For more information, call ASU’s Office of Public Relations and Publications at 706-737-1444.

Dr. Richard Sutton, assistant vice chancellor for international programs, noted that, “Studying abroad has a major impact on student learning, academic achievement, and career success. The USG is committed to making these opportunities accessible and affordable for every Georgia student.”

Contributing to the USG numbers is the increase in the number of Augusta State University (ASU) students who participate in study abroad. ASU’s study abroad programs have seen an increase of about 20 percent in the past few years.

“It’s really important to realize how far ASU has come in such a short time. ASU has grown from three study abroad programs in three departments to 17 programs in almost every academic department,” says Dr. Holly Carter, ASU’s assistant vice president for international affairs.

One of the first programs developed by Augusta State was the Salamanca, Spain, study abroad program headed by Dr. Jana Sandarg, foreign languages professor in ASU’s Department of English and Foreign Languages. She and a group of students traveled to Mexico in 1982 in ASU’s first study abroad experience. The Salamanca program, which currently serves the entire USG, was given to ASU in 1992 and has been under Dr. Sandarg’s direction since then.

“I have students from all over the state. It is good for them to get to know students from other Georgia universities. This program helps make students more accepting of others outside of Augusta and it inspires them. I think this is a definite plus for our students,” says Dr. Sandarg.

Study abroad is currently being offered in 75 percent of the departments at ASU. To make it more affordable and convenient to ASU students, the sweat equity program was developed. The program allows students to earn their way abroad by selling concession items at sporting events. The money received from the concessions is applied to the individual student’s study abroad fund. ASU students also participate in fundraising events which include drawings and silent auctions.

“About 60 percent of our students participate in sweat equity or some form of fundraising. Some students are able to pay for their trip at one time; but the reality for most of our students is that they participate in some of the fundraising programs,” says Dr. Carter.

One such ASU student, Mr. James Mayes, a business major, has participated in three study abroad trips which have been partially funded by the Sweat Equity program. Through study abroad, Mr. Mayes has had the opportunity to dine with the governor of Florida at the embassy in Paris.

“It is through the sweat equity program that I have been able to afford to participate in study abroad. My field of interest is international business, so the opportunities that study abroad has presented will assist me in reaching my goals,” says Mr. Mayes.

“This high level of student participation in study abroad reflects the importance of the regents’ Strategic Plan in preparing Georgia students for the global economy of the 21st century,” says Richard Tucker, chair of the Board of Regents.

During the 2007-08 academic year, a total of 6,076 students from the System’s 35 colleges and universities studied outside the United States, as compared to the 1,850 students who studied abroad during 1997-98.

“I am delighted that our students are exploring the global classroom in such record-setting numbers,” says Chancellor Erroll B. Davis, Jr. “Not simply traveling, but living and learning in other countries will give them tremendous skills and advantages in meeting the challenges of a complex world.”

For more information on International Education Week, go to http://iew.state.gov/. The Institute for International Education’s Open Doors 2008 report, released today, is available at http://www.opendoors.iienetwork.org/.

# # #

On Thursday, Nov. 13, at 3:30 p.m. in 170 University Hall, Ms. Favorite will present a lecture which will be followed by an opening reception for the exhibition at 5 p.m. in the New Space Gallery.

Malaika Favorite is the wife of Mr. Anthony Kellman, professor in the Department of Communications and Professional Writing at Augusta State University.  Her work has been shown in the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit and included in The Spirit of Martin, The Living Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a traveling show sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

David R. Harmon, a professor in the Department of Art and Design at Sterling College , has had his art displayed in such galleries as South Bend Regional Museum of Art in Indiana and the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute in New York.  His motto, Draw what you see, not what you think you see, has inspired him to become a published author.

For more information, contact the Department of Art at 706-667-4888.

###

Children most at risk for lead poisoning are now being identified through the use of a new tool—Geographic Information System (GIS). To create awareness, community leaders will discuss the importance of GIS in our communities on GIS Day. GIS Day, a grassroots, international day of education is held annually in November during Geography Awareness Week.

In recognition of GIS Day, Mr. Forrest Staley, program director of Georgia Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs, and Dr. Anil T Mangla, epidemiologist for the Georgia Department of Human Resources, will be the guest speakers on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at noon in the Jaguar Student Activities Center ballroom at Augusta State University. Mr. Staley and Dr. Mangla are best known for their use of GIS to track children at risk for lead poisoning.

For more information, contact the Department of Political Science at 706-737-1710.

Dr. Karen Wish, a professor in ASU’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Science and a retired Army officer, will be the featured speaker.

Dr. Wish entered the United States Army in 1979 and received several awards including the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal.

She is a member of the American and Georgia Dietetic Associations and served as president of the Augusta District Dietetic Association. She has co-written articles that have been published in such publications as the TAFCS Research Journal, Nutrition Journal, and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

For more information, contact ASU’s Department of Military Science at 706-737-1644.

###

Note:  Augusta State University is located on the site of a former U.S. Army Arsenal, 1826-1955. The four original buildings are connected by a wall, and the Quadrangle is the name given to the enclosed area.  The cemetery is located on Arsenal Avenue, just off of Walton Way.

The keynote address, The Lived Experience of Temporary Status in Academia, will be presented by Dr. Michael Katovich, a sociology professor at Texas Christian University.  Dr. Raymond Whiting, a political science professor at ASU, will be the moderator and will share his commentary on The State of Tenure in Academia, the University System of Georgia, and ASU.

“An institution’s view of tenure defines its faculty and their ability to feel that they are part of the institution,” says Dr. Whiting. “Anything that threatens the predominant role of tenure runs the risk of disengaging faculty within the institution.”

Dr. Mark Fissell, AAUP@ASU program coordinator, will continue the discussion on tenure with a panel presentation on Friday, Nov. 21, in 170 University Hall. For more information, contact ASU’s Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work at 706-737-1735.

This event is free and the public is invited.  For more information, contact ASU’s Office of Student Activities at 706-737-1610.

For more information on this free program, call ASU’s Department of Chemistry and Physics at 706-737-1541.

Augusta, Ga. - For the third consecutive season, Augusta State’s Adam Ward has been named the Peach Belt Conference’s Coach-Of-The-Year by his fellow peers. Ward was recognized with the honor at the conclusion of the PBC Women’s Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 25 in Milledgeville, Ga.

Ward led ASU to a second-place showing in the PBC Championships and their fifth top-two finish of the season. The Jaguars are currently ranked No. 2 in the Southeast Region rankings and are awaiting an at-large bid to the NCAA Southeast Regional, slated for Saturday, Nov. 8 in Wingate, N.C.

ASU began the season with a second-place effort in the pre-conference meet in Milledgeville and continued their fine form all season, collecting three victories in the process. Senior Jenafer Forward recorded four top-three finishes and was named an all-conference performer for the fourth straight season. Junior Sophie Baconnet also earned first-team honors after placing seventh in the PBC Championships.

Fellow junior Kara Kreutzer and freshman Savannah Sutton earned second-team All-PBC honors, with Sutton being named the league’s Freshman-Of-The-Year as well.

To help in this effort, Augusta State University’s Department of English and Foreign Languages is offering a new course titled Medical Spanish for Beginners.  The course will teach the fundamentals of listening, speaking, reading, and writing Spanish with an emphasis on medical vocabulary.

Classes will begin in the spring and will be held every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30-6:45 p.m.  Non-ASU students are required to enroll in the university by completing the application process. The enrollment deadline is Monday, Dec. 1.

For more information, contact ASU’s Department of English and Foreign Language at 706-737-1500.