January 2004

World Caps Program Gets New Name, Focus, and Director

AU’s popular study abroad World Capitals program has a new name, new focus, and a new director. A longtime staple at AU, the program was identified as an area primed for expansion several years ago by President Ladner in his 15-Point Plan.

Sara Dumont, the new director of AU Abroad, explains that AU’s first step in growing the program involved creating the new Office of International Affairs and hiring Dr. Robert Pastor as its new vice president, both of which happened in 2002.

AU is trying to expand the number of students who study abroad, and we also want to increase the number of international students who come here for a year or a semester, says Dumont. “It’s both sides of the coin.”

“This is an amazing opportunity,” notes Dumont, who comes to AU after six years as director of study abroad at Towson University in Maryland. “American is a university that’s already so international – to hear there’s this major initiative to become more international that clearly has comprehensive support … seemed almost too good to be true.”

Fresh on the job with six weeks under her belt as director, Dumont says alumni who participated in World Caps should be reassured to know there are no immediate plans to do away with any of the old World Caps programs. “Those programs are continuing for now. We may change some sites’ focus at some point, but it’s all being reviewed,” says Dumont. “They’re successful, good programs, and we want to send more students and develop more programs and opportunities.”

The first big initiative entails establishing agreements with several new universities overseas for AU students to enroll, in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. “We’re starting with institutions that are either English-speaking or have a wide range of courses in English. We’re also trying to develop some intensive language programs in the summer, one in Montreal in French; one in Puebla, Mexico for Spanish; and we’re hoping to develop one in China, too,” she explains.

“We’re trying to really reach out to all segments of AU community,” says Dumont, including alumni. “We’re anxious to get the alumni community more involved in international programs.”

Opportunities for alumni involvement are numerous, from developing new scholarships, to providing valuable contact information at universities abroad where AU could build partnerships or students could do internships.

“I know we have alumni around the world who are doing incredible things and we’d love for them to work with some of our students...and talk to students about living and working abroad.”

Dumont invites alumni interested in working with international students to contact her directly at 202-885-4833, or dumont@american.edu.

Back to newsletter