Office of International Programs Records

The Office of International Programs (OIP) at the University of Minnesota was established on August 1, 1963 upon the recommendation of the President O. Meredith Wilson's Ad Hoc Committee on International Programs Development. The Ad Hoc committee was established to represent the University to the Ford Foundation for support of University teaching, research and service on an international level. The Office of International Programs was created to coordinate all existing programs and implement proposed international activities. The first dean of OIP was Will M. Myers. During its first year of operation, the Office of International Programs secured a $1.25 million grant from the International Training and Research Division of the Ford Foundation to support an eight-year program of international development within the University, as well as provide educational assistance to the University of Concepción (Universidad de Concepción) and technical assistance in agricultural education to the Chilean government.

The Office of International Programs reported to the Vice President for Academic Administration and served primarily as an administrative unit of the University, handling all international programs. Its duties were to "stimulate interest in existing programs, to promote new programs and to enlist the resources on the various appropriate groups in order to coordinate international programs, and to encourage financial assistance from non-University resources."

OIP has helped the University reach agreements with foreign universities in countries such as China, Chile, Morocco and Hungary regarding exchanging faculty, students and research materials.

The Office of International Programs is the central, coordinating international office for the University of Minnesota system and focuses on international services to faculty on all campuses, academic exchanges with institutions around the world, and funding information for graduate study and research abroad. OIP includes four distinct offices: the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), the China Center, the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and the Learning Abroad Center (formerly Study Abroad).

CARLA is one of nine National Language Resource Centers. It coordinates several programs of research, training, development, and dissemination of information related to second language teaching, learning, and assessment.

The China Center, established in 1979, builds bridges between the U.S. and Greater China by facilitating educational exchange; fostering an understanding of cultures; serving as a catalyst and resource for promotion of economic, governmental, and civic pursuits; and increasing mutual interest and understanding.

ISSS serves the Twin Cities campus international student body of more than 3,300 students each year, and the international faculty on all four campuses, which numbers more than 1,200 each year. The office also offers educational programs and the Intercultural Training Center.

The Learning Abroad Center is the University's office for international study, work, intern, volunteer, and travel opportunities.