Columbia, SC– November 13, 2018 – The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and the Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) hosted the fourth annual Presidential Leadership Workshop in Barcelona, Spain. The executive level workshop was designed for university presidents from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) looking to expand study abroad opportunities for their students. Project Passport is a partnership between CIEE and CMSI and was created to increase access to study abroad opportunities for MSI students. Project Passport is designed to facilitate meaningful exchanges about the importance of international education at all levels of MSIs, including presidents, faculty, and students.
“Expanding opportunities for our amazing students to participate in meaningful study abroad opportunities is a priority for this administration” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College. The Presidential Leadership Workshop deepened my understanding of how to break down barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture to expand study abroad opportunities for our students and faculty.”
The following MSI presidents participated in this year’s workshop:
- Michael Amiridis, University of Illinois – Chicago
- Roslyn Clark Artis, Benedict College
- Rudolph Crew, CUNY Medgar Evers College
- Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, Central State University
- Ann McElaney-Johnson, Mount St. Mary’s University Los Angeles
- Patricia McGuire, Trinity Washington College
- Anthony E. Munroe, Essex County College
- Eduardo J. Padron, Miami Dade College
- David Thomas, Morehouse College
- Beverly Wade Hogan, Tougaloo College
“We are so proud that these institutional leaders who are dedicated to expanding international education on their campus and are leading by example and engaging in dialogue about the significance of immersive and intentional programming for MSI students,” said Marybeth Gasman, the Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor of Education and the Director of the Center for Minority Serving Institutions. Among other topics, the workshop taught the presidents techniques for improving campus access to international education and integrating international education into their institutional strategic plans. Presidents also heard from alumni of the highly-selective Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship program that is also part of the partnership between CMSI and CIEE. Carmen Crusoe and Juan Duran, two of ten 2018 Frederick Douglass Fellows, shared what they learned while participating in a four-week intercultural leadership program held in Cape Town, South Africa this summer.
