President Matthew J. Wilson
I hope that this e-mail finds you well.
As we prepare to officially welcome the start of the spring 2017 semester, I am excited about working together to advance The University of Akron in various respects, including international education and global engagement. This year is off to a great start in this regard as I am currently in Vietnam signing memorandums of understanding with three Vietnamese universities desiring to collaborate with us in the areas of law as well as economics, business, political science, and others. I look forward to discussing the potential opportunities further. In any event, I wanted to reach out on a broader scale on three counts.
Call for Details about International Programming and Engagement
First, we need to gather information about all active international programs and expertise we have here at UA. It would be advantageous to inventory our international and cross-cultural endeavors for purposes of marketing our current international offerings and for charting a future course. If you are personally engaged in international programming or events, please e-mail a description of your engagement to me at president@uakron.edu. If you could send this information to me by January 27th (Friday), it would be greatly appreciated.
Invitation to Participate — Open Forums on International Programs and Activities
Second, we will hold a couple of open forums this month to broadly discuss international programming and activities. These sessions are optional, and intended for anyone currently engaged or potentially interested in international education. We will brainstorm by sharing our thoughts and ideas on these topics and discussing potential strategies with respect to our international engagement. I am excited about all of us working together expeditiously to expand the horizons of our domestic students, attract more international students, enhance services for international students, and increase our impact in the international realm. I have reserved the following two times slots for these open forums:
January 20th (Friday), Noon-1 p.m. in the Simmons Hall Auditorium
January 25th (Wednesday), Noon-1 p.m. in the Simmons Hall Auditorium
Upcoming interviews
Later this month, we will invite finalists for the position of (1) Vice President of International Education and Global Engagement; and (2) Executive Director of International Recruitment to campus for interviews. These positions will be key components in our plan to enhance UA’s international efforts. More details will be forthcoming so please stay tuned if you are interested.
Thank you again for your continuing efforts on behalf of our students and The University of Akron.
Sincerely,
Matthew J. Wilson