SUNY Global NewsIssue #5: Spring 2014

Inside This Issue

NEWS FROM SUNY GLOBALAND AFFILIATES� COIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1� Awards and Recognitions:Connie Perdreau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

� Updates from SUNY Offices: Turkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

� SUNY Global People:Sara Lopez Selga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

� SUNY Language PACT . . . . . . . . . . . . 7� Confucius Institute for Business . . . . 7� International Recruitment . . . . . . . . . 8� JFEW Scholarship Program . . . . . . . 8� CISSS Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9� J-1 EVP Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

GLOBAL NEWS FROM AROUND THE SYSTEM

Alfred State College� Internships in Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Binghamton University� Confucius Institute for Chinese Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Fashion Institute of Technology� Goes Google . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

SUNY Oswego� Fulbright in Moldova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11� Overseas Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . 11� Study Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Empire State College� Top Honor in Czech National Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

� Blended Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

SPOTLIGHT� SUNYIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2014 COIL CONFERENCE

Reimagining Education: Can Collaborative Online International Learning be Normalized?

On March 20-21, the COIL Center welcomednearly 250 educators, instructional designers,international programs staff, and administra-tors to the SUNY Global Center for the sixthCOIL Conference. Thirty-one SUNY campuseswere represented, as well as 56 non-SUNYinstitutions and 29 colleges and universitiesfrom abroad. The conference was kicked off by one of leading practitioners in the collaborative online international learningfield, Elmer Poe, Assistant Vice-Chancellorfor Emerging Academic Initiatives at EastCarolina University, who spoke poignantlyon the topic of normalization of COILcourses at his institution.

Among the more than 40 presentations,and in keeping with the conference theme, a special Road to COIL Normalization Trackthroughout the conference featured institu-tions working to normalize the practice ofCOIL at SUNY community colleges, compre-hensive colleges, as well as non-SUNY institutions and consortia in the U.S. andabroad. Another highlight of this year’s con-ference was the first ever discipline-specificconference track focused on GlobalizingTeacher Education, organized by SUNY GlobalFellow Marley Barduhn, during which teachersand administrators from across the countryand the world shared their insight on howwe can capitalize on the use of technologyto connect pre-service teachers to the world

so that they are more likely to implementCOIL in their future classrooms.

The full conference agenda, materials, PowerPoint presentations and video recordings of most sessions can be found on the COIL website at:http://coil.suny.edu/6th-coil-conference.

ACE/COIL Internationalization Through Technology Award

The SUNY COIL Center has partneredwith the American Council on Education(ACE) to implement two new awards focused on Advancing Internationalizationthrough Technology, supported and under-written through the sponsorship of AsahiNet International.

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher andPatti McGill Peterson, Presidential Advisor forInternationalization and Global Engagementat ACE presented the award to the followingrecipients.

LEADERS IN INTERNATIONALIZATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY� The Great Lakes Colleges Association (MI)� Mount Holyoke College (MA)� SUNY Cortland (NY)

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These institutions have demonstratedleadership in the formation of structures,policies and practices that capitalize on theaffordances of technology to advance andsupport internationalization efforts and havedemonstrated the impact these have had onthe development of students’ global compe-tencies. They received a cash prize inrecognition of their leadership and werehonored at the 96th ACE Annual Meeting inSan Diego, in March.

ADVANCING INTERNATIONALIZATIONTHROUGH COLLABORATIVE ONLINE INTERNATIONAL LEARNING� Xavier University (OH) � Glenville State College (WV) � Fayetteville State (NC)

This award recognizes institutions thathave demonstrated an institutional vision for and commitment to enhancing curricularinternationalization through the use of technology, specifically collaborative onlineinternational learning. Over the next 14months, these institutions will receive train-ing and support from the SUNY COIL Centerand ACE to launch COIL programs involvingat least two pilot courses.

The COIL Center Introduces New Global Partner Network

Identifying a faculty member overseaswith which to partner in creating a COILcourse can be a challenge. Some SUNY faculty connect with professional colleaguesoverseas that they’ve established a relation-ship with through their research or academicassociations, while others work with theiroffice of international programs to establishconnections with their institutions’ interna-tional partners. However, this informal partnering process can be daunting toprospective COIL professors. Therefore,over the past year, the COIL Center has beenworking to develop a network of institutionsabroad that have experience in the imple-mentation of COIL courses and have madean administrative commitment to supportingthe development of COIL on their campus.

The 15 charter member institutions of the Global Partner Network are: AnadoluUniversity (Turkey), University of Antwerp(Belgium), Bilkent University (Turkey),Coventry University (England), GlasgowCaledonian University (Scotland), GriffithUniversity (Australia), The Hague Universityof Applied Sciences (Netherlands), IstanbulBilgi University (Turkey), Kansai University(Japan), Kazan Federal University (Russia),Universidad La Salle (Mexico), Universidadde Monterrey (Mexico), RMIT (Australia),Utrecht University of Applied Science(Netherlands), and Vanier College (Canada).

These institutions have identified a campus coordinator, who acts as a liaisonbetween their institution, the COIL Center,and the SUNY Nodal Network Coordinators.This coordinator is funded by their campusto attend the annual COIL Conference alongwith at least one faculty member. Each Global

SUNY Global News

Partner Network institution has made acommitment to allow their faculty to partnerwith faculty from any of the current 18SUNY Nodal Network institutions, allowingfor inter-institutional type partnerships thatadd an equitable element to the joint networkstructure.

The COIL Center is pleased to report thatin its inaugural semester the Global PartnerNetwork supplied partner faculty to over halfof the COIL course collaborations currentlyunder development for the Fall 2014 semester.

Spring 2014 COIL Academy Fellows

The COIL Center is excited to introducethe Spring 2014 COIL Academy for CourseDevelopment cohort. Faculty memberswere nominated by their home institutions totake part in a 6-month professional develop-ment program that includes an online part-nering orientation; an in-person workshop atthe SUNY Global Center; and an 8-week on-line course development program that theyare currently participating in alongside theirinternational partners. Their courses will bepiloted in the Fall 2014 semester.

The COIL Center is particularly excitedthat more than half of the Spring 2014 COILAcademy Fellows are partnered with facultyfrom the new COIL Global Partner Network.Many SUNY faculty had the opportunity tomeet their partners, or representatives fromtheir partners’ institution at the 2014 COILConference, and some have plans to travel totheir partner institution in the comingmonths. Visit http://coil.suny.edu/page/2014-coil-academy-program to view a list of theSpring 2014 Academy Fellows and their international partners as well as to learnmore about the COIL Academy Program. �

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ACE/COIL Internationalization Through TechnologyAward. Below, left to right: Christian Bond, ClientsRelationship Manager, Asahi Net International;Nancy L. Zimpher SUNY Chancellor; Patti McGillPeterson, Presidential Advisor for Global Initiatives,American Council on Education; Jon Rubin, SUNYCOIL Center Director; Jon M. Young, UniversityProvost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affair,Fayetteville State (NC); Scott A. Chadwick, Provost,Xavier University (OH); John M. Peek, Provost andChief Academic Officer, Glenville State College (WV).

COIL Conference . . .Continued from page 1

The State University of New York

both French literature and linguistics with aspecialization teaching English as a foreignlanguage. Connie stayed on at Ohio as a faculty member and administrator for theOhio Program of Intensive English for threedecades. From 1987 onward, Connie alsoserved as director of education abroad atOhio. During Connie’s twenty-year tenure inthis role, study abroad participation increasedfivefold from less than 200 students to over1,000 students per year. Upon her retirementfrom Ohio University, Connie returned to herhometown of Beacon and joined the Centerfor International Programs at SUNY NewPaltz, initially in study abroad and then as director of the Haggerty English LanguageProgram. Dean of International Programs,Bruce Sillner, remarked, “SUNY New Paltzand its Center for International Programs arevery proud to have among our colleagues,such a distinguished leader in internationaleducation as Connie Perdreau. We arepleased to join the international educationcommunity in recognizing Connie’s signifi-cant contributions to our field.”

Since 1977, Connie has written or deliveredmore than 100 publications or presentations.Her leadership roles in international educa-tion have also included president of OhioTESOL and chair of the Administrators andTeachers in English as a Second Languageas well as committee membership in theTOEFL Board, the National Strategic TaskForce for Study Abroad, and the FulbrightEnrichment Program Committee.

Connie’s numerous accomplishmentshave caught the attention of the African-American press, and she has been featuredin pieces published in Ebony, Jet, and BlackIssues in Higher Education. Her achievementsin international education have also receivedrecognition in the 2013 edition of BlackFirsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneer-ing Historical Events.

In addition, Senator Malcolm Smith intro-duced a Proclamation Honoring Connie forExemplary Service in International Educationfrom the New York State Senate, whichpassed on October 23, 2009. �

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SUNY Global Online� Global Affairshttp://global.suny.edu/Sally Crimmins Villela Assistant Vice Chancellor

� Office of International Programshttp://www.global.suny.edu/oip/Lori Thompson, Director

� Confucius Institute for Businesshttp://confuciusbusiness.suny.edu/Maryalice Mazzara, DirectorSun Dong, Chinese Director

� UCosmic Consortiumhttp://www.ucosmic.org/

AFFILIATES

� Office of International Recruitmenthttp://global.suny.edu/oir/Krista Northup, Director

� COIL Centerhttp://coil.suny.edu/Jon Rubin, Director

SUNY Global is responsible for strategic planning, policy development,coordination and incubation of system-wide global initiatives, and is focused on access and the affordability of opportunity for all students.

Headquartered at SUNY Plaza in Albany, SUNY Global has offices and staff in Albany, Ankara, Manhattan, Mexico City, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. SUNY Global News is a recurring

newsletter devoted to the activities ofSUNY Global. Comments and story suggestions are welcome; please contact Sally Crimmins Villela atsally.crimmins@suny.edu.

� SUNY Global NewsSally Crimmins Villela, EditorSally Lampson, Assistant Editor

� Newsletter Design:Esther KlopferSUNY Design & Printing

Connie Perdreau, Director of HaggertyEnglish Language Program at SUNY NewPaltz, was recently recognized for her out-standing contributions to the field of interna-tional education with NAFSA Life Membershipat the organization’s 66th annual conferencelast month in San Diego, CA.

NAFSA Life Membership is awarded in recognition of career achievements in advancing the goals of the Association andof international education and exchange; recipients are nominated by their colleaguesand members of the association.

Among her many achievements in the field,Connie served as the NAFSA President in1996-97, and she is the first African-Americanor person of color to hold this position. Reflecting on her accomplishments, Connieshared, “My career as an international edu-cator has been the focus of my life's mission:to help foster global peace, harmony, toler-ance, knowledge, and understanding to createa better world for us all. During my presidencyof NAFSA, I recall two particular internationalhighlights: the honor of being the keynotespeaker at the International Education Association of South Africa shortly after theelection of Nelson Mandela. That was an incredible moment as the scent of apartheidwas still in the air, yet the people weresteadfastly looking to education as their hopeof creating a new South Africa. The secondwas being invited by the government ofJapan to make an official visit to 12 universi-ties with the goal of making a report on waysto increase the small number of Americanstudents studying in Japan, a goal whichwas realized far beyond expectations afterthe recommendations were implemented.”

A Mid-Hudson Valley native, Conniebegan her lifelong passion for and commit-ment to international education as a SUNYPotsdam study abroad student in Tours,France, where she spent her junior year.After receiving her bachelor’s degree inFrench Education, Connie taught junior highschool in Yonkers, New York. Connie’s career path then took her to Ohio Universitywhere she completed master’s degrees in

Awards andRecognitionsCONNIE PERDREAU

Connie’s NAFSA Fan Club, left to right: BeverlyPlowucha, Clare Kelly-

Barra, Caitlin Paul, ConniePerdreau, Christian Wilwohl,Bruce Sillner, Jeff Pollard,

Sally Crimmins Villela.

Update from the SUNY Russia Programs NetworkSubmitted by John Bailyn, Associate Professor ofLinguistics and Director, SUNY Russia ProgramsNetwork, Stony Brook University

The first SUNY Russia Programs NetworkWorking Group Meeting was held at theSUNY Global Center in December, with 18participants from 9 SUNY campuses joinedby representatives of the SUNY RPN in Russia, the SUNY Office of InternationalPrograms and COIL. The Working Group discussed a wide range of issues involvingRussian language and Russian Studiesthroughout the SUNY system as well asSUNY’s Study Abroad and Exchange programsin Russia and RPN plans for the creation ofinnovative new programs, projects and part-nerships. Five task forces were created as aresult, which began their work in January,2014. Implementation of various task forceprojects are expected for 2014-15 and othersfor 2015-16.

Russia Programs Network Task Forces

� SUNY-wide Russian/post-Soviet StudiesMajor and/or Certificate (RPN SUNY Consortium with OPEN SUNY)

� SUNY-wide Russian shared/"blended” language and culture courses (RPN SUNYConsortium with OPEN SUNY and SUNYLanguage PACT Consortium)

� Multi-campus/Multi-partner SUNY<-->RussiaCOIL courses (RPN SUNY Consortium withRPN Russian partners, consulting with COIL)

� SUNY/Russia Conference Developmentand Grant Activity (RPN SUNY Consortiumwith RPN Russian partners, consultingwith COIL)

� New and expanded SUNY Study Abroadand Exchange Initiatives (RPN with SUNYRussia Centers and Russian Partners)

The second Working Group meeting will be held in Fall, 2014. RPN thanks theparticipating campuses for their support and enthusiasm.

SUNY Global News

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Study in Turkey Grant CompetitionDr. Kent Schull,

Assistant Professor ofOttoman and ModernMiddle East History atBinghamton University,was recently awarded$5,000 in grant fundsfor the development of a new study abroad

program to Turkey. Dr. Schull, in collabora-tion with Göttingen University in Germanyand the Orient-Institut in Istanbul, will run asummer institute of Turkish studies for threeweeks in 2015.

SUNY students will study, travel and livewith German and Turkish students through-out the program. Study sites include Turkey’smajor cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmirand will involve Binghamton’s dual diplomapartner institutions, Istanbul Technical Uni-versity, Middle East Technical University andBilkent University. Now in its second year,the Study in Turkey grant competition isfunded by the Office of International Pro-grams (OIP) to increase the number of opportunities for SUNY students to study atpartner institutions in Turkey. Look for thenext call for proposals in fall 2014!

Celebrating 10 Years of the SUNY–Turkey Dual Diploma Programs

A celebration markingthe 10th year of enroll -ing students in the dualdiploma programs washeld at the annual bilateral meeting of coordinators hosted atthe SUNY Global Centeron April 7.

Fifty coordinators from 11 SUNY campusesand 7 Turkish partners were joined by repre-sentatives from the Turkish Higher EducationCouncil (YÖK) and the Turkish ConsulateGeneral in New York. Sally Crimmins Villela,Assistant Vice Chancellor for Global Affairsand Dr. Sedat Gümüş, Vice Coordinator ofInternational Relations at YÖK, gave openingremarks emphasizing the importance of theprograms to the diplomatic relationship between Turkey and the United States.

Chancellor Zimpher,accompanied by InterimProvost ElizabethBringsjord and ViceProvost for AcademicAffairs Jason Lane, encouraged participantsto take the partnershipsto a new level by devel-

oping graduate dual diploma programs, ex-ploring research collaborations and workingwith Open SUNY. On the evening before themeeting, SUNY Maritime hosted a wonderfulreception and dinner on campus, including atour of the Empire State VI training ship.

Dual Diploma Programs–How Are We Doing?

With ten years, 26 programs and more than1,400 dual diploma program alumni under ourbelts, the program coordinators and SUNYGlobal have redoubled the commitment tocontinuous quality improvement, with a focuson obtaining feedback through a formal eval-uation and from the students themselves.The results of a survey measuring studentsatisfaction were recently released, along witha program evaluation conducted by GülesenOdabaşıoğlu, a Turkish higher education pro -fessional with extensive experience with theFulbright Commission in Turkey. Both toolsprovided data and a critical look at the pro-grams, from academic and support servicesto structure and institutional support.

Please Don’t Forget: � Applications are accepted on a rolling basisfor the SUNY Global–Turkish Fellowshipfor Faculty Exchange. The fellowship sup-ports faculty visits to dual diploma partnerinstitutions. Please contact Lori Thompson,Director of the Office of International Programs at lori.thompson@suny.edu formore information.

� SUNY faculty and staff who visit Turkeyshould plan to stop at the SUNY Office inAnkara. Before the trip, contact the officefor help in planning meetings with Turkishpartners. Please reach out to Ben Balkaya,Director balkaya@suny.edu or Katie Lansford,Associate Director katie.lansford@suny.edu.

� Visiting Turkey now requires an e-visa obtained before arrival: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/.

� SUNY in Turkey www.suny.edu.tr is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SUNYTurkey. �

News from the SUNY Office in Ankara, Turkey

Dr. Kent Schull

Dr. Sedat Gümüş

Chancellor Zimpher

The State University of New York

The New York-St. Petersburg Institute of Linguistics, Cognitionand Culture (NYI)

Hosted by St. Petersburg State University, July 14-August 1, 2014

The New York-St. Petersburg Institute of Linguistics, Cognition and Culture (NYI-2014) will be held this summer in St. Petersburg for the 12th consecutive year.NYI is a three-week, interdisciplinary academic program hosted every July by St. Petersburg State University, jointly withSUNY Stony Brook. NYI-2014 will feature 20 faculty, 5 of them from SUNY campuses,and 120 students from 13 countries, includ-ing Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Iceland, France, UKand elsewhere, and from over 15 Russiancities. Since its founding in 2003, the Insti-tute has hosted more than 1,000 studentparticipants from 39 countries, representingmore than 35 American colleges and univer-sities and 50 higher education institutionsacross the Russian Federation.

NYI was founded by Stony Brook Linguis-tics professor John F. Bailyn and ProfessorAnna A. Maslennikova of St. PetersburgState University, with two central goals inmind: to provide American, Russian, and international students the opportunity to takecourses in fields and disciplines not readilyavailable at their home institutions (i.e. theo-retical linguistics, gender studies, cognitivepsychology, and contemporary cultural studies), and to provide a general forum foracademic collaboration that bridges disci-plines, nationalities and cultures.

For more information on the programvisit: www.nyi.spb.ru or send an inquiry torussia.programs@suny.edu.

Summer 2014 Visiting LectureshipAwards for the SUNY Russia Programs Network

The SUNY Russia Programs Network(RPN) is pleased to announce the winners ofthe Summer Travel Award to St. Petersburg,Russia, for SUNY Faculty in the Humanitiesor Social Sciences. Each award winner will participate in the 12th New York-St. Petersburg Institute of Linguistics, Cognitionand Culture (NYI), to be held in St. Petersburg,Russia, July 14-August 1, 2014. Each facultymember teaches one 3-week seminar andtypically gives one general lecture and oneshort mini-conference presentation.

The awardees are:

� Barbara LeSavoy, Director and AssistantProfessor, Women and Gender Studies at The College at Brockport (SUNY). Professor LeSavoy is a theorist whoseteaching and scholarly work examine sexand gender representations across cultureswith an increasing focus on identity politicsand activist movements as read in popularculture. Using interdisciplinary examplesfrom history, art, film, and literature, herlectures will examine social constructionsof sex and gender identity and cross-cultural perspectives on gender equalityand gender equality movements.

� Kathleen O'Connor-Bater, Associate Professor and Chair of Modern Languages,SUNY College at Old Westbury. ProfessorO’Connor-Bater has published articles in cognitive linguistics, particularly with respect to the system of ontologicalmetaphor in Spanish; and in the literaryideal of modernism from a cognitive per-spective. Kathleen's seminars will explorethe nature of the cognitive processing ofmetaphor in the communication of ideasthat grow from the landscapes of natureand the modern city and explore the rolethe sound of words plays in sensory perception in poetic language and ineveryday language. �

Spring 2014 Visiting Lectureship Awards

The SUNY Russia Programs Network’sinaugural (Spring 2014) Faculty Travel Lectureship for SUNY Faculty was awardedto Steven M. Schneider, Professor and Chairof the Department of Communication andHumanities, SUNYIT and Derek Craig Maus,Associate Professor, Department of Englishand Communication, SUNY Potsdam.

ProfessorSchneider lecturedin the Schools ofPhilology, Interna-tional Relations,Journalism, and Sociology at St. Petersburg StateUniversity and at the Higher School of Economics, cover-

ing a range of topics, including the history of online politics in the United States, hypertextual reading and writing in the 21st century.

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I have just returned from St. Petersburg,Russia after one of the most stimulating, exciting and interesting weeks of my aca-demic career. This program enabled me tomeet faculty and students and begin plan-ning future collaborative activities. I havebeen invited to submit an article on Web his -toriography to a Russian academic journalpublished by the School of International Relations, and I will soon begin arranging aproject that will allow students in my senior-level practicum to engage with Russian students and collaboratively design and publish a multi cultural website comparinglife in St. Petersburg and Utica, NY.

– Professor Schneider reflecting on his experience after traveling back to New York

Professor Mausgave lectures onvarious comparativeaspects of satiricalliterature at theSchool of Philology,and the Departmentof Foreign Litera-ture, St. PetersburgState University,along with one at the

Higher School of Economics, and one at theEuropean University. Lectures were fol-lowed by active discussion, and both SUNYaward winners established relations with colleagues that will lead to joint researchprojects and shared courses in the future.

It is a very long way from Saint LawrenceCounty to St. Petersburg, both geographi-cally and culturally, but the people here havewithout exception helped to bridge that gap;the result has been one of the most rich andmost fulfilling of my career. My interactionswith local students and faculty have beenfree-ranging, vigorous, and intellectuallystimulating. I feel as though I have alreadymade connections with people that will lastfor years, perhaps decades, to come. I willreturn to Potsdam with a greater under-standing of how and why our words—written and spoken—can serve to find com-mon ground for conversations that not onlystimulate curiosity between our countries,but also foster genuine compassion and respect in the process.

- Professor Maus wrote from St. Petersburg

For additional information contact JohnBailyn at john.bailyn@stonybrook.edu. �

Steven M. Schneider

Derek Craig Maus

Continued on page 6

SUNY Global News

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News from the SUNY Office in Mexico City, MexicoMexico´s Moment? Introducing FOBESII

As a result of Mexico´s 2012 presidentialelection, long-awaited reforms in key sectorssuch as energy, labor, telecommunicationsand education suddenly became politicallyattainable. These recently-passed reforms—occurring at the same time as rising costs oflabor, manufacturing and shipping in China—bring Mexico back as a hemispheric centerfor manufacturing and international com-merce. And what Mexico needs is a work-force that is ready to seize this moment.

Recognizing this, Presidents Obama andPeña Nieto created the Bilateral Forum onHigher Education, Innovation and Research,which both sides refer to by its Spanish initials of FOBESII (pronounced fo-BESS-y).Announced in 2013, and formally launched inMay 2014 by Secretary of State Kerry andhis Mexican counterpart, FOBESII thruststhe issue of higher education into everyministerial-level encounter that takes placebetween the two governments.

While President Obama´s “100,000 Strongin the Americas” initiative is directed at allof Latin America and the Caribbean (and evenCanada), FOBESII is specific to US-Mexicohigher education exchange. Thus, the Mexicanside produced the FOBESII initiative, called“Proyecta 100,000.” Directed by the MexicanForeign Ministry, Proyecta 100K aims tosend 100,000 Mexican students, researchersand educators to the U.S. by 2018. The planalso calls for Mexico to receive 50,000higher education visitors from the US.

The 100,000 number equals BrazilianPresident Dilma Rousseff´s visionary “Science Without Borders” program goal,with one key difference—while the Braziliangovernment is sending 100,000 of its students

to countries all over the world, Proyecta 100Kaims to send this entire number to the US.

Over the past several months, SUNY´s office in Mexico participated in FOBESIIworking groups, paying special attention toinitiatives involving English language acqui-sition, research and student exchange andtechnical and community colleges. As apartner in the birth of this initiative, SUNYhas assumed a lead role. The SUNY—Stateof Puebla Intensive English Program is con-sidered by the US Embassy in Mexico to beamong the very first “deliverables” of theFOBESII initiative. That program is in itssecond summer and is taking place concur-rently on six SUNY campuses.

SUNY Mexico has recently coordinatedsystem-wide responses to other programsin Mexico, including one from the TelevisaFoundation/Bécalos that matched studentsfrom two-year colleges in Mexico with UScommunity colleges, and an initiative of theMexican Foreign Ministry aimed to bringMexican students to US campuses this summer. This last effort was organized onrelatively short notice and brought a smallernumber of students than was hoped for, asthe Ministry ran out of time and resources to bring it to full fruition. SUNY Mexico willinform all campuses of each new Proyecta100K program.

FOBESII means that it is time for UScampuses to rethink their strategies towardour neighbor to the south. The commitment ofour two governments will mean more pro-grams and opportunities. More importantly,campus initiatives will find welcome supportfrom our partners at the US Embassy and theMexican government like never before. Thiscould indeed be Mexico´s moment. SUNYcolleagues who wish to discuss how theseopportunities can benefit their campus shouldcontact Bob Balkin at bbob@sunymex.com. �

PROYECTA 100,000TOWARDS A REGION OF KNOWLEDGE

SUNY GLOBAL PEOPLE

Sara López SelgaSara López Selga, the Director of InternationalRelations at the UniversitatPompeu Fabra in Barcelona,received a Fulbright-Schuman grant to analyzewhether or not cooperationbetween U.S. and European

universities is in decline. After three monthsat University of California´s Education AbroadOffice and another three stationed at SUNYGlobal, she also had the opportunity to viewthe way these two systems approach inter-national education.

“I found the two systems very different,”says Sara. “SUNY is very diverse and thatmeans that its interests are very diverse. Itis a great challenge to do the things you doat the system level. But I really like the flexi-bility that the campuses can decide if theywant to join as full partners in the systemprocess, but nobody is forced to do that.They call it ´variable geometry,´ which is really the only way to make things work. Onthe other hand, UC has 10 campuses, all ofthem PhD granting institutions. It is a morehomogenous profile because they have a verywell-defined mission as stated in the Califor-nia Higher Education master plan, servingonly the best and brightest. And specificallyon international education, they work as aconsortium but it is a different model, cen-trally-managed for study abroad programs.”

As for surprises, Sara says it has been “alittle disappointing” that neither the U.S. northe E.U. “are looking at each other as pre-ferred partners in terms of academic collab-oration. I would have hoped that it would bedifferent.” One difference she found is at thefaculty level: “I really admire the entrepre-neurial spirit of faculty here. I would notimagine faculty-led programs in Europe orprofessors getting involved in these initia-tives like in the U.S.”

Upon her return to Spain, Sara says shewill “try to map all the different funding forcooperation between U.S. and E.U. universi-ties. I will also focus on case studies on whatworks and how can we increase numbers.”

Asked to provide some parting words,Sara replied, “In my visits to the campuseseveryone has been so helpful. And there isthe human part, being part of a team, espe-cially being part of staff meetings. OtherwiseI wouldn´t know the SUNY Global team! This is the kind of thing that being part ofthe staff meetings and joining the team andlearning about the jobs has really added tomy professional development. I wish I couldhave visited more campuses.” �

The last issue of the SUNY Global News included an article on SUNY’s participation in the Brazil ScientificMobility Program. Victoria Chai, Assistant Professor at Nassau Community College’s CommunicationsDepartment sent us this photo of Nassau’s BSMP students celebrating Thanksgiving at her home.

THANKSGIVING

The State University of New York

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On June 4-5, SUNY Global and the Officeof the Provost with the support of the Uni-versity Faculty Senate held the 3rd AnnualSUNY PACT (Pipeline-Access-Culture-Technology) conference and workshop entitled “SUNY Language PACT: The Worldand the Classroom”. The event was organizedby three faculty Co-Chairs: Laura Andersonfrom Jamestown Community College; RonnaFeit from Nassau Community College; andYumei Leventhal from Maritime College. Thisyear’s program included topical presentationsand workshops in addition to two keynotes—Sabine Levet, Senior Lecturer in French inthe Department of Foreign Languages andLiteratures at Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, and Candace Black of EastridgeHigh School, First Vice President of the NewYork State Association of Foreign LanguageTeachers.

Session topics included the use of tech-nology and international telecollaboration inteaching languages, pedagogical models forteaching languages, discussions about theSUNY bilingual baccalaureate initiative andother subjects encompassing a variety of areas.

THIRD ANNUAL SUNY LANGUAGE PACT CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP

The World and the Classroom

and Dr. Jeff Philpott of the College of Optometry’s Confucius Institute and Dr.Dong Sun and Dr. Maryalice Mazzara ofSUNY’s Confucius Institute for Business,the respective Chinese and American Directors. Among the issues discussedwere opportunities and challenges fordoing business in different areas of health-care in China, links between Confucianismand healthcare, and the impact of the industry on US-China relations. More thanfifty people were in attendance, includingsenior executives of leading healthcarefirms, top New York City business profes-sionals, and academics and researcherswith an interest in China’s evolving health-care system. Based on the success of the Symposium, College of Optometry’s Confucius Institute and SUNY’s ConfuciusInstitute for Business plan to have anothersymposium in 2015. �

In March, SUNY’s Confucius Institutefor Business co-sponsored a Healthcare Symposium with the SUNY College of Optometry Confucius Institute entitled“The Evolution of China’s Healthcare In-dustry: Opportunities and Challenges.” Theevent featured a keynote presentation byDr. Yanzhong Huang, a Senior Fellow forGlobal Health at the Council of Foreign Relations and the author of the book “Governing Health in Contemporary China.”

A panel of experts included Dr. Hao WangVice President for Information Services and Chief Information Officer of the SUNY Research Foundation, Dr. Youfa Wang, Chairof the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at University at Buffalo,Dr. Jennifer Ding, Director of Strategy andOperation at Novartis, and Dr. Guiherme Albieri, Director of Admissions and Market-ing at SUNY College of Optometry. TheSymposium was organized by Dr. Lili Tu

Language PACT 2014 Planning Co-Chairs, left to right,Ronna Feit, Laura Anderson, and Yumei Leventhal.

Left to right, Laura Anderson, Jamestown Community College; Sarah Guth, SUNY COIL; Jiangyua Zhou,Richard Stockton, College of New Jersey; Stephen Straight, Binghamton University; Ronna Feit, NassauCommunity College; Yumei Leventhal, Maritime College; Sally Crimmins Villela, SUNY System Administration;Chesla Bohinski, Binghamton University.

Professor Youfa Wang of University at Buffalo.

On day two of the event, Anne McCall andCarmen Rivera, the Co-Chairs of the SUNYLanguage Consortium initiative presentedthe main developmental milestones achievedthus far and next steps going forward. Theevent was attended by SUNY and non-SUNYinstitutions from all over New York Stateand beyond. For more information, pleasecontact the Office of International Programsat global@suny.edu. �

SUNY Confucius Institute for Business Co-sponsors Healthcare Symposium

The State University of New YorkInstitute for BusinessCONFUCIUS

Office of International RecruitmentSUNY China Office

The SUNY China office, based in Beijing,is a resource for campus outreach in China.The office counsels students, maintains awebsite in the Chinese language, assistscampuses with translating and printing materials, facilitates visits to the market, and acts as a liaison to our agency partners.The office has also supported individualcampus requests to host small events orsupport specific projects.

There have been some staff changes inthe SUNY China office including the appoint-ment of a new manager, Erwin Jin, as wellas a new student advisor, Sally Zhang.

Please join with us in welcoming our new additions to the office, and feel free toreach out to Erwin for further information or requests: erwin.jin@sunychina.org.

Global Perspectives at NAFSA ’14At the end of May, it was once again time

for the annual NAFSA conference, whichtook place in sunny San Diego this year. Theconference, which is organized by NAFSA:Association of International Educators, provides an opportunity for internationalhigher education professionals from all corners of the world come together to forgepartnerships, build networks and learn fromone another.

As usual, this year’s conference wasbuzzing with discussions about a range ofopportunities for international exchange andcooperation, but equally popular was thetopic of international recruitment. More than ever before, discussions and sessionsfocused on how to create and maintainchannels for bringing in international stu-dents, and the breadth of this discussiondemonstrates how sophisticated US institu-tions have become in their recruitment andretention efforts.

The conference provided an opportunityfor both representatives from the Office ofInternational Recruitment—Krista Northupand Kirsten L. Feddersen—to share their international recruitment experiences withthe higher education community throughworkshops and sessions.

Session proposals are being acceptednow for next year’s conference. Pleasecheck the NAFSA website for more details.

See you in Boston at NAFSA ’15! �

JFEW-SUNY Scholarship Program

This spring, the Jewish Foundation forthe Education of Women (JFEW) announcedthat they will fund another JFEW-SUNY International Relations and Global AffairsTwo Year Scholarship Program at Binghamton and Stony Brook in the fall,and the new Class of 2016 will also includea third campus, Geneseo. By the end of2016, over 100 SUNY students will havereceived over $1 million in scholarshipsfrom this program.

During the 2013-2014 academic yearthe scholars heard from prominent practi-tioners and guest speakers from organiza-tions such as the Carnegie Council forEthics in International Affairs, the Will toIntervene Project at Concordia University inMontreal, Japan Society, French AmericanFoundation, and SUNY’s Confucius Instituteof Business.

The JFEW-SUNY Program recentlygraduated its second cohort of scholars—the JFEW SUNY Class of 2014, and theClass of 2015 is currently participating intheir summer internships in New York City.Host internship organizations sites include:Clinton Foundation, the Department ofState, Peace Corps, and 92nd Street Y Office of International Relations.

This academic year also marked the introduction of the JFEW SUNY MentorProgram, an initiative created by a formerscholar. Second-year scholars are pairedwith first-year scholars in an effort to pro-mote the exchange of ideas, guidance, andsupport. This has been a huge success andit will continue to be an important part ofthe Program. �

SUNY Global News

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Left to right, Ivy Zhou (Program Advisor), Erwin Jin(Manager), Sally Zhang (Program Advisor).

Two class of 2014 Scholars at the UN with UNESCODirector-General Irina Bokova.

SUNY Reception at NAFSA 2014 (courtesy of DinoRodriguez, FIT Office of International Programs).

The Office of International Recruitment teamhas moved their physical offices from theSUNY Global Center to the administrativeoffices within the SUNY College of Optometry.Campus visitors are encouraged to visit theOIR team in our new space.

The new address is:

The State University of New York College of Optometry33 West 42nd StreetNew York, NY 10036

It has been over a year since System Administration was granted designation by the U.S.Department of State as the SUNY J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) Consortium. Whilethe consortium was originally designed to assist those campuses without their own J desig-nation, it has become an important opportunity for campuses with their own designation tosupplement their approved categories or to participate in system-wide initiatives related to J exchange visitors. Currently, the consortium consists of 30 approved member campuses andSystem Administration:

In the year since the official launch on May 15, 2013, campuses have already utilized theconsortium, bringing visitors in the following categories: 4 Students; 9 Short Term Scholars;3 Research Scholars; and 4 Professors. Fall 2013 was our busiest semester to date with 12exchange visitors. Sponsoring campuses include: Cortland, Maritime, Monroe CC, SUNY Optometry, Potsdam and Purchase. We look forward to receiving more visitor requests asmember campuses develop relationships and opportunities with partners abroad. We havealready received our first requests for the Fall 2014 with several other campuses expressingpotential exchanges.

The SUNY J-1 EVP Consortium is a successful example of “systemness” within SUNY.Member campuses have access to a SharePoint website dedicated to the J-1 Consortium.The website includes training resources, sample agreements and letters, forms, and usefullinks. The Office of International Programs (OIP), as the Responsible Office, holds an AnnualExchange Visitor Advisor (EVA) Meeting every fall to provide campus EVAs with up-to-dateinformation, resources and training, and to discuss future initiatives and case-specific is-sues. Special training sessions are offered on a rotating basis and have included ExchangeVisitor Advisor Training and a full-day J-1 Advising for Beginners Workshop. OIP has begunto identify opportunities for member campuses to receive cohorts of student and faculty visitors. Most recently, we worked with 9 community colleges to collectively bid on the Televisa-Santander Mexico scholarship program to bring students for one semester, provid-ing a combination of English language study and general coursework. With the ability toleverage our consortium as a strong contender for similar programs around the world, welook forward to seeking further opportunities for consortium members.

If you are interested in learning more or joining the consortium, please contact BeverlyPlowucha, International Student and Scholar Services Manager/Responsible Officer, at beverly.plowucha@suny.edu. �

The State University of New York

SUNY J-1 EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM CONSORTIUM

A Year in Review

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CISSS Corner

� The annual meeting of the Council for International Student and Scholar Services(CISSS) was held on Friday, April 11, 2014at the SUNY Global Center in New YorkCity. More than 30 people representing 21campuses attended the meeting. This year,two new features were introduced to themeeting: a campus highlight presentationand an optional, post-meeting webinar,“When Federal Agents Come Calling: Edu-cating Campus Stakeholders.” A variety ofwebinar topics is planned for future meet-ings. The minutes and presentations areavailable on the ISSS SharePoint Website.

� An informational session on the SunapsisInternational Office Module was held onMay 14th for campuses. Sunapsis is acomprehensive immigration case manage-ment system for international offices tomanage the institution’s international population. Stay tuned to the CISSS Listserv for more information.

� Beverly Plowucha, SUNY ISSS Manager,has visited 38 campuses to date in an effort to support ISSS professionals andlearn more about the services each campusprovides. Campuses have also requestedvisits that include training and an evaluationof office procedures. If you are interestedin an ISSS visit, please contact Beverly atbeverly.plowucha@suny.edu.

� The next full day workshop will be held infall 2014, based on the feedback providedby campuses in the recent CISSS meetingsurvey. More information will be providedthrough the CISSS Listserv in the comingmonths. �

AdirondackAlfred StateBrockportBroomeCantonCobleskill

CortlandDelhiEmpire StateESFFarmingdaleFulton-Montgomery

GeneseeHudson ValleyJamestownMaritimeMohawk ValleyMonroe

Morrisville Nassau Niagara CountyOneontaOnondagaOptometry

PlattsburghPotsdamPurchaseSchenectady CountySullivan CountySUNYIT

Global News fromAround the System

Business Internships ITALIAN STYLESubmitted by Tricia L. Herritt, Coordinator for International Students, Alfred State College

International internships can serve as a powerful link between a student’s educationand career goals, fostering both professional growth and intercultural awareness.

Through Alfred State’s partnership with Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, studyabroad students have been placed in Marketing, Event Planning, Culinary, Hospitality Management and others. Students apply and register through courses approved for SUNYcredit, and Alfred State internship coordinators work closely with their international part-ners at Sant’Anna. The interns complete daily logs, received supervisor evaluations andcomplete academic papers to earn credit.

Alfred internship placements have been a success, and the internship experiences addimmense value. Students grow as a person, become more independent, experience first-hand international business cultures and communication styles, build their résumé andgain a competitive edge in a job market where employers understand the importance of international experience in today’s global marketplace. �

Tsu Zhu–Hospitality Management, RistoranteTasso in Sorrento, Italy.

Global News from Around the System

Chinese Language and Culture Education Thriving at the ConfuciusInstitute of Chinese Opera

Submitted by Zu-Yan Chen, Professor of ChineseLanguage and Literature, Director of the ConfuciusInstitute of Chinese Opera

2014 is shaping up to be an outstandingyear for the Confucius Institute of ChineseOpera at Binghamton University (CICO). OnMarch 30, 2014, three Binghamton University(BU) students—Carrie Buck, Adam Kopec,and Daniel McMonagle—all won excellentawards in the “Chinese Bridge” Chineseproficiency competition at Pace University inNew York City. Buck and Kopec performedBeijing Opera excerpts, with performancetraining courtesy of CICO. They won firstand second places, respectively, in the senior division, while McMonagle won thirdplace in the junior category, impressing theaudience with a fluent speech and a livelyChinese yo-yo routine. Buck was invited tocompete in the final round which will takeplace in July in China.

SUNY Global News

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This year, CICO will also organize a freeChinese language and performing arts sum-mer camp called "Sounds of China: LearnChinese through Beijing Opera Performance"for students entering grades 6-12. "Soundsof China" aims to develop students’ abilitiesin basic Chinese conversation through afocus on learning Beijing opera. Camperslearn Chinese and engage in Chinese culture-themed arts and crafts in the mornings, andlearn Beijing opera in the afternoons whileusing their recently acquired language skills.

CICO organizes performances, Chineselanguage and opera classes, and other Chinese culture-themed activities through-out the year. To learn more about CICO,check out their superb short documentary onCICO’s website: http://www2.binghamton.edu/confucius-institute/. �

A scene from "Stealing the Magic Herb" by CICO's performance group.

Binghamton studentCarrie Buck performs the Beijing opera

"Heavenly Maid Scatters Blossoms."

FIT has Gone Google Submitted by Dino Rodriguez, Coordinator, Office of International Programs

Fashion Institute of Technology has beguna migration to Google Apps for Education(GAFE). During the spring 2014 semester,FIT students were the first segment to bemigrated with a significant number of facultyand staff. That migration has been very suc-cessful and students are happy with the additional email storage, added collaborativetools and innovative capabilities. The Officeof International Programs at FIT has begunimplementing GAFE with both their out-bound and inbound study abroad students.Particularly successful features include:

Google Hangouts is a means of deliveringinformation before the students arrive to thecampus. Online video orientation sessionsare presented to an unlimited number of in-bound exchange and visiting students; OIP atFIT can Instant Message their own students

simultaneously with up-to-date informationregarding their study abroad program.� Google Communities provides a local“community” where inbound exchange stu-dents may post, chat, and share experienceswith other inbound candidates. � Google Calendar allows OIP to push crucialdeadline dates and pivotal program datesinto the students’ calendars, while controllingtimely pop-up reminders displayed on thestudents’ mobile devices. Students nolonger need to “find their program dates.”

Google Events allows OIP to create localGoogle Events on campus; invite students toinformational meetings and provide livevideo feed to students not able to attend;students may join and participate in theseevents via their mobile devices.

Google Forms can collect application data,RSVPs, emergency contact information, assessment information and much more.

Google Sites is a simple and well-designedproprietary site for inbound exchange/visitingstudents; it provides a means of extending topartners abroad the FIT inbound application,instructions, costs, welcome videos, orienta-tion dates, group discussions and much more.

Google Sites also provides FIT students with ameans to localize all of their next steps, pre-departure instructions and documentation.

Google Drive provides a way to manage,share, and collaborate with students on alarge number of pre-departure and instruc-tional materials. Administrative documenta-tion and other materials can be shared,updated, and always kept safe. Marketingmaterial may be merged, and pushed viaGmail to the entire campus or select targeted groups.

Google Plus is a social network with unparalleled privacy settings which has attracted many students at FIT to engageone another by adding friends, faculty andstaff into appropriate ‘circles’ to share, post,and comment on their experiences at FIT orabroad.

This is a fraction of what is possible withGoogle Apps for Education—OIP at FIT isproud to be a part of a worldwide movementof innovation and collaboration.

For additional information, see: Google for Education. �

The State University of New York

Fulbright Enables Professor to Research, Teach in Moldova

Lenuta Giukin of SUNYOswego's modern languagesand literatures faculty was awarded a FulbrightScholarship last fall toMoldova in Eastern Europe,where she taught and researched the burgeon-

ing film industry in the Romanian-and Russian-influenced nation. She also organized a round tableat the Moldova Institute of International Relationsand participated in seminars and workshopssponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Giukin, who teaches in the French programat Oswego, is a native of western Romania'sBanat region. Yet the homeland of her youth—influenced by Germans, Slavs and others—is inmany ways worlds apart from Maryland-sizeMoldova, a 22-year-old nation between north-east Romania and southern Ukraine. "I felt familiar being there, but at times I felt as a foreigner," said Giukin, who has been in theUnited States for 26 years. "In a way, EasternEurope today is not a familiar territory to me."

Moldova, which includes most of a regionknown as Bessarabia, formerly was the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. The country gained independence in 1991 duringthe dissolution of the Soviet Union. It has preliminarily agreed to associate with the European Union, causing friction with Russia.The growing Moldovan film industry, increas-ingly successful in international film festivals,reflects the cultural push-pull. "Theirs is atransitional type of culture with an interestingcinema industry in both Romanian and Russian,"Giukin said. While there, she was able to inter-view filmmakers, producers and distributors.She attended two premieres, Igor Cobileanski's"The Unsaved" and "Chisinau from Dawn to Dusk."

Giukin, who also taught a course on Englishfor managers, said she received positive feed-back on offering the cinema course in languagesother than Romanian or Russian and incorporat -ing critical thinking skills and a class website."One student who was also a professor saidshe felt free for once to speak French, becauseI was not stressing language mistakes, onlycommunication," Giukin said. "It was a greatexperience for me to work with students whowere so interested in the topic."

One of the challenges she and other higher-education faculty in Moldova face is the povertyof students, many of whom are from ruralareas and have to work in order to continuetheir schooling in a nation known as Europe'spoorest. "It is a challenge to find a way to helpthese students stay in school and find a way tofocus on their studies rather than working sohard to survive," Giukin said. �

SUNY Oswego Organizes Conferences with Overseas PartnersSubmitted by Joshua S. McKeown, Director of International Education and Programs, SUNY Oswego

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Global News from Around the System

Oswego’s Student Excellence Award Winners Study AbroadThree recipients of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence

studied abroad on programs administered by Oswego campus. Larissa Assam traveled to India on a Global Laboratory STEM summer research

program. The native of Cameroon, West Africa is President and founder of theMinority Association of Pre-health Students’ Oswego chapter, has completed aninternship at Oswego Hospital, job-shadowed physicians as a peer leader withCSTEP Health Connections and was named Peer Educator of the Year in 2012by the Oswego chapter of the National Alliance of Black School Educators.

Lindsay King studied in both Beijing, China for a semester and in Cuba on afaculty led short program. A recipient of CAPA’s Jose Ramon Perez InternationalBeijing Scholarship, King served as an international marketing intern for theGreat Wall Club in that Chinese city. She also had study-abroad experiences inIstanbul and Havana.

Rhiannon Peshniak traveled to Kielce and Krakow, Poland to attend the SUNYOswego-Jan Kochanowski Conference on Cultural Studies. With a historical re-search presentation in Kielce, Poland, and an anthropological one in Chicago,Peshniak has had her latest research project accepted by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists for presentation next month in Calgary. The two-time president of the Anthropology Club is a member of theLambda Alpha and Phi Alpha Theta national honor societies.�

Larissa Assam

Rhiannon Peshniak

Lindsay King

Oswego finance student Eyub Yegen(middle row, withglasses) received thefirst prize award andMBA student JasonMacleod received thethird prize. Six otherOswego students received the award of excellence.

In May, SUNY Oswego students and faculty organized and presented at two distinct researchconferences abroad in conjunction with our overseas partner universities.

The first conference—"SUNY Oswego-Jan Kochanowski Conference on Cultural Studies" isnow in its fifth year. Five students joined two professors (Cristina Dragomir from Political Science,and Gregory Parsons from History) to travel to Kielce and Krakow, Poland. This year's conferencetheme was Immigration, Minorities, and Identity. Student papers were organized around that theme,and students from both SUNY Oswego and Jan Kochanowski University researched and presentedtogether. Past conference topics included: Propaganda, Holocaust Studies, and Film.

The relationship between SUNY Oswego and Jan Kochanowski started in 2006 and is Oswego'sonly partner university in Poland, with multiple faculty members in theatre, history, political science,and American studies from both institutions. The conference is held on both campuses in alternatingyears. Oswego looks forward to welcoming back their Polish partners and friends in spring 2015.

The second conference—"The SUNY Oswego-Shanghai Normal University Business ResearchForum" debuted this year. Held on the campus of Shanghai Normal University in China, eight SUNYOswego students and one professor (Hong Wan, from the School of Business) traveled to Shanghaiafter a semester of study and preparing their research papers in the areas of business and finance.Student research presentations covered topics including bit coin, insurance, housing endowment,international accounting standard, culture differences between China and US, e-commerce, onlineshopping, and sustainable air travel. While in Shanghai, the students toured the city, visited corpo-rations and business partners, met with alumni, and presented their competitively-selected papers.

This conference resulted from a visit to SHNU by Provost and Vice President for AcademicAffairs, Dr. Lorrie Clemo, and Director of International Education and Programs, Dr. Joshua McKeown, in November 2011 as the two institutions were embarking on their collaboration. SUNYOswego and SHNU have exchanged visiting scholars, students, and now have developed thisunique MBA and undergraduate research conference together. Oswego will welcome the SHNUstudent and faculty delegation to its campus in spring 2015.�

Empire State Students Take TopHonor in Czech CompetitionSubmitted by Gavin Lowder, Interim Director, Centerfor International Programs, Empire State College

Once again this year, a team of EmpireState College and University of New YorkPrague students has taken the top honor inthe CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Insti-tute Research Challenge. The successfulteam worked with Jan Hajek, a mentor fromthe local Prague business community. UnderHajek's tutelage, and with ESC ProfessorTanweer Ali's support and guidance, theteam advances to the next round of regionalcompetition in Milan, Italy.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge offers students the unique opportunity tolearn from leading industry experts andcompete with peers from the world’s top finance programs. This annual educationalinitiative promotes best practices in equityresearch among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring andintensive training in company analysis andpresentation skills.

The Challenge gathers students, invest-ment industry professionals, publicly tradedcompanies and corporate sponsors togetherlocally, regionally and globally for a real-worldcompetition. Additionally, all participants areintroduced to and held to the standard of theCFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standardsof Professional Conduct.

Last year, the competition featured more than 3,500 students from over 775 universities worldwide. For more information about the competition, go tohttp://www.cfasociety.org/czechrepublic/Pages/ResearchChallenge.aspx.

SPOTLIGHTunique - innovative - promising practices and approaches to international education

At the End of Their Rope . . .SUNYIT International Students Submitted by David Garrett, Director of InternationalStudent Services, PDSO

SUNYIT’s International Student Servicesprovides a unique activity during international

student orientations,which helps create animmediate sense ofcampus community, belonging, cultural understanding and acceptance, andfriendship. All newinternational stu-dents (freshmen,transfer, and

graduate) are required to complete a three-hour ropes course experience. Through experiential education each new student becomes a part of a group of new studentsthat participates in team building, problemsolving, group dynamics, goal setting, com-munication skills, creating a plan of action,and collectively executing that plan. hroughthe use of a Challenge by Choice approachstudents are navi-gated between their"comfort" zone andtheir "panic" zone,staying in their"stretch" zone. Thestudents are givenproblems that canonly be solved witha fully engagedgroup.

Learning occursquickly when students are challenged as agroup and the group's success is dependentupon each of the individuals to supporteach other. Cultural and personal differ-ences, similarities, and strengths areprocessed by the group and help determinetheir success in their challenges. This

approach hasbeen used on thecampus for overten years and isconsistentlygiven the highestrating by new internationalstudents in orientationevaluations. �

SUNY Global News

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Blended Learning Programs Increase Student Retention

Jeannine Mercer and Karolyn Andrews ofSUNY Empire State College InternationalPrograms traveled to Dubai in early March topresent a paper on social online learning atthe sixth conference on e-Learning Excellencein the Middle East.

Mercer and Andrews discussed how theyhad supplemented courses and a summerresidency in ESC’s Lebanon Residency Program with Facebook groups. In theirpresentation, “How Facebook Groups Enhance Social Cohesion among Students inOnline and Blended Classroom Models,” theyexplained how the use of Facebook groupssignificantly increased student engagementwith the course and residency material, aswell as student satisfaction. The presenta-tion was based on a case study, which waspublished in the conference proceedings.

Wikipedia defines blended learning as “a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through onlinedelivery of content and instruction withsome element of student control over time,place, path or pace. While still attending a“brick-and-mortar” school structure, face-to-face classroom methods are combinedwith computer-mediated activities.”

The conference drew faculty and educa-tional leaders from the Middle East andNorthern Africa region and around the globe.Online learning trends were discussed, witha focus on student performance and reten-tion. While many universities have seen adrop in enrollment since the global economiccrisis in 2008, student retention has risen in blended programs. Interest in MOOCs(Massive Open Online Courses) has decreased,possibly due to the lack of human interaction.One university reported on creating its ownMOOC as a learning experiment: the more itresembled a blended-learning program, thehigher the retention rate they experienced.Students responded more when there washigh instructor engagement in the discussionforum and preferred amateur videos fromtheir own instructor, rather than profession-ally made videos.

“Learning online can be lonely,” said Andrews, as she introduced the presentation."Perhaps that is why many universities saythey are having more success with blendedprograms, which provide additional opportu-nities for students to connect with one another,their courses, and their instructors." �

Filip Kunçar, Renata Durcova, Martin Kotchera andSofia Khaydari. Team member Martina Tamchynovawas not present for the photo.

Global News from Around the System