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Colgate has long known that its international programs are among the best – and now the university’s efforts are being recognized on the national level.

Colgate has been awarded the second annual Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, given by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Other winners of the award are Colby College, Howard Community College, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Kansas.

All of the awardees will be featured in the NAFSA report “Internationalizing the Campus 2005: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities,” to be published this fall.

“Colgate has a deep dedication to off-campus study and international programs,” said Colgate President Rebecca Chopp. “A Colgate graduate is distinguished by his or her ability to communicate, lead, and collaborate in global communities. We offer a wide range of opportunities for our students gain international experience while at Colgate.”

Year after year, Colgate ranks among the top baccalaureate institutions in terms of percentage of students who study off campus with nearly 70 percent of students participating in off-campus study programs.

Colgate offers 25 faculty-led, semester-long programs and 22 short-term programs.

Colgate launched its first study abroad program in 1954 with a program in Argentina, sponsored by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Colgate now offers programs in places such as Dijon, China, London, India, and Geneva.

“When more than half of the students in a class bring an international perspective to bear on the subject at hand, one can truly say that a liberal arts education is enhanced by students’ international, intercultural perspective,” said Ken Lewandoski, director of Colgate’s international programs.

Lewandoski adds that there is a ripple effect back on campus because of the way in which Colgate runs its programs.

“Since our faculty lead these programs, they are enriching their own research and cultural experiences, which carries back to the classroom when they return to campus” he said.

In addition to the off-campus programs, Colgate has brought an international feel to the campus as it has stepped efforts to recruit more international students, leading to a nearly 50 percent increase in the international student population over the last five years.

This is particularly significant considering that foreign enrollment on college campuses nationally has dropped for the first time in more than 30 years.

The NAFSA award is named for the late Sen. Paul Simon (D - Ill.), who identified international education as an issue of crucial importance for the future strength and security of the United States.

NAFSA receives support for this project from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.