Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Professor Roberto Rabel, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) of Victoria University of Wellington, and Nicolette DeVille Christensen, Vice President, The College of Global Studies, Arcadia University, in New Zealand.

As the new academic year commences in our Southern Hemisphere programs, it is exhilarating to feel the surge of fresh energy poured into each new academic year from our students in our programs around the world. I am reminded how lucky and privileged we are in our work that we are able to experience this newness, this vibrancy, this reminder of the importance of our work in international education twice in each calendar year. In addition, we love sharing good news from all our Centers and there are many inspiring developments from the past year showcased in this issue of IMPACT.

Among the many happenings at The College, I am pleased to report that The College’s innovative assessment model based on Middle States standards of accreditation, ATLAS™, received the 2012 Nikolai N. Khaladjan International Award, presented by the American Association of University Administrators. This followed a continuous and intensive focus upon our academic processes leading to successful program reviews of The College’s offerings in New Zealand, Scotland and Spain which are now in the follow-up phase of recommendations and planning. I am also pleased to report that based on the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange 2012, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE), Arcadia University was ranked first for the percentage of undergraduate students participating in a study abroad experience of master’s level institutions. This is an achievement which could only be realized through the continually evolving initiatives managed on campus in addition to the dedication of The College’s faculty and staff.

Our academic team of disciplinary specialists has worked tirelessly to create new program opportunities that are experiential, topical and engaged thoughtfully in local communities and this work was also recognized in the Khaladjan Award. Following up on this accolade, The College of Global Studies Assistant Dean of Experiential Education, Dr. Alison Lalond Wyant, will be presenting on the theme of experiential education at the third event in The College’s special Colloquium series, hosted at this year’s NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

Creating welcoming and student-friendly Centers as hubs of academic and experiential activity around the world continues to be at the forefront of The College’s mission. Students at the London Study Center are benefiting greatly from the new Bloomsbury location, the new Dublin Center is centrally located in Temple Bar, and the Edinburgh Center now features classrooms and space for coursework, quiet study and project team meetings. I had the great pleasure of visiting our new Melbourne Study Center in Australia in January, as well as our staff and programs in New Zealand, further strengthening our long-standing relationships.

The work of the coming year is to continue to deepen the programming and services at our Centers around the world while we explore new program opportunities. As always, thank you for your encouragement, support and critique. Your contributions on so many levels are profoundly valuable and critical to our success.

Sincerely,

Dr. Nicolette DeVille Christensen
Vice President, Arcadia University
The College of Global Studies