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Global services town halls provide open forum for faculty, staff

Five town hall meetings will be held across campus beginning Wednesday, Feb. 19 to discuss university support for global research, scholarship and teaching.

The Office of Business Practice Improvement (BPI), in collaboration with the Office of International Affairs (OIA), is hosting these events to collect input on how the University can better support faculty, staff and students in their international endeavors.

"This includes assisting OIA with the creation of a program to serve as a source of information, guidance and administrative assistance for those conducting and/or supporting international work," says Chris Rapalje, BPI manager.

"The idea is to develop a resource that can help with global efforts, including focused efforts, such as bringing a guest to the U.S. for a speaking engagement, as well as ventures as complex as setting up a multi-year research project overseas," she adds.

The goal is an enhanced global services function to provide information, guidance, and administrative support for international work.

“We are hosting these open forums to make sure we capture as much feedback as possible from those who will ultimately be supported by this function,” says Bill Dracos, head of BPI.

“We hope these sessions will help identify key needs related to international operations so that we can develop global services that make the most sense for Emory," Dracos notes.

Philip Wainwright, vice provost for international affairs, says, "A separate global strategy development task force consisting of faculty and academic leadership is currently deliberating on future institutional strategies and priorities for Emory's global activity.  

"The town hall meetings are focused specifically on the global services project, but if interests in new locations and programs are expressed to us, we will certainly document that information and forward it as appropriate," says Wainwright, who is also director of the Halle Institute for Global Learning at Emory.

All faculty and staff are invited to give feedback at any of these sessions:

  • Wednesday, Feb. 19, 11 a.m., 100 White Hall
  • Wednesday, Feb. 19, 3 p.m., 575 Gambrell Hall, School of Law
  • Thursday, Feb. 20, noon, 276 Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
  • Tuesday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m., 1055 Claudia Nance Rollins Building
  • Tuesday, Feb. 25, 10:30 a.m., 170A School of Medicine

"We would like anyone who has insights on performing international work at Emory to attend.  Note that by 'international' we mean not only our activity abroad, but work that involves bringing people to Emory from overseas," explains Rapalje.

No RSVP for the town halls is necessary. Contact Chris Rapalje, 404-727-4378 with any questions.


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