Academic Council on International Programs (ACIP)

Committee and Plenary meetings

October 20-21, 2011

Oct. 20, 10:00-12:00 (Plenary):

Report of the Council’s Chair (Robert Train)

April meeting will be held at Sacramento State, April 19-20.

Director’s report (Leo Van Cleve)

Budget:

Budget for 2011-2012 is currently in balance, based on following assumption:

1-    Governor’s Budget includes potential cuts.
2-    Stable exchange rate.
3-    Continued containment of costs abroad.

The proposed budget for 2012-13, assumes the same enrollment pattern as the current year and does not include changes that may occur in general fund allocation, costs abroad, exchange rate, or fee increases.

Fee Increase

In July, 2011 the Board of Trustees increased the tuition fees for all students in the California State University by 12 percent. We notified students of the possibility once the Trustees agenda was posted and then informed them via e-mail and letter after the vote had taken place.
Once again this year we do not have any plans to increase the amount of the study abroad fee.

Enrollments:

The number of applications for the coming year was strong and certainly IP should be able to maintain stable enrollments for the coming year.

Program Operations –Abroad

Australia:

After reviewing the exchange balances and meeting with our partners in Australia, we have decided to open recruitment for 2013 academic year. Based on the improved intake of exchange applicants from Australia, we will continue to monitor this closely as our applications come in and report back at the spring meeting.

Israel:

During the summer the CSU commissioned a risk assessment of Israel and in particular the three cities where we have had system partners; Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv.  In addition, we are reviewing material from the State Department and other public sources. With the assistance of the Israel Campus Coalition we gathered information from other U.S. universities regarding their policies in regard to student participation in programs in Israel. Among the conditions placed on participants would be:

1-    Attend an orientation prior to departure
2-    Provide advance information about the U.S. State Department Travel Warning
3-    Follow guidelines as established by the host university
4-    Stay in regular contact with university officials
5-    Agree to Conduct themselves in accordance with CSU standards
6-    Not travel to the West Bank or Gaza except through university arranged trips.

The risk report is done and the IP director and the director of the CSU risk management will visit all three sites in a few days. The full report will be submitted to the Chancellor in early December.
The IP director recommended that the Faculty Affairs Committee of the ACIP withdraw the requirement to place a Resident Director on-site in Israel. He suggested that with the assistance of the host university, we can operate a successful program.
   
Ghana:
There is a potentially high qualified RD is in negotiation with the CSU. The IP director will visit the site soon.

New Zealand:
In New Zealand both exchanges remain out of balance even after three years of not sending CSU students for 2013.

Spain:
We continue to have interest in the Learn Spanish program. Budget limitations prevented a visit as planned.

Committee meetings:
Oct. 20, 2011, 1:00-5:00 & Oct. 21, 10:00-11:30

Plenary session
Oct 21, 1:00-2:30

Committee reports:

Academic and Fiscal Affairs

1)    Request for a matrix of county/sub-center with areas of academic disciplines that students may pursue for distribution to all ACIP members at the April 2012 meeting.
2)    AFAC would like to continue to recommend that if changes to the current partnerships are deemed necessary or desirable, that necessary or desirable, that prioritization of changes, either in reductions, additions, or the reopening of sites will follow the same precepts found in the “Guidelines for New Program Development, ACIP AFAC October 20, 2006” so that OIP maintains maximum accessibility (given funding) to the greatest number of students, and to maintain or improve programmatic diversity: culturally, geographically and in the variety of fields of study.

3)    In relation to the reopening of the Israel Program, the AFAC recommends that the above mentioned guidelines be considered, and that the Office of International Programs report back to the ACIP at the Spring 2012 meeting:
a.    The findings of the Security Report
b.    The location or locations deemed most advisable to restart as well as rationales for the particular location/s.
c.    The assessment of the curricular offerings
2-     Making an exception to the Travel Advisory Warnings can be confusing, and therefore AFAC recommends that any request for an exception needs a serious and compelling reason and AFAC requests that such information should be provided to ACIP in a timely manner.
3-    The AFAC recommends in light of the developments of the past 10 years, and in order to provide a more inclusive perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian issue that priority and effort be given to exploring new partnerships such as: Birzeit University, Arab American University in Jenin.
4-    In addition to these requests, the AFAC requests that the previously agreed upon importance of opening a site in the Arabic world be placed on a fast track, and would like to begin preliminary site discussions at the Spring 2012 meeting.
5-    The AFAC also applauds the new requirement passed by ACIP on April 15th 2011, requiring one college level course with a focus on contemporary Middle Eastern Studies (i.e. history, politics, geography, religion, humanities, social sciences), is a minimal requirement. As such it helps to counteract the overwhelming pro-Israeli US media and US international policy that casts Palestinians as the sole aggressors and as the origin of violence within the multi-cultural nation, while it ignores Israeli violence. AFAC would like to recommend that all students going to sensitive areas of the world have a briefing before they go by their home campuses about issues that they might face.
6-    AFAC would like to request that the Office of International Programs continue to explore new agreements in Spain and Japan as stated in the minutes of the AFAC Committee report of Spring 2011.

   


Faculty Affairs Committee:
1-    Encouraging ACIP members to advertise RD opportunities.
2-    FAC reviewed and revised the RD interview questions and amended some of them.
3-    FAC planned for the RD application review meeting on Jan. 27.
4-    FAC discussed the issue of the evaluation of the RD by students, OIP staff and host country program staff and faculty, for purposes of development and program assessment.
5-    ACIP asks that IP coordinators and ACIP members invite RD applicants to participate in the campus IP student application process.
6-    FAC discussed the Wang scholarship review process and criteria.
7-    FAC discussed the need of an RD in Israel in case it re-opens. We trust that the IP office will perform a thorough assessment of the program in terms of safety and security and that IP will keep CSU students’ best interest in mind.

Action items:
1-    In case that the Israel program is re-opened, and in order to offer flexibility in its re-establishment, ACIP recommends to remove the policy that requires the presence of an RD in Israel. (approved)
2-    The FAC requests access to the results of the student post-program questionnaire pertaining to the question about the Resident Director (question #24) including the personal comments section. (approved)

Program Review Committee:
1-    PRC reviewed the PR template, considering criteria for evaluations.
2-    PRC reviewed and is working on a student questionnaire to be administered by OIP.
3-    PRC is working on an IP coordinators survey for China, Chile, Taiwan, Canada to be administered by PRC.
4-    PRC recommends considering enhanced data collection of assessment purposes.

Student Affairs Committee (SAC)
1-SAC moves that requirements for Ghana be changed. SAC suggests that a course with African focus be recommended. SAC also recommends courses which look at non-western societies. (approved with minor amendments)
2-SAC moves that IP (refer to AFAC) investigate the opportunities available for CSU students to study abroad in India. This may include, but not be limited to, establishing links with other universities that already have programs in India. (approved)


Prepared by Manzar Foroohar (ASCSU liaison to ACIP)