A Message from the Associate Provost for International Programs

This Global Engagement newsletter is our Hope and Relief Edition. Following the US Presidential inauguration, the new administration has taken swift actions that positively impact our work in global affairs and international student immigration. Notably, this has included a repeal of the previous administration’s Muslim Travel Ban on entry to the US. Biden's Day One Executive Orders and actions related to restoring immigration and global affairs include:

• Repealing the Muslim Travel Ban on entry to the US 
• Restoring DACA 
• Halting construction of the US southern border wall 
• Revoking previous deportation priorities 
• Restoring US participation in the Paris climate accord 
• Retracting the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization

As we continue to build partnerships and programs around the world we appreciate this  perspective that recognizes the value of connecting with others. The actions of last week have left me hopeful for a new phase for global initiatives and collaboration. We look forward to continuing to build a more global SCU with you.

Susan Popko
Associate Provost for International Programs

 

Funding for faculty/staff global initiatives available. Are you interested in collaborating with a class at one of our international university partners or engaging an artist, musician or speaker with our campus? Global Engagement provides funding to support projects or initiatives that promote global diversity or that bring international or intercultural events to campus. Faculty and staff from all departments are encouraged to apply. See Global Initiatives for more information and to apply.

Register Here for our Winter Quarter Global Community Hour on Ethical Photography Abroad. Join us Thursday, February 11, 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. PT. Panelists Takeshi Moro, Associate Professor of Art and Art History, Charles Mansour, Director of Immersions for the Ignatian Center, and Maggie Menendez ‘22, this year’s Global Engagement Photo Contest winner, will share their experiences determining when and how to take that photograph and respectful engagement with communities around the world. 

The Study Abroad for 2021-22 launched with almost 400 applicants for programs during Summer, Fall, or Spring 2021-22, including domestic off-campus study and virtual programs. This represents approximately 31% of the junior class. 59 faculty and staff representing 39 departments across campus are serving as application reviewers. Notification letters will be sent to students by February 5, 2021. We continue to monitor programs abroad amidst the coronavirus pandemic and plan to adjust, as needed, to support global experiences.

Our new Shanghai Start Program for SCU international undergraduates in China has launched for the Winter/Spring Semester 2021. Twenty-three students are taking courses as an SCU cohort through East China Normal University (ECNU) at ECNU’s Baoshan Academic Center including courses ranging from Business Ethics and Leadership to Introduction to Environmental Studies to Globalization & Urbanization.  These students will join us on campus in-person in Fall 2021.

Over 20 new undergraduate and graduate international students from 14 countries joined us on-campus for the first time for Winter Quarter/Spring Semester. The countries these students call home include: Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, El Salvador, France, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, and South Korea. These students join the over 1,250 international students that Santa Clara University supports.

To help international students with important planning for Spring Quarter, we have consolidated important information regarding immigration, enrollment requirements, travel and more here: Immigration Considerations Related to Coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Would your department like to host a visiting international scholar next year?   Proposals to host a scholar for the Fall term are due May 1, 2021. You can learn more about the benefits of hosting an international visiting faculty member or researcher in your department here or contact us at scholars@scu.edu 

Global partnerships recently renewed or signed include the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research in Hyderabad, India, the Xavier Institute of Engineering in Mumbai, India, and the University of St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland. International partnerships promote collaboration through a range of student, faculty, and staff activities. Learn more about global partnerships here. 

More Resources

• Undergraduates - Consider adding an International Studies Minor to your degree
• See this helpful resource on Teaching Across Time Zones for online teaching and learning
• Connect with an SCU international partnership or explore new partnership opportunities
• Stay up to date on international travel for SCU during COVID-19
• The highly politicized landscape of immigration policy changes rapidly. Stay up to date on Immigration Policy affecting SCU

Find us on social media - ISS and Study Abroad now have Instagram and Facebook! Follow us @scu.iss & @scustudyabroad

Marketing and Identity Abroad in Spain

Jacqui Ibarra Garcia’s ('21) semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain offered her the opportunity to apply her Marketing Major skills to create a mock campaign for Lululemon for a plus-sized line of clothing which she named LULU+. She also conducted market research for a local catering startup to help them develop their business while working alongside students from the Universitat de Barcelona. In addition to her academic experiences, Jacqui had a unique opportunity to understand more about her Latina identity abroad and learned the importance of acknowledging the privileges of a white-passing Latina within a Spanish cultural lens.

After returning from her semester abroad, Jacqui decided to apply her new-found skills in market research to a summer internship with eBay as well as a new minor in Business Analytics. Jacqui currently serves as a Study Abroad Peer Advisor in Global Engagement helping students consider opportunities abroad that align with their academic and personal goals and she shares her experiences to promote discussion around identity abroad. 

Recognizing Mexico's Constitution Day

February 1, 2021

Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1810 and independence was accepted by Spain in 1821. But it was the Mexican Revolution, consisting of a series of internal struggles from 1910 to 1920 that led to the drafting of the modern Constitution of Mexico (Constitución Política de Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos) celebrated each year on the first Monday of February. Constitution Day is a public holiday in Mexico where businesses are closed and parades are held throughout the country. As one of the most important festivals in the country, this is also a time when many Mexicans celebrate with friends and family and enjoy the festivities with traditional food, live music, and dancing.

The Mexican Constitution of 1917 was the first document in the world to set out social rights such as employment, housing, and health care as well as the same basic rights as the U.S. Constitution – freedom of speech, religion, petition, legal rights.

Is there an international holiday you would like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter? Fill out this form and let us know why it is important to you and how you will be celebrating it this year. We will profile one holiday each month and give primary consideration to international holidays from countries that have not already been highlighted.