BILL NUMBER: ACR 168 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 136
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
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.