The past twelve months have been busy and up-beat at the Institute for American Universities (IAU) in Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, France. More than 425 students attended our semester and summer programs coming from colleges and universities across the US. Each student selected courses to fit his or her desires and academic needs, whether for credits in the major, general education, studio art, or electives; whether in French or in English. Weekend excursions took students around Provence: to the Nice Carnival, the Luberon mountains, the Verdon Canyon, Les Baux, Arles, and archeological sites in the area. Individual courses traveled further a-field: to Venice, Giverny (Monet's home), Paris, and Geneva.
While part of the study abroad experience is the joy of discovering a new culture and country for oneself, IAU also organizes activities for those students who choose to participate. Many in the past year opted for a wine tasting course, the language partners program that pairs them with French university students, volunteer work in local schools, or internships; while others attended plays, concerts, picnics, hikes, and Thanksgiving dinner.
Big news, of course, was the arrival just over one year ago of Dr. Paul Schwartz as dean of academic affairs and director of the Aix Center. Previously dean at SUNY-Fredonia, Dr Schwartz has a long career as both academic administrator and professor of French. While an undergraduate at Harvard, he spent his junior year in France and, after obtaining his PhD in French from Yale, directed the Sweet Briar Program in Paris. When our new dean addresses students about what they might take away from their time in Provence, he speaks from the heart.
In Aix-en-Provence, for both the Aix Center and the Marchutz School of Art students, completely new orientation, course registration, and French placement processes are now in place. Placement exams are sent electronically and scored expeditiously so students can discuss their language course choices with their home campus advisors or French department. Course selections are confirmed for all students before arrival or at the very latest by the end of orientation day although, naturally, some changes occur during the week-long drop-add period. Information on course scheduling is now available on the IAU web site. New software generates class lists and keeps track of grades while revised evaluation forms provide more useful insight into how we can continue to improve education.
At IAU's Centre d'Avignon, for students who have the language competency to study arts and sciences courses in French, an agreement facilitates enrollment in courses for credit at l'Université d'Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse. In May-June, by special arrangement, US universities can have the Centre offer intensive, individually tailored programs.
The past year saw the last class attend of one of the Institute's two studio art programs (the Center for Art and Culture-CAC-co-sponsored with the Maryland Institute College of Art). CAC provided semi-private studios to advanced conceptual artists who wanted to combine a critique-based program with study abroad. The final show of student work attracted wide public interest and even a number of buyers.
However even without CAC, IAU continues to be a vibrant intellectual and artistic community. Students, professors, staff members, and alumni apply themselves assiduously to their scholarly and artistic work. To give just a few examples of this creativity:
* at each semester's end the students at the Marchutz School of Art prepare an exhibition open to the greater Aix community
* several shows in IAU's historic Chapel building, done in partnership with a local Aix art gallery, prefigure a year-long series planned for 2008
* yet another art book was published by an Institute-affiliated scholar (Medieval Art: A Commentary, by Professor Constantin Christofides, University of Washington Press)
* alumna and director of administration Grace Anderson had a solo art show of her paintings at the Galerie Susini
* Professor Ken Tisa joined forces with ceramicist Vincent Buffile in a show at CAC that featured their collaborations of the previous several years and marked the finale of the CAC gallery.
To recognize the academic and artistic successes of IAU students, three new awards will be given every May. The first, to commemorate the many years of service by former dean Anne Jourlait (the Anne Jourlait Prize) will be for a student who demonstrates outstanding work in translation. The second, the Prix Alfred Simon, funded by a donation from Paul Schwartz to honor a mentor and former professor, is designated for a student excelling in theatre. The third, an art purchase prize, will enable IAU to build its own collection by annually buying a work from a student at the Marchutz School.
I am pleased to report that, despite the weakness of the US dollar, the Institute continues to be financially stable. Careful fiscal management and renegotiated contracts have significantly reduced administrative overhead enabling us to reallocate funds to our educational programs. To enhance the student experience we are investing in new courses, registration databases and advising, upgraded computer equipment, and digital library resources. A new payment plan, sponsored by Sallie Mae (the US's largest provider of educational loans) now gives IAU students an additional way to pay their tuition and fees. The introduction by the French government of "Campus France" certainly complicated the visa process, however we have worked both with the French Embassy in Washington and with student applicants to facilitate passage through this additional layer of bureaucracy.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Institute's founding and so we have organized a celebration and alumni reunion for June 5-8, 2008. In that half-century, over 17,000 students have attended one of the IAU programs and had their lives forever changed by the experience. We expect to welcome nearly one hundred alumni and guests for 3 ½ days of receptions, gala dinners, special classes, conversation, and visits with friends old and new. An art and wine trip up through Burgundy will also be enjoyed by some of the registrants.
With all this activity, the Institute for American Universities is an institution on the move. The mood is positive as the staff and professors look toward the future while also rejoicing in past accomplishments. We welcome you to explore our web site and learn more about the Aix Center, the Marchutz School of Art, and the Centre d'Avignon. As you think of students who would profit from and contribute to our programs, send them our way.
My IAU colleagues join me in wishing you personally a healthy and rewarding year.
Andrea Leskes
President
Institute for American Universities
April 4, 2008, Aix-en-Provence