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A Global Approach to Diversity at MUWilliamson assumes leadership of international programs With the appointment of Dr. Handy Williamson, Jr. in August, MU is taking an innovative approach in its efforts to encourage diversity on campus.
While the idea of merging international programs with broader interests of underrepresented groups on campus may represent a new way of thinking at MU, the concept is one with which Williamson is already very familiar. After receiving his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at MU in 1974, Williamson established an impressive academic and administrative record in both international and domestic arenas. Prior to his most recent position as Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Williamson served as Deputy Director for Research and University Relations at the Agency for International Development (AID) in Washington, D.C. In that capacity he succeeded in expanding the involvement of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in AID programs, while fostering increased collaboration between HBCU’s and majority universities. Bringing this experience home to his alma mater, Williamson says that he is “pleased to be a part of this new vision for MU - one that encourages traditionally underrepresented groups to reap the benefits of living and studying abroad, while ensuring that the entire campus community arrives at a deeper understanding of the America they represent and its place in an increasingly global environment. The climate at MU is ripe to become one of the first universities to embrace a broader definition of what it means to live in a truly diverse society. This not only positions the State of Missouri and its citizens to be competitive in the global marketplace, but allows us to craft a future that we know, in our hearts, should become a reality.” In addition to being closely tied to diversity programs, the International Center also supports the Vice Provost’s faculty development mission. By providing administrative support for the Council on International Initiatives, the Center coordinates activities such as the Global Scholars Program and statewide conferences that seek to internationalize the MU curriculum. Through these existing linkages and the promise of future collaboration, the International Center is certain to be part of exciting developments at MU that may well provide a model for diversity and faculty development initiatives nationwide. Global Scholars - Year IVSummer Seminars take faculty to Ireland and South Africa Twenty-one MU faculty and staff from ten different colleges participated in two Global Scholars Seminars earlier this summer. The seminars provided faculty members with information and experiences to enable them to revise an existing course or to create a new course with international content. The South Africa Seminar was hosted by the University of Western Cape and took place in Cape Town, South Africa. Professor K.C. Morrison (Political Science) arranged the seminar, which consisted of presentations by local experts on South African culture, history and politics. The group also took field trips to local sites, including a tour of Khaelitsha – the largest township in the Cape Peninsula with more than 500,000 residents, and an unforgettable visit to the Robben Island, where anti-apartheid activists, including South Africa’s first democratic President, Nelson Mandela, were imprisoned during the apartheid era.
The Ireland Seminar was co-directed by Professors Tom Johnson (Agricultural Economics) and Jim Scott (Agricultural Economics). One of the highlights of the trip was having dinner with John Hume, winner of the Nobel Peace prize, and his wife. Also present were UM President Manuel Pacheco, UM Executive Vice President Ron Turner and guests from the University of Ulster. During the course of the Ireland seminar, participants also met with representatives from the University of Ulster, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dublin City University, The National University of Ireland-Galway and the Ceifin Institute, an international institute for the study of value-led change. The Ireland seminar participants included Anne Barker (Libraries), Bonnie Brennen (Journalism), Caroline Davis (Nursing), Michael Devaney (Engineering), Terri Dobey (HRP/Cardiopulmonary & Diagnostic Sciences), Sylvia Gaiko (CAFNR/Food Science & Human Nutrition), Daniel Greening (B&PA/Management), William Kerwin (A&S/English) and Donna Pavlick (Law). Summer 2001 was the fourth year of the Global Scholars seminars series. The purpose of the seminars is to encourage MU faculty to incorporate international and global perspectives into their courses. The project is supported by funds from the Provost’s office and from the deans of the participating MU colleges. New Directors for Study Abroad and International Student & Scholar ServicesWith several new appointments and a few internal promotions, the past year has been one of exciting change at the International Center. Most significant perhaps is the appointment of new directors for both Study Abroad and International Student and Scholar Services. Barbara Lindeman assumed the role of Director of Study Abroad at MU in July 2000, bringing with her twelve years of experience in the field of study abroad and international student advising. Prior to coming to MU, Barbara held the position of Assistant Director of Overseas Study at Georgetown University. Her international experience includes extensive study and travel throughout Africa and Asia, where she had the opportunity to teach and hone her skills in Mandarin Chinese for two years at Tunghai University in Taiwan, ROC. Lindeman’s approach to study abroad is “to foster increased participation by providing academically challenging, affordable programs that match the curricular needs, cultural interests, and various ‘comfort levels’ of as many MU students as possible.” David Currey arrived at MU only a few months ago, in July 2001, to serve as the Director of International Student and Scholar Services. His ten years of experience in international education, the last six of which were at the University of Arizona, have provided him with extensive knowledge of issues that face international students coming to a large, American university. Much of Currey’s travel experience comes from the nine years he served in the United States Navy. At MU, a top priority for Currey is “to ensure that we’re providing courteous, efficient and reliable services to the international student and scholar community.” Not sure who at the International Center to call for a particular question? A complete listing of the International Center staff and their responsibilities can be found on the International Center web-site: http://web.missouri.edu/~icweb. MU Forges Linkages with North KoreaEngaging in a bit of “agri-diplomacy,” the University of Missouri-Columbia has hosted two delegations of North Korean (DPRK) officials for agricultural training in recent months and has just sent two of its professors to North Korea to deliver training on site there. Both North Korean visits to our campus, one in May and the other in August, were made at a fairly high-level, being led by the deputy director of North Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture. The training provided at MU included presentations by faculty from the Colleges of Veterinary Science and Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, as well as talks with state agricultural officials and visits to regional farms, agribusinesses and production facilities. Joseph Zulovich, an assistant professor in MU’s Office of Agricultural Engineering Extension, played a particularly prominent role in planning and executing the second round of MU-based training, while Professors Jeff Firman and Gary Allee built on earlier on-campus presentations regarding poultry and hog production by presenting consecutive weeks of training in the DPRK. By providing this training, MU has become one of the first American institutions to forge a linkage with North Korea. According to MU’s Director of Asian Affairs, Terry Weidner, who worked with the American Friends Service Committee to create the training relationship, this first delegation to MU was only the fourth of its kind from North Korea. “The recent visit reflects North Korea’s decision to combat severe food shortages and other problems by opening to the outside world after decades of self-imposed political and economic isolation,” Weidner said. “While this program allowed us to give our visitors some vital agricultural training, it also offered a glimpse of America and its people that is at odds with what our visitors have learned about us back in North Korea.” According to Weidner, strengthening MU’s relationship with the North makes sense on both humanitarian and strategic grounds. It is also consistent with the prominent position the University has established in South Korea, where MU has a very strong alumni presence and ten formal linkages with Korean university, media and government institutions. “Few other American universities have this kind of presence in the South,” he said. “Happily, our North Korean visitors seem to have accepted our activities in South Korea as contributing to our understanding of Koreans and their culture, and to realize that we are sincere in our efforts to work with them to improve living conditions in the DPRK.” For more information about the MU Asian Affairs Center, please contact Terry Weidner at 882-6996 or WeidnerT@missouri.edu. New Permanent Residence Support Services ProposedMU is currently reviewing its policy for support services to MU employees eligible for employment-based permanent residence (PR). The proposed policy, which was presented to the Council of Deans on July 13th by Jim McCartney, Interim Director of the International Center and David Currey, Director of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), recommends that services to MU international faculty and staff be expanded in order to support the institution’s teaching, research and service mission. The new policy would include processing for employment-based petitions for outstanding professors and researchers in tenured, tenure-track, and permanent research positions. In addition, faculty employed in non-tenure-track positions may also be considered for PR processing. Though the new policy includes assistance to employees who may fall outside teaching or research positions, it excludes services to “visiting” positions, such as post-doctoral fellows. The policy has no bearing on MU employees who prefer to utilize private immigration legal services. The new policy also establishes a new Coordinator position within ISSS to specialize in PR cases. The position is partially funded through a processing fee that will be assessed to the recommending division for each case accepted for processing by ISSS. A national search is currently underway for the new coordinator position. A description can be viewed at: http://www.missouri.edu/~hrswww/c64506.html. To improve the case selection process, the policy establishes an advisory committee composed of three senior faculty members appointed by the Provost, in addition to the IC Director and the ISSS Director. The committee will review candidates recommended by divisions for PR processing to determine eligibility and processing priorities, as well as review special cases. Full implementation of PR support services is expected to begin in December 2001. MU faculty and staff interested in PR support services through ISSS may contact David Currey at 882-5510 or CurreyD@missouri.edu. International Scholar Profile - Johannes StrobelEvery semester MU hosts scholars from all over the world serving in various capacities. Some are here seeking degrees, others are visiting faculty or staff, and still others are here as visiting researchers or observers. In each issue of MU International we will introduce one such scholar to the greater MU community. It is possible that no single international scholar has become such an integral part of daily life in the International Center as Johannes Strobel. A frequent visitor to our office - rarely on an appointment basis or with a problem - Johannes is a genuinely friendly, outgoing, easy-to-talk-with person.
Johannes chose to study abroad at MU because it is the flagship campus in Missouri and, through the School of Informational Science and Learning Technologies, offers the coursework he was seeking. Johannes enjoyed his time here so much that in the spring of 2001 he decided to enroll in MU as a degree-seeking student and is now a Research Assistant. When asked what he found most difficult upon arrival in Columbia, Johannes shares that he encountered the same problem that most internationals have - finding a place to live. He also mentions going through cultural and technological shock. According to Johannes, technology, and all that comes with it, is still in the introductory phase in most universities in Germany. In the United States, technology is sufficiently in place to allow research to be done on how that technology may be best utilized. He believes that this places the U.S. about 5 years ahead of Germany in this area. MU is clearly enriched by the unique perspectives and talents that international scholars such as Johannes Strobel bring to our campus. H-1B UpdatePremium Processing As of July 30, 2001 the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has implemented regulations for the I-129 classifications, i.e. H-1B, T/N and R. Currently MU manages the H-1B and T/N. Premium Processing can be used on newly filed or pending petitions. The INS will guarantee notification or approval within 15 business day for an additional $1000 fee, which is submitted by the H-1B Advisor with the INS form I-907. H-1B Portability H-1B portability is part of the “American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21), which was signed into law October 2000. H-1B portability allows a current H-1B holder at another institution or private corporation to cease employment upon the filing of a petition by the new employer. Since the INS has not implemented regulations regarding this issue, MU has set standards for acceptable documentation. Step 1. Determine that H-1B portability is a factor. Step 2. Preparation & submission of H-1B petition by the Advisor. Step 3. Arrange for billing of over night mail and send an IDO to the Advisor within one week. Step 4. Department representative will track delivery of petition and notify the employee to establish an appropriate start date. When the H-1B applicant begins work, he/she must complete an I-9 form. The department representative should look for the following supporting documents: Example 1:
Note: When an I-94/I-797 is presented with an unexpired foreign passport, List A in Section 2 should be utilized. When I-94/I-797 is presented without an unexpired foreign passport, List C in Section 2 should be utilized. More information regarding the new legislation, Premium Processing and H-1B portability can be found at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov. Copies of the written statement of MU’s policy on portability are available at the International Center. Please send your request and questions to Shonta D. Collins at CollinsSD@missouri.edu. International Center/HRD WorkshopThe International Center and Human Resources are conducting the “The In’s and Out’s of I-9’s and Immigration Matters” workshop from 9:00 - 10:30 am on November 8, 2001 in Memorial Union S203. The topics discussed will pertain to I-9’s, International students/scholars, Immigration and Naturalization Service rules and regulations, employment options for dependents and much more. If you have questions, need assistance with the I-9 process, or would like more information, please sign-up by visiting the Human Resources website. International Student OrientationAlthough final numbers are not yet in, the International Center estimates that it welcomed around 350 new international students for the 2001 Fall Semester. Most arrived during the week of August 13th through 17th, during which time many activities were planned as part of the New International Student Orientation. From having students provide information about themselves, to providing them with information vital to survival in Columbia, orientation included a variety of sessions - including everyone’s favorite, a pizza party. In an effort to do things a little differently this year, the International Center is providing on-going orientation sessions every Wednesday, to stretch the orientation out over a longer period of time. “We felt that in the past, too much information was given in the beginning. The new international students have enough trouble figuring out how to register for classes. Information about local parks and campus computer services would, to put it simply, go in one ear and right out the other,” explains Jen Stanley, International Student Advisor and coordinator of orientation programs. For more information about the on-going orientation sessions, please visit the International Center website at: http://international.missouri.edu. If you are interested in participating in any of the sessions, as a presenter or listener, please e-mail Jen Stanley at StanleyJK@missouri.edu. Study Abroad Advisory Council Membership ExpandedIn 1995, the Provost of the University of Missouri-Columbia appointed the Study Abroad Advisory Council (SAAC). The committee was charged to advise the Provost on study abroad policies, review current programs, and develop study abroad initiatives. The MU Faculty Council appoints SAAC members annually. Beginning fall semester 2002, SAAC will be expanded to include representatives from all MU Colleges/Schools. In addition, two MU students, and staff representatives from Admissions, Financial Aid, and the MU Advisors Forum will serve on the Council. The MU Director of Study Abroad is an Ex Officio member. During the 2001-2002 academic year, SAAC will focus its energies on systematic review of the articulation between MU study abroad programming and the curriculum. This process will include review of proposed and existing agreements between MU and foreign universities, known as International Memoranda of Understanding. In conjunction with this, SAAC will be conducting a university-wide “Call for Proposals” for new faculty-led or departmental study abroad programs. The MU Provost has allocated $12,000 to SAAC to assist individual faculty members and/or departments with start up costs for study abroad programming. According to SAAC Chair, Glenn Pierce, of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, criteria that will be considered in reviewing proposals will include integration with the MU curriculum, student interest, and potential to encompass a variety of academic disciplines. In addition, SAAC encourages proposals related to majors that are currently underrepresented in study abroad participation, including, but not limited to, Education, Engineering, Health Related Professions, and Human Environmental Sciences. Further details regarding these Study Abroad Program Development Grants will be forthcoming later this fall. Pierce believes that SAAC should have an exciting and busy year, noting, “New opportunities for study abroad are opening up for students in disciplines that rarely had the experience, and traditional programs are breaking away from older formats to allow students a wider variety of choice in country and curriculum than ever before.” Pierce emphasized SAAC’s support for faculty-led programs. “We hope that faculty will continue to take advantage of the chance to establish programs that could only come about through their personal professional networks, and that the administration will continue its goal of having as many MU students as possible have a scholarly experience in another country.” Cropp Leads International Programs for the J-SchoolFritz Cropp has assumed the leadership of the School of Journalism’s International Program office. He succeeds Byron Scott, the founding coordinator, who has held the position since 1994. Dean Mills made the appointment on the recommendation of the school’s International Committee. “Dean’s commitment to the school’s international affairs and Scotty’s entrepreneurship has placed the school in a very strong position,” said Cropp. “My goal is to seize the momentum that has resulted from this combination as we seek to maintain existing programs while expanding our interests in Latin America and Asia.” Cropp’s recent research and international teaching activities have taken him to Japan, China and Mongolia. “Scotty” begins a year-long sabbatical in the summer that will take him to Albania, South Africa and Northern Ireland, among other places, teaching and conducting research on the role of the media in areas of ethnic, social and religious conflict. He will return to teaching in the international and magazine sequences in the fall semester, 2002. The J-school’s international program has grown substantially in recent years. More than 120 journalists from 42 nations were either students or professionals-in-residence in spring 2001. This “mini-U.N.” includes a third of the Master’s and half of the Ph.D. students, as well as the Hubert H. Humphrey program in Broadcast Journalism. MU also hosts the largest number of Edmund Muskie fellows in journalism in the U.S. In addition, more than 100 international journalists have visited the school for special consultations and workshops in the past year. The International Programs office also coordinates a growing number of study abroad opportunities for journalism students, currently including ten international partnerships. More than two-thirds of the school’s faculty and a growing number of alumni have participated in international workshops, both in the U.S. and abroad, in the past five years. La Dolce Vita - Faculty Connections in Italy lead to Opportunities for StudentsAs a city, Bergamo has great history and great location. It sits in the pre-Alps just 40 minutes by train to the east of Milan, on the Venice line. Though now well within the borders of the region of Lombardy of which Milan is the capital, it was originally built up by the Venetian empire in the fifteenth century as an outpost against its Milanese rival. It sits high with breathtaking views of the mountains to the north and of the Po Valley below. The lower city is like many northern Italian cities. It has porticoed sidewalks and large avenues. The upper city—which one can reach by car or (more typically) by funicular—houses the university, and has an almost village-like atmosphere, with elegant shops, restaurants, bars and historical buildings dotting its narrow and winding streets.
Bergamo is the perfect place for undergraduates studying in Italy. Contrary to other programs in the big cities, where students can easily become isolated or lost in the shuffle, the University of Bergamo offers personal attention and practically instantaneous integration into local student life. MU students attend classes with their Italian counterparts, forming lifetime contacts and friendships. Major cities, such as Milan and Venice, are just a short train ride away. Lesser known cities with endless histories, such as Verona, Mantua, Vicenza and Padua, are also close-by. So are all the activities of the bucolic Lake Garda, as well as excellent skiing. The hills around the city abound with great trattorias. The people of Bergamo are notoriously friendly. Finally, time spent by MU students in Bergamo is exactly what it should be: rigorous academically yet full of cultural stimulation. New! MU Summer in ItalyBuilding on our successful semester and year-long exchange program in Bergamo, the International Center is pleased to announce a new summer study abroad option in Italy. The MU Summer in Italy program allows MU students to earn six credits of Italian coursework through a four-week Italian language program at the University of Bergamo. Where: Bergamo, Italy When: The month of July What: 6 credit hours of Italian language instruction at all levels Housing: Homestays with Italian families Who: MU students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 are eligible to apply. No previous language skills are required For more information about study abroad options in Italy, please contact Anne Bailey at 882-6007 or BaileyAC@missouri.edu. Upcoming International Events
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After years of reporting to the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies, the International Center has a new administrative home in the recently expanded office of the Vice Provost for Minority Affairs, International Programs and Faculty Development. This restructuring paves the way for increased collaboration between programs that have long shared a common objective - to celebrate and nurture the mosaic of cultures, beliefs, preferences, and perspectives that characterizes the University of Missouri-Columbia.
The South Africa Seminar participants included Lorilie Weber Hardy (HRP/Cardiopulmonary & Diagnostic Sciences), Stephanie Craft (Journalism), Gardenia Harris (HES/Social Work), James Hipple (A&S/Geography), Gene Krentsel (Engineering), William Lamberson (CAFNR/Food Science & Human Nutrition), Kristen Metcalf-Wilson (Nursing), Paula Roper (Libraries) and Marjorie Sable (HES/Social Work).
Johannes originally came to MU in the fall of 2000 as an exchange student from the University of Saarland in Sarrbrucken, Germany. There he was working on a PhD in Information Science and, because everyone at his university must have two minors, also studied Protestant and Catholic Theology. His hometown is Wemding, Bavaria.
The personal contact between MU Italian Professor Rita Cavigioli and a university friend of hers who now teaches there turned out to be the good fortune of MU. Professor Cavigioli and I decided to visit to see if the situation was as good as her colleague had said. It was. Aside from the beauty of the place, the university is a small one, classes are also small and, since it is well endowed by the generosity of its local inhabitants, it is blessed with highly qualified and dedicated faculty and administration, as well as with such advantages as a language laboratory which is state of the art and which, in typical Italian contrast, looks out onto the courtyard of the fifteenth-century Venetian cathedral of Bergamo. At that initial meeting, we met the Dean and the faculty member in charge of promoting foreign exchanges. We learned as well about the possible internships MU students could obtain while studying there.