International Education Week to be celebrated on campus

Every year, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education, schools around the world celebrate International Education Week (IEW). During IEW, students are encouraged to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange, and to seek out these opportunities in their own studies. This year?s theme ? International Education: Fostering Global Responsibility and Leadership ? calls on students to become active participants in our increasingly globalized society.

Student clubs and organizations, as well as other offices throughout campus, have partnered with Off-Campus Study and Exchanges (OCSE) each year to create a week-long series of events. This year?s events include a fair trade sale, study abroad fair, international food festival, and a presentation by Dr. Patricia O?Neill on the topic ?Where Globalization and Localization Meet: Spike Lee?s Films.? The full schedule of events is listed on the OCSE website.

According to the ?Open Doors? annual report, published Nov. 12, 2007 by the Institute of International Education, Skidmore is 14th in the U.S. in the list of ?Top 40 Baccalaureate Institutions (Carnegie Type) by Total Number of Students Studying Abroad.? Increasingly, study abroad is becoming part of the Skidmore tradition. Almost 59 percent of the class of 2007 studied abroad prior to graduating. All students are encouraged to consider off-campus study and to make an appointment to see someone in OCSE to begin the process.