The Office of International Programs at Saint Augustine’s University is a vital hub for all activities that appeal to a global audience. We work diligently in a variety of forums to advance the educational mission of the institution while providing meaningful, educational content for our student population. Below are the five components of the office.
The mission of the Office of International Programs is to promote the University’s mission to prepare students for leadership roles in a complex, diverse, and rapidly changing world. This will be achieved by fostering a climate in which students participate in various global and leadership activities to acquire the foundational and analytical skills critical to successful navigation of accelerated global change.
WORLD CULTURES
Incorporate a comparative understanding of world cultures into their general knowledge
LANGUAGE
Understand the relationship of power and language, and how language interacts with culture
GLOBAL ISSUES
Locate, analyze, and synthesize information to provide a solution for a global issue
IDEAS & VALUES
Demonstrate an understanding of the ideas and values expressed in at least one world culture
The Office sponsors excursions to local universities to participate in cultural activities as well as integrates programming from the surrounding community into the curriculum where appropriate.
Experiential Education
Students at Saint Augustine’s University have an array of opportunities to demonstrate their global competence by participating in the various international educational programs provided by the university. They include study abroad trips and service-learning excursions that allow students to navigate cultural paradigms, practice language skills and gain new perspectives on how citizens in other societies live, work and expound on their values, beliefs and ideals.
International Student and Scholars Services
The Office of International Programs plays vital role in helping international students adjust to the academic environment at the university. In the fall, we host a welcome reception to integrate them into the greater SAU community as well as leverage their assistance in recruiting former classmates to the university. Finally, we work diligently with the President’s Latino Advisory Committee to facilitate dialog with the Spanish-speaking community.
Academic Initiatives
There are several academic initiatives that are housed in the Office of International Programs. The Leadership Studies Concentration allows students who obtain an additional twelve credit hours the opportunity to customize their degree program to include this additional set of skills and core competencies. In the future, we plan to add a Global Studies component (concentration or minor) to complement our focus on international education and the building of a global community for learning.
