Today@Sam Article
Director Named To Office Of International Programs
June 20, 2018
SHSU Media Contact: Emily Binetti
Sam Houston State University has announced Justin Ball as director of the Office of International Programs, effective July 1. Ball joined the office in 2013 and has served in the interim director position since January 2018. He came to Sam Houston State from Navarro College where he was the international student coordinator and academic advisor.
SHSU’s Office of International Programs leads and supports campus initiatives that give students the opportunity to become successful global citizens. The office offers: study abroad, international student and scholar services, international student admissions, English language training, international agreements and globalizing the curriculum.
Ball sees his new role as an opportunity for a new focus on growing study abroad participation and expanding international student recruitment initiatives through local community colleges, where international students finishing their associate’s degrees are looking for transfer prospects.
“In particular, the OIP will center much of its effort on outreach within the Lone Star College and Houston Community College Systems, holding regular information and advising sessions,” Ball said. “Beyond the Houston metro area, OIP hopes to actively recruit international freshmen, transfer and graduate students from East Texas, the Dallas metro area, and Mexico.”
Through international recruitment and study abroad initiatives, the OIP hopes to establish SHSU as a global campus and prepare SHSU students to be culturally competent in an increasingly small world. The office also plans to continue building greater study abroad awareness among SHSU students and faculty.
“We hope to continue to prioritize this effort by holding regular information sessions and study abroad alumni panels, engage in curricular mapping to provide students with sample degree plans featuring study abroad, promote study abroad scholarships and funding, and encourage more SHSU faculty to develop faculty-led study abroad programs,” Ball said.
Going forward, OIP aims to increase the number of SHSU students studying abroad, expanding the program and destinations for students, and making study abroad as affordable as possible for students.
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