MINUTES FOR
A. HOUSEKEEPING
The meeting was called to
order by Dan Paracka shortly after
The minutes of the
B. UPDATE FROM SCIE
Dierdre Williams, representing the Board of Regents,
discussed some recent developments:
1)
On-line language programs from Georgia Tech.
These are being offered in Chinese, Japanese and Russian. There are four levels for each language, and
the intention is to offer all four in each semester, and in the summer. “Bridge” scholarships of up to $1000 are
available after the second level, and “immersion” scholarships of up to $2500
are available after the completion of all four levels.
(There
followed a discussion of the problems and prospects of the on-line language
program, with general agreement that not enough students were aware of it, and
that it the process of enrolling in it should be made less cumbersome.)
2)
STARS (STudents Abroad with Regents’ Support)
program. This is funded jointly by the
Board of Regents and participating USG institutions, and provides three ways
students can defray the costs of a study-abroad experience. Deirdre Williams passed around copies of a
leaflet outlining the essentials of the program. It was noted that the Asia Council has voted
to use money from its own budget to match STARS funds.
(This
developed into a general discussion of short-stay programs as an introduction
to further study-abroad experience.)
3)
Mini-grants to facilitate collaboration between USG institutions that want to
merge study-abroad programs. These can
range up to a maximum of $250 per institutions to cover such expenses as travel
and conference calls by program directors.
A program description and application form was passed around.
C. STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
1) Japan-- Eric Kendrick and Yuko Ito, both at
Georgia Perimeter, are organizing a program for this coming May 11 - 29. Details are available at www.gpc.edu/~ekendrick
2) China -- Baogang Guo passed out flyers and discussed two China programs: (a)
the general studies program led by himself and Wilson Huang, scheduled for this
coming May 9 - June5, and (b) a language program led by May Hongmei
Gao of Kennesaw, scheduled form June 5 - July
13. Though the two programs are separate
and distinct, the timing has been coordinated to make it possible for a student
to participate in both on a single round-trip plane fare. Last year one student was able to do this on
a Freeman Asia Fellowship. Detailed
information about the two programs is available at www.daltonstate.edu/china
and www.kennesaw.edu/globalinstitute/summerstudychina.htm
3)
other programs -- leaflets were passed around for four
other study-abroad programs,
D. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
Baogang Guo presented a proposal that he and Eric
Kendrick have prepared,
titled “Change and Continuity: The Impact of Modernization and
Globalization on
E. FURTHER CONTACT
WITH
Dinesh Himatsinghani’s CV was passed around. He is at
F. POSSIBLE FACULTY
EXCHANGE WITH
Jonathan
Leightner presented the idea. He has taught there for two summers and
reports that it is a strong institution with excellent students. Their economics department would like to
develop an exchange relationship with a USG institution.
G. BUDGET
Dan
Paracka reported that the Asia Council now has about
$16,000 in assets and proposed to use $2000 of it in student assistance in 2006
for the two
Next meeting date was set
for March 31.
The meeting was adjourned
at