Don't Panic!
Students have been panicking this week after checking our new Summer programs website and not seeing Spanish language programs, programs in Asia, or the programs that they expected to see...
Do not panic! We are currently in the process of updating our website, so not everything is up just yet. The OIE website is actually run from another office on campus called VCU Creative Services. Those wonderful folks have been working like crazy to put up all of our changes. Very soon you'll see over 20 programs including all of those destinations you've been wondering about.
Meanwhile, you can come into the office and pick up one (or more) of the lovely brochures that we've been working crazy to put out for you all. These trifold brochures give you all the info you'll need on each program. We can also email them to you if you request it (e-mail me at
As we approach the end-of-the-semester, we are all grappling with exams, papers, and presentations, but tonight our ISEP exchange students will get a break! Jasmine is taking the group out to dinner to celebrate before a couple of them leave for the holidays. Bon appétit!
The Pre-Departure orientation is taking place next week for the folks who are studying abroad in the spring. For those of you who are required to come, please don't forget that it is on Monday, December 11th in the Forum Room of the Commons (1st floor) from 3-4:30. Be there or be uninformed!
I would also like to introduce everyone at VCU to our newest staff member in the Education Abroad office, Miss. Elizabeth Sharrett. Elizabeth joined us in early October after spending the last year on a BUNAC visa working for the Registrar's office at the School of Pharmacy, University of London. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William and Mary, where she participated in both summer and semester study abroad programs in Italy and the UK. She has experience traveling in North Africa and extensively throughout Europe. If you have the chance, ask her about her time in Morocco...
Another item on our agenda for the next few months is the Fudan American Studies Summer Program. For those students out there with an interest in Chinese-American relations, or international studies, this is the chance of a lifetime: VCU hosts a group of students from Fudan University every summer (for the last two summers, so this is a fairly new project) for a month-long American studies program. The students live here on campus and attend weekly lectures given by VCU professors in a variety of fields. This year the students will take political science, history, mass communications, and jazz to mention a few. We also take the students on field trips. Some trips are day trips like Colonial Williamsburg, Charlottesville and Monticello, but we also take a few overnight trips such as VA Beach, NYC and DC. VCU students who are available in the summer and willing to work very hard can apply to be interns for this program. The interns travel with us on all field trips and attend some of the lectures with the students. Also, the interns have the opportunity to plan evening events for the students such as movie night, family night, ice cream socials, and shopping nights to Short Pump. And as an intern, you can earn CREDIT! What's not to love about that? Let us know ASAP if you are interested and we can get you the application and set up an interview. Xie xie (thank you)!