ACC members hold first international education conference
On Nov. 4, the Atlantic Coast Conference colleges and universities concluded their first International Academic Collaboration (IAC) conference—and everyone was a winner.
The Nov. 3-4 event, held at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center on the Blacksburg campus, brought together representatives from each participating ACC institution for round table discussions, seminars, and panel sessions to share best practices and explore opportunities for meaningful collaborations on international programs.
The meeting resulted from the desire of ACC members to work together on initiatives that will strengthen the member institutions academically, not just in the sports arena. David Brown, provost emeritus of Wake Forest University, was instrumental in advancing the international education agenda.
Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger opened the conference by welcoming the ACC academic representatives. He underlined the significance of the initiative. “This will establish a framework for a broad range of collaborations across all of our international programs,” Steger said. He also hosted an evening reception and dinner for the group.”
Keynote speaker for the event on Nov. 4 was The Hon. R. Nicholas Burns, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, who informed the audience that Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff are working together to facilitate the visa approval process for international students wishing to attend colleges and universities in the United States.
“One of the best ways to attain long-term international understanding” is through educational exchanges between countries, Burns said. He indicated that the Department of State is fully aware of the negative impact of the strict post-9/11 visa regulations on recruiting the best international students for institutions in the United States, including the growing practice among such students of enrolling in universities in Britain, Canada, or Australia. He also noted that Secretary of State Rice wants to bring back federal grant programs for the study of foreign languages.
Earlier this year, the ACC formed a Working Group on International Academic Collaborations (IAC) including chief representatives from each college or university with responsibility for international programs. This group developed a strategic plan that created a managing committee and that calls for biennial conferences to share best practices and information. Vice Provost for Outreach and International Affairs John E. Dooley represents Virginia Tech and chaired the first ACC/IAC conference last week.
The managing committee also reported to conference attendees about its other initiatives, including honoring outstanding international programs, faculty, and students; creating an ACC/IAC website linking international gateways at ACC member institutions; collaborating on existing education abroad opportunities and introducing new ACC multi-institutional initiatives; establishing an education abroad scholarship program; encouraging faculty collaboration through annual summer overseas missions; and initiating research to assess the effectiveness of international education programs.
