Over the past three years, the Office of International Affairs has fostered extraordinary growth, diversification, and improvement in the academic rigor of study abroad opportunities for both American University and international students. Our success in advancing our global aspirations has now brought AU to a new stage in our academic development. 

Following extensive consultation and discussion with the provost, the vice-presidents and deans, I have decided on an administrative re-structuring and to transfer AU Abroad and Abroad at AU from the Office of International Affairs to the Office of the Provost. OIA will retain an advisory role with these programs as they continue to be a centerpiece of AU’s overall internationalization strategy.

Working with the Provost’s Council, AU Abroad/Abroad at AU will focus on the task of integrating the on-campus AU curriculum with experiences students have abroad. Similarly, we hope to engage faculty more in a wide variety of international activities.  And we will continue to assess our progress in meeting the educational objectives of these programs. We have accomplished a great deal in the last few years, and we are looking forward to still greater progress in the years ahead.  

The formal transfer of supervisory authority occurred on August 8, 2006.