LSUS awarded $42,600 for international studies education 09/09/03

LSUS faculty members have received new grants totaling more than $42,600 from the Louisiana Board of Regents to enhance and expand international studies education.

Professors Megan Conway (French), Lynn Walford (Spanish), Lorraine Krajewski (business communications) and Jeff Sadow (political science) teamed to secure new grant funding to establish two new “SMART” classrooms for foreign language and international studies training and to develop new academic offerings in Comparative Culture.

“Our two new grant projects are aligned with the goals and objectives of Louisiana’s Strategic Plan for higher education, which calls for a curriculum that helps students gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for other traditions, customs and world views,” Conway said. “Understanding diverse and changing cultures can provide a strategic advantage to college graduates entering the work force in today’s global economy.”

One new grant will enable the LSUS International Studies Program to add a new upper-division course highlighting different cultures on a rotating basis, beginning with the European Union and continuing with Africa, Asia and South America. The other new grant will enhance LSUS facilities for foreign language and international studies training by establishing two “SMART” classrooms, each containing state-of-the-art multimedia instructional systems that provide students with an improved academic experience via the latest in advanced technology. The new equipment will benefit about 900 students a year, helping them become better prepared to compete in an increasingly interdependent world.

The interdisciplinary LSUS International Studies Program is a joint offering of the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Business Administration. Currently, 15 faculty members participate in the program from the disciplines of foreign languages, economics, business communications, political science, geography, history, literature, music and management/marketing. The International Studies Program offers undergraduate courses in culture, history, literature, languages, economics, diplomatic relations, communication and business practices related to various countries or areas.

Last year, faculty involved in the International Studies Program initiated an International Topics Discussion Group open to all interested faculty. LSUS also has a very active International Club with more than 30 student members. Club members participate in high-profile campus activities such as Fall Fest and Spring Fling. They also host an annual International Food Festival featuring food from different cultures, host a variety of guest speakers and are working to participate in the Model U.N. Program. With the growth of the International Studies Program, LSUS will continue to expand its role in Louisiana’s cultural and economic development.

Virginia Simons Lincove, LSUS associate vice chancellor for sponsored research, said the LSUS International Studies faculty team has secured competitive grants totaling more than $253,000 in the past five years to support interdisciplinary curriculum development and advanced technology infrastructure for student training.