SCIE ASIA
COUNCIL MINUTES AT MACON COLLEGE
SEPTEMBER 3, 2002
The Chair, Tom Keene (Kennesaw State
University) called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm.
Other Council members present were: Baogang Guo (Dalton
State University); Thomas Dolan and Neal McCrillis
(Columbus State University); Thomas Graham, George
Vargis and Salli Vargis (Georgia Perimeter College);
Christopher Murphy (Augusta State University); Tom
Howard (Armstrong Atlantic State University), Wilson
Huang and David Starling of Valdosta State University,
Susan Leisure (USG/OIE); Sheila Phillips (Darton College),
Bill Shaniel (State University of West Georgia); Eric
Sun (Macon State College); T. C. Jespersen and Council
Secretary, Marc Jason Gilbert (North Georgia College & State
University).
The meeting opened with introductions of members in
attendance and approval of the minutes of the previous
meeting, which were accepted without change.
SCIE UPDATE
1. The Institute of International Education has announced
the opening of the application cycle for the 2003-2004
National Security Education Program (NSEP) David
L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships for study abroad.
NSEP Boren Scholarships are available to degree seeking
undergraduates planning to study abroad in summer
2003, fall 2003, and/or spring 2004. Information
and online applications are available at the following:
www.iie.org/nsep. Deadline: February 14, 2003.
2. Applications for the parallel Freeman Foundation
grants, which can be combined with the NSEP must meet
a deadline of November 1, 2002. For information, please
go to: http://www.iie.org/programs/freeman-asia/program.htm
3. The Regents Scholarship Program in support of student
study abroad will terminate next year. Some Council
members urged their fellows to rally support for a
reversal of this decision, which seemed to them incompatible
with USG international goals.
4. Susan Leisure noted that an announcement is forthcoming
regarding new, very advantageous, insurance coverage
for USG student and faculty travel abroad.
Mission statement and ByLaws
In order to provide the necessary formality and consistency
in Council operations, an initial draft mission statement
and list of By-Laws was prepared by Tom Keene. These
drafts were the subject of prolonged discussion.
A variety of changes to the drafts were suggested
and noted by Dr. Keene, who will circulate amended
materials on Asia-L before the next meeting, when
they will again be considered.
The most significant item arose from a suggestion
by Susan Leisure that despite the efforts of the Council,
there remained a misapprehension that only designated
representatives of USG institutions could attend these
meetings, which are, in fact, open to all USG faculty
and staff. Susan Leisure suggested that the By-Laws
be constructed to as to disabuse such assumptions and
urged those present to carry this message of inclusion
back to their institutions.
BUDGET FOR FY 2003
Tom Keene presented a draft budget and will confer
shortly with the Budget Committee, who will report
to the Council in December. Current figures are as
follows: $32,000 from which $12,000 will be devoted
to Chancellor’s Awards in support of the Japan
Faculty Development Program, $12,000 will be deducted
for staff costs, leaving $8,000 for site visits and
other programs (such as 5 Indian Exchange Awards
of $500.00 each) plus $2,500 for operating expenses.
INDIA
1. The Student Study Abroad Program in India for spring
2003 was presented and discussed. It is the intention
of the program’s co-directors, Tom Keene and
Salli Vargas, to keep the cost much lower than the
European Council’s Study Abroad programs to
better attract students. According to Salli Vargas,
last year’s study abroad program based in Mumbai
did not take place due to a lack of response compounded
by the aftermath of terrorist attacks last September
and their aftermath, including the Afghan incursion
and Indo-Pakistani conflict over Kashmir). These
events also led directly to the cancellation UGA’s
independently planned student program in Trivandrum.
The current SCIE program, offering credits for world
civilization and other courses, includes a visit
to the Taj Mahal and closely follows the itinerary
of the successful faculty development program of
two years ago. Full information on the program can
be found at: http://www.kennesaw.edu/internationalcenter/usgasiacouncil/indiasa.htm
3. Tom Keene presented guidelines for System faculty
to engaged in faculty exchanges in Mumbai via the Hyderabad
(Sind) College Board. These can be accessed by opening
the “Exchange and Linkages in Asia” link
on the Asia Council web page and then opening its link
to “USG/HSNCB Faculty Exchange Guidelines.” He
also announced that Principal (President) Shibu Anand
of that institution, an exceptional teacher of modern
Indian history, was currently interested in teaching
in the United States as part of our exchanges with
her faculty and recommended her to the Council as one
worthy of consideration for an exchange with their
faculty or as a teacher in a Maymester program. Marc
Gilbert mentioned that Professor Aloka Parasher, Chair
of the History Department of the University of Hyderabad,
a professor of ancient Indian history and also gender
studies, was similarly available.
CHINA
1. Copies of the current brochure for the on-going
language-focused Study Abroad Program in China were
circulated.
2. Wilson Huang presented a draft proposal for a Study
Abroad Program in China that would feature a “general
studies” program to compliment the existing language
program. Discussion of this draft centered on the difficulties
of offering six units of credit as described in the
proposal and other technical issues such as recruitment
of faculty, and through them, students.
3. Tom Keene mentioned that it was likely that the
organizers of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Seminar for Georgia professionals intend to re-apply
for support for a renewal of that program and that
this issue would be the subject of budget committee
discussions in the near future.
JAPAN
In the absence of Dwight Call, Neal McCrillis introduced
the new Japan Study Abroad Program, described in
detail at http://www.kennesaw.edu/international center/usgasiacouncil/japanapp.
This extremely attractive program emphasizes Japanese
culture, from the temples of Nara to the peace shrine
at Hiroshima. It was observed that the flyer for
the program did not appear to provide for close Japanese-USG
faculty interaction, normally an element of USG programs.
It was concluded, however, that this aspect of the
program may have been appeared somewhat foreshortened
as a result of the program’s non-research focus
and that Dwight Call would no doubt clarify the issue
at the December meeting of the Council.
STUDY ABROAD/ FACULTY SEMINARS-- GENERAL ISSUES
In the discussions of upcoming study abroad programs,
Council members had occasion to mention the clear
success and continuing relevance of the first annual
Georgia Consortium Symposium held at Clayton College
and State University in March. This meeting, which
was built around presentations of faculty who had
participated in these programs, left no doubt as
to the effectiveness of our study abroad seminars.
Neal McCrillis announced that the next Symposium
will be held on March 15th, 2003.
ASIA COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
1. URL for the Council’s web site is http://www.kennesaw.edu/internationalcenter/usgasiacouncil/
2. The ASIA-L listserve is Asia-L@sphinx.gsu.edu
BRIEF ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Meetings during 2002-2003: December 6, 2002, and
February 28, 2003.
2. Copies of the Call for Papers and conference agenda
issued by the SINO-American Education Consortium were
handed out and noted as being available on the documents
table.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Tom Keene adjourned
the meeting at 4:00pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marc J. Gilbert
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