Dear Editor,
I am disappointed with the distasteful headlines that ran in your Sept. 11 edition of The Eagle. All three major national papers ran headlines of remembrance to the victims and the families of those affected by Sept. 11. The Eagle, on the other hand, found it more important to cover campus controversy by running the headline "Sept. 11 event disliked," a petty issue that had been remedied by our Student Confederation in advance. Readers had to flip three pages to find what events and services our campus provided. Hopefully your staff will think twice next time you sensationalize drama on a day of remembrance.
Anthony E. Valdez is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and is a General Assembly member.
Dear Editor,
Thank you for your interest in AU Abroad. As you know, American University believes that a central part of every student's experience should be to learn about the world, and a transforming way to do that is by studying abroad.
To pursue the goal of expanding and improving the study abroad programs, AU President Benjamin Ladner asked me to lead a University-wide Project Team composed of deans, faculty, and staff. We consulted with many students, and the report, approved by the President, is posted on the Web. The Provost and Deans met this summer to discuss the report. They concluded that the Semester at Sea program where students travel the world in a cruise ship, stopping briefly at different ports, did not meet the high educational standards set by the report and was not consistent with the new emphasis on living in a foreign country. They recommended that we should not give academic credit for the program.
On Thursday, I met with students who enrolled in the Semester at Sea program for the spring semester, and I have received many thoughtful messages from others who have participated in the program. I told them that we were gratified by their strong desire to study abroad, but we had reservations about this program. Since several students had already enrolled, they would receive academic credit for this semester. Other students who want to travel on the Semester at Sea cruise in the future would be permitted, but they would not receive academic credit from AU.
We welcome the advice and views of all AU students as we work to expand the number of places and programs that AU students can study abroad. Our goal is to expand the program in a number of ways. We want to partner with great universities around the world and develop exciting approaches to integrate students more extensively and effectively in their host country environment. Our staff will work to keep The Eagle staff and the campus community informed of our progress, especially by making information available on the Web site. You can go to www.worldcapitals.american.edu or to the Office of International Affairs, www.american.edu/internationalaffairs/st-udyabroad.html
Thank you for continuing to care about studying abroad and encouraging students to take advantage of the dozens of programs AU offers.
Robert A. Pastor is vice president of International Affairs.
