Clik here to view.
I am devoting a series of summer blog posts to some dominant impressions from my first year as president. One area that has struck me anew this year is the unique value of international study as part of a student's preparation for life-long success. Our mission statement commits us to preparing students "to share the responsibilities of citizenship and service in the global economy." I have learned that we truly live that mission.
Our freshmen certainly get it -- over 60 percent of them say they want to have a study abroad experience. About half that number, 30 percent of all students, actually will study abroad by the time they graduate. These experiences range from one week to a full semester. Some students take courses, some do volunteer work, some do both. Professor Hongwei Guan sponsored the participation of 23 students as interns during the 2008 Beijing Olympics last summer, and returned this summer with another group of 12 students looking at health care practices in China. In the year just...
