November 6, 2009

Invitation

Meeting at George Mason University

Dear International Education Colleagues,

Our Commonwealth and its universities and colleges today face unprecedented challenges for international education and, indeed, for education in general. The Virginia Council for International Education, Inc. (VaCIE) is meeting on Friday, November 6, at George Mason University to discuss how the organization can facilitate statewide initiatives to maintain and support international education opportunities in Virginia. You are invited to join us as a guest for lunch and as an important contributor to this conversation.

Before Virginia's recent , most drastic budget crisis, VaCIE members had proposed a VaCIE-supported web presence for members' study abroad programs. We now have a part-time intern working on this initiative with Jane Wemhoener at Virginia Tech, and we will be contacting you this semester for information on your programs (open to other students) and your offices (names and numbers have been changing!).

The current crises on our campuses, however, require greater collaboration and planning than this single initiative. We need to reconsider VaCIE's role as advocate for international education and decide how best to use a statewide organization to promote international education. Sharing our expertise, for example, in the areas of financial aid, credit transfer, program collaboration, etc., may let us build on our strengths and ensure the health of international education on our campuses. Certainly many other topics will surface in discussion that can help us as we plan for a future of increasing financial and academic complexity.

Our invitation is extended to VaCIE member and non-member institutions, and to VaCIE representatives as well as their colleagues who play active roles in international education on our campuses. Please R.S.V.P. by Friday, October 23rd, if you will join us for lunch, so we many plan sufficiently. We will meet from noon until 3:30 at GMU on November 6th and will forward details on the meeting room and parking availability when you reply.

Best wishes,

Yehuda Lukacs, President, VaCIE,
George Mason University Associate Provost for International Programs, and Director, Center for Global Education

and

Jane Wemhoener, Executive Director, VaCIE