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SHSU Regents Approve New Study Abroad Classes
Nov. 18, 2011
SHSU Media Contact: Julia May
HUNTSVILLE—Sam Houston State University students will have many opportunities for cultural enrichment along with their academic experiences in the upcoming year, following the approval of out-of-state and out-of-country course offerings by The Texas State University System Board of Regents on Friday (Nov. 18).
The university’s governing body met on the campus of SHSU for its quarterly meeting.
“In today’s world, multi-cultural understanding is not only valuable, but necessary,” SHSU President Dana Gibson said. “Studying abroad offers a rare opportunity for our students to see, learn and experience new things while earning credits toward graduation.”
All the courses carry three credit hours and will be offered over several weeks at various times from May until August 2012. The classes are in a variety of disciplines within the university’s six colleges and include study in Australia, China, Costa Rica, England, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, Spain and Thailand.
Out-of-state classes will take place in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma and Utah.
To hold down the costs associated with offering the courses, the regents authorized the university to streamline and formalize the study abroad fee.
“The university has always charged students who participate in the study abroad program fees,” Gibson told the regents. “In the past, this charge was established and collected by the academic department offering the course.
“We want to make the costs for participating in a study abroad course economically feasible,” said Gibson. “One way to reduce costs is to seek large group rates. The process of establishing a fee to include transportation, lodging, some meals, and entrance fees would allow students to lock into a reasonable rate. The formalization of the fee will also make it eligible for financial aid.”
In other business, the regents authorized SHSU to amend its food service contract with ARAMARK Education Services of Texas, Inc., to include the operation of a snack bar at Raven Nest golf course. ARAMARK provides food service for all the dining locations on campus; however, the food service contract will be on a “cost plus” basis for the Raven Nest location only.
The regents also gave SHSU the authority to alter its current mission statement to read, “Sam Houston State University provides high quality education, scholarship, and service to qualified students for the benefit of regional, state, national, and international constituencies.” As part of the strategic planning process, school officials felt an update to the statement was needed to better reflect the university’s goals.
The TSUS Board of Regents will hold their next meeting at Texas State University-San Marcos on Feb. 16-17, 2012.
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