Only West Coast University
Honored
SAN FRANCISCO–The University of San Francisco
(USF) is proud to be one of five higher education institutions in the country
chosen to receive the 2010 U.S. Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive
Internationalization.
The award, first presented in 2003, is given
each year by NAFSA: Association of International Educators (formerly National
Association of Foreign Student Advisers), an association of individuals
worldwide advancing international education and exchange and global workforce
development. Through the Senator Paul Simon Award, NAFSA recognizes
universities that demonstrate a conscious effort to integrate international,
intercultural, and global dimensions into their education.
“Being chosen as a recipient for the 2010
Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization is a mark of
distinction, and we are honored.” said Rev. Stephen A. Privett, S.J., USF
president. “Our international focus is seen not only in our curriculum, but
also in the international students we have at USF, and the global service
learning programs we’ve cultivated. It is central to our mission to offer our
students, faculty and staff opportunities to serve others while working for
justice throughout the world.”
For many years, USF has been rated by U.S. News & World Report as one
of the most ethnically diverse universities in
the United States. USF has gained international acclaim, and now has students
from 75 nations studying at USF. The
University sponsors a wide range of programs designed to expose students to
professional work outside the U.S., and to help them apply their classroom
learning to global projects.
“This national accolade is a proof point of our
commitment to providing our students with global experiences inside and outside
of the classroom," said USF Vice Provost Gerardo Marin, noting that USF
was the only university on the West Coast to receive this recognition. Marin,
who has been instrumental in international curriculum development at USF,
continued, “From the faculty we hire, to the international partnerships built,
we are continually improving and increasing the number of programs that
challenge students to become leaders who will think beyond their own
neighborhoods and cultures.”
The award honors the career of the late U.S.
Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, known for serving his nation and state as a
strong voice for international education, using his positions on Senate
committees to advocate for expanded exchange.
The awards will be presented June 4 during the
NAFSA National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, and Fr. Privett will be on
hand to accept the award on behalf of USF. The four other institutions being
honored are Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, Hobart & William
Smith Colleges in New York, Loyola University Maryland, and Northeastern
University in Massachusetts. USF and this year’s other honorees will be
profiled in the fall 2010 NAFSA report Internationalizing
the Campus 2010: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities.
