Bill Text: CA ACR168 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Enrolled
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: University of California Education Abroad Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-09-18 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 136, Statutes of 2012. [ACR168 Detail]
Download: California-2011-ACR168-Enrolled.html
Bill Title: University of California Education Abroad Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-09-18 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 136, Statutes of 2012. [ACR168 Detail]
Download: California-2011-ACR168-Enrolled.html
BILL NUMBER: ACR 168 ENROLLED BILL TEXT ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 29, 2012 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 22, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member John A. Pérez AUGUST 14, 2012 Relative to the University of California. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 168, John A. Pérez. University of California Education Abroad Program. This measure would express congratulations and appreciation to the University of California Education Abroad Program on its 50th Anniversary, for its historic and continued success in providing study abroad opportunities to Californians, and for advancing internationalization on University of California campuses and in the state. WHEREAS, The University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) was established by the Regents of the University of California (UC) at UC Santa Barbara in 1962 to serve the international education needs of undergraduate students, and in its first year 80 UC students studied at the University of Bordeaux, France; and WHEREAS, The UCEAP equips students with the knowledge, understanding, and skills to succeed in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world and supports the UC's mission through academic instruction and exchange relationships with select institutions around the globe; and WHEREAS, In 1963, the UCEAP implemented a successful student exchange model, and serves to further internationalize UC campuses and their communities by hosting undergraduate and graduate students from top-ranked partner institutions at the UC's 10 campuses; and WHEREAS, The UCEAP now has over 100,000 alumni, having successfully sent abroad 81,500 UC students from all 10 UC campuses, and hosted almost 25,000 reciprocity students at UC campuses since 1962. The UCEAP now operates in 38 countries and partners with over 120 top-ranked institutions worldwide. The UC is a national leader for study abroad programs with five UC campuses ranked among the top 20 doctorate institutions for long-term study abroad programs, as reported by the Institute of International Education; and WHEREAS, Many UCEAP alumni are making significant contributions in the international and national arena. Some of the UCEAP's prominent alumni include: Ambassador Barbara Bodine (United States Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen from 1997 to 2001, inclusive, Dean of Professional Studies at the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute, and recipient of UC Santa Barbara's Distinguished Alumni award in 1991); Assembly Member and Assembly Majority Floor Leader Marco Antonio Firebaugh (deceased March 21, 2006); Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (Governor of Michigan from 2003 to 2011, inclusive, significant participant in the Obama administration transition team, and Michigan's Attorney General from 1999 to 2002, inclusive); Carol Greider (professor at the Institute of Basic Biomedical Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine since 1997, appointed the Daniel Nathans Professor and Director of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and named the Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine in 2009); Ambassador Marc Grossman (United States Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2011 to the present, Vice Chairman of the Cohen Group from 2005 to 2011, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2001 to 2005, inclusive, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs from 1997 to 2000, inclusive, and United States Ambassador to Turkey from 1994 to 1997, inclusive); and Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan (NASA Astronaut, received the Aviation Week & Space Technology Aerospace Legend Award in 2005, inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2004, received the Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and received four Presidential nominations under different administrations in 1985, 1992, 2000, and 2004); and WHEREAS, The UCEAP continues to be an innovative, diverse, and distinguished academic program. The UCEAP's vision to provide study abroad for all, academic excellence, and best business practices is accomplished by offering affordable access to top-quality academic programming, in collaboration with high-quality institutions and partners, and diverse program and course offerings in traditional and nontraditional locations; and WHEREAS, Affordable access for all students to the UCEAP is achieved in part by the program's comprehensive contributions to the UC Financial Aid program and by a new $1.5 million dollar scholarship initiative for program participants, among whom very nearly 40 percent are federal Pell Grant recipients, and among whom nearly two-thirds are other financial aid recipients; and WHEREAS, The primary charge of the UCEAP is to provide students with an international academic program. The UCEAP also prepares students for academic and professional work in a global economy through internships, laboratory research, independent research projects, and community service opportunities; and WHEREAS, By providing programs that are semester or year in length, the UCEAP promotes language acquisition and supports UC, state, and national goals of creating students with foreign language expertise and cultural competency; and WHEREAS, In the 2011-12 academic year, UC students received nearly $1 million dollars, or 10 percent, of all awards distributed nationally from the United States Department of State through the Gilman Scholarship Program, and 90 of those students were UCEAP students. For comparison, in the 2010-11 academic year, UC students received 44 percent of those awards granted to Californians. The Gilman Scholarship Program is designed for federal Pell Grant recipients and encourages the study of critical languages and participation in long-term duration programs. UCEAP student success in this highly competitive award program is a testament to the quality of the UC education system, the UCEAP, and its students; and WHEREAS, The UCEAP works with the 10 UC campuses to provide the highest level of support, orientation, and academic advice to all students, including students who do not historically study abroad, such as low-income and first generation students, or students in majors that traditionally do not study abroad, such as science, technology, engineering, and math; and WHEREAS, The UCEAP is committed to providing the highest levels of health, safety, and security support for its students, faculty, and staff. The UCEAP maintains critical local and international partnerships with UCEAP partner institutions, United States governmental agencies, UC risk managers, and UC travel and security assistance providers to add value to UCEAP's emergency response and risk assessment through collaborative approaches. A 24/7 UCEAP emergency response team is at the core of this dedication to safety and security. The UCEAP is recognized as a national leader in this critical area and works tirelessly to continue to train, develop, and produce expertise to serve UC students abroad; and WHEREAS, The UCEAP collaborates with international education professionals within the UC and from the California State University and the California Community Colleges to advance the international education mission of the state by innovating and cooperating on opportunities and challenges that are common to all persons; and WHEREAS, The UCEAP continues its commitment to UC students to meet their needs in a changing global academic and economic environment. The UCEAP continues to create new and innovative international partnerships and academic opportunities for students that are vital to the success of the individual and the state in our global economy. Through study abroad, the UCEAP enriches the public education of Californians by preparing them for lives and careers in a rapidly changing world and helps Californians gain necessary skills needed for success in the global marketplace; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby expresses its congratulations and appreciation to the University of California Education Abroad Program on its 50th Anniversary, for its historic and continued success in providing study abroad opportunities to Californians, and for advancing internationalization on University of California campuses and in the state; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the University of California, to the chancellor of each campus of the University of California, and to the author for appropriate distribution.