As the University enters the new century, it continues to broaden its horizons both in Charlottesville and across the globe.
The International Activities Commission, one of four commissions formed from the Virginia 2020 initiative, presented its report in a Faculty Senate-sponsored public forum yesterday. This was the second in a series of forums on the commissions - the remaining two will be held later this week and are open to the public.
University President John T. Casteen III established the Virginia 2020 initiative in 1998 as a means of envisioning where the University wants to be in 20 years.
William B. Quandt, vice provost for international affairs, led yesterday's forum, where 30 faculty, students and administrators offered their opinions and recommendations for the report.
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Quandt stressed that an important component of the report is an effort to "change the kind of culture of the University with respect to getting students studying overseas."
The document calls for 80 percent of undergraduates to participate in some sort of study abroad experience. Now, only about 19 percent of students study abroad.
The Commission suggests allowing a ninth semester or fifth year of study for students to fit study abroad into their University experience.
Quandt recognized the challenges facing such a lofty goal but said many of our peer institutions, including Duke University and the University of Michigan, now send 40 to 50 percent of their students abroad.
"Charlottesville is a very comfortable place to be," Quandt said. "You can just coast along for four years and have a great time."
Creating additional study abroad opportunities also must involve offering financial aid for interested students, he said.
"We can't make this an opportunity for our rich kids who could probably do it anyway," he added.
Quandt and University Provost Peter W. Low mentioned possible expansions of the University's own study abroad programs, including a program at the Venice International University in Italy.
Low deemed the Venice program as "essentially a campus with no students," where universities around the globe send students to study in courses taught in their native languages.
Introductory Italian language classes are included in the curriculum.
Quandt also discussed improving programs for foreign students attending the University, recommending an intensive summer institute for English as a second language.
He also cited an initiative to establish an International Summer Institute in American Studies for foreign scholars as a means of gaining international exposure for the University.
"We're not going to change the world's perception of [the University] by increasing study abroad by 2 percent each year," Quandt said. "But this institute could change perceptions."
Former Faculty Senate Chairman David T. Gies warned against calling the institute "American."
Instead, Gies suggested that the center market itself as a United States center so that people would not think it focused on Latin and South America as well.
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