To strengthen UD's traditional leadership in international and study abroad programs and to better meet the educational challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, a restructuring of existing programs and innovative new programs and initiatives have been put into place.

Bobby Gempesaw's title has been changed to vice provost of academic and international programs to better reflect his responsibilities for providing overall leadership for international programs at UD.

In addition, the Center for International Studies (CFIS) has been elevated to a University-wide center. Lesa Griffiths, associate professor and former associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has been appointed faculty director of CFIS, with responsibility for study-abroad programs, international projects, international exchanges and coordination of international instructional activities at UD. This is a half-time administrative assignment, and she will continue to teach.

As part of the restructuring, the English Language Institute (ELI) is no longer a part of CFIS but is now an academic unit in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy.

A new, innovative, two-year program at UD on "America and the Global Community" has received a $200,000 grant from the Unidel Foundation, which will provide funding for three areas of the program:

• a University forum of lectures and workshops by recognized scholars on international issues to be organized by a faculty committee, chaired by Ralph Begleiter, Rosenberg Professor of Communication;
  
  
• invitations to visiting scholars to teach introductory courses in international studies on campus; and
  
  
• support for undergraduate research in international studies.

Both the visiting scholars and student research programs will be coordinated by Griffiths and William Frawley, professor of linguistics and director of the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

In another initiative, the Office of the Provost has established $200,000 in International Research Awards for the next four years for faculty to promote international scholarship and research.

In cooperation with Mark Huddleston, acting dean of the College of Arts and Science, the provost's office will evaluate international area studies, such as those dealing with East Asia and Africa, and explore opportunities for increasing the number of undergraduates from other countries.

Acting Provost Dan Rich also has appointed a Faculty Advisory Council for CFIS with representatives from each of UD's seven colleges. Members, in addition to Griffiths and Begleiter, are David Black, associate professor of economics; Pam Beeman, associate dean of health and nursing sciences; Fred DeMicco, Aramark Chair of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management; Eric Kaler, dean of engineering; George Parsons, associate professor of marine studies; David Pong, professor of history; and Richard Zipser, chairperson of foreign languages and literatures. *

--Sue Moncure