIT

Italy-Roma Tre

Italy-AUR

Portugal-ISCTE

Spain-UCLM

Spain-IQS

Spain-Carlos III

Sweden-Stockholm

Turkey- Bilkent University

Turkey-Yildiz

MOUs

France-Sorbonne

Colombia-Serbio Arboleda

China-Xianda College

Saudi Arabia-Al Baha

South Africa-NWU

France-ENIM

Colombia-Distrital

India-IITM Turkey-Suleyman Demeril

Nigeria-Maiduguri

France-UDLM

Colombia-UI Santander

India-TAPMI

Greece-TEIA

India-B.S. Abdur Rahman

Italy-Macerata

Malaysia-Univ of Malaya

South Korea-Korea Maritime & Ocean

South Korea-Woosong

Co-ops

Germany-Accadis

China-Wengzhou

Spain-ESIC China-ZAFU

France-ISEN B and UBO

India-Nirma

India-Dr. NGPIT

Phillipines-AUF

Research/ Other

France-UDLM

Ecuador-Guayasamin

Taiwan-China Medical

Israel-Haifa

France-Mines d’Ales

China-Research Institute for Tropical Forestry-

Israel-Technion

Germany-Ultrasport

Thailand-Naresuan

Italy-PARCO Calatino

Italy-Piedmont Student Internship

Double Degree Programs

Japan-UOT (renewal pending)

Pending Agreements and MOUs: --East China Normal University, China --Universite Bretagne de Sud, France --PES University, India