Letter from Head of International Programs
It has been an incredible year, as the multi-faceted international energy of PUC has touched every academic and geographic area of the campus. Enrolling international students, sending domestic students abroad, developing research and teaching programs that cross borders, and inviting curriculum innovations that open eyes to the world can only be accomplished with true collaboration and cooperation. We are very fortunate to work in such an environment here.
The primary intention of this newsletter was to acknowledge “all things international” at PUC, but it quickly became clear that to do so would require a book-length work. I do hope, however, that it demonstrates just how much effort has been invested in international education across the campus, and that the effort is truly appreciated.
As I have met with representatives from International Programs offices around the country throughout the year, primarily to discuss internationalization strategies, I came to appreciate just how supportive our senior leadership has been. There are far too many faculty and staff who are find themselves working to convince their presidents and chancellors that connecting to the world is important. At PUC, Chancellor Cohen has supported the development of international relationships from the time he arrived. I’d like to say he is continuing to lead the way, but he probably prefers to play a supporting role in seeing all of us lead the way.
For more than a century, the Calumet Region has been home to an internationally diverse population and to major industries tightly tied to the global economy. Development was purposefully planned on the south shore of Lake Michigan because of access to raw materials and to global markets. It drew newcomers from around the world responding to labor demands. PUC plays an increasingly important role in creating a different future by taking research and education here to the next level, and it promises to put the Region on the map in ways not yet imagined. The next generation will take us there, and it is important for students to know they can count on us to help them develop global competencies and international friendships to prepare them.
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DR. KATHLEEN A. TOBIN
HEAD, INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
