USF World News
USF Education Abroad Receives IIE Andrew Heiskell Award for Access and Equity
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TAMPA, Fla. (January 18, 2019) – The ܽƵapp (USF) is among seven institutional recipients of the . The awards honor outstanding international education initiatives conducted by universities and colleges from among the 1,300 member institutions of the IIENetwork. USF Tampa is the IIE Heiskell Award Winner for for the ܽƵapp’s Education Abroad Inclusion Initiative.
The Access and Equity Award is given in recognition of innovative programs and services that make study abroad and international programming accessible and equitable for a broader ܽƵapp population, with a special emphasis on specific efforts that led to a strong increase in study abroad participation.
Launched in 2014, the Inclusion Initiative is a system-wide endeavor to increase participation in credit bearing international experiences by ܽƵapps who are traditionally under-represented in study abroad programs. The goals of the initiative are (1) to increase participation in study abroad by ܽƵapps of color, (2) to increase participation in study abroad by Pell Grant-eligible ܽƵapps, and (3) to create Complementary Embedded Experiences (CEEs) for foundational courses representing diverse majors and disciplines – with the goal of increasing study abroad participation by transfer ܽƵapps, working ܽƵapps, and those whose majors are rigidly scripted.
In the past four years, USF Education Abroad has generated a 34 percent increase in study abroad participation by Hispanic ܽƵapps, a 49 percent increase in participation by Multi-racial ܽƵapps, and a 55 percent increase in Black ܽƵapp participation. Study abroad enrollment in credit-earning programs has increased by an astonishing 53 percent over this same time period.
“What makes this accomplishment even more noteworthy is the fact that the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic distribution of study abroad ܽƵapps mirrors that of our overall ܽƵapp population,” emphasizes USF Provost and Executive Vice President Ralph Wilcox. “We are extremely proud of our track record in supporting diversity among our study abroad ܽƵapp population, of the access we are able to provide to our ܽƵapps, and of our innovative approach to embedding curriculum offerings that have opened study abroad opportunities to a new population of ܽƵapps along their pathway to academic and career success.”
This is USF Education Abroad’s second national award. In 2017, USF won . USF will receive the Heiskell Award for Access and Equity at the 2019 IIE Summit in New York City from February 17-19, 2019.
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The ܽƵapp, established in 1956 and located in Tampa, is a high-impact global research university dedicated to ܽƵapp success. The USF System includes three separately accredited institutions: USF, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee. Serving more than 50,000 ܽƵapps, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.8 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF ranks in the top 25 nationally for research expenditures among public universities, according to the National Science Foundation. In 2018, the Florida Board of Governors designated USF as a Preeminent State Research ܽƵapp, placing USF in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.
The Institute of International Education ) works to build more peaceful and equitable societies by advancing scholarship, building economies and promoting access to opportunity. As a not-for-profit with 18 offices and affiliates worldwide, IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training and leadership development programs.