For Immediate Release

Washington, March 13, 2018 – NAFSA is pleased to announce eight exemplary U.S. universities and colleges as recipients of the 2018 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the NAFSA Simon Awards recognize outstanding innovation and accomplishment in campus internationalization. The award is separated into two categories to reflect the broad array of approaches used to effectively internationalize campuses.

The “Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization” distinguishes excellence in integrating international education throughout all facets of university and college campuses. The 2018 Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization schools are:

  • Babson College – Wellesley, Massachusetts
  • St. Lawrence University – Canton, New York
  • Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, New York
  • Texas Tech University – Lubbock, Texas
  • University of Florida – Gainesville, Florida

The “Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award” recognizes a specific international program or initiative that contributes to internationalization on campus. The 2018 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award schools are:

  • Baldwin Wallace University – Berea, Ohio
    BW in Zambia program
  • Harper College – Palatine, Illinois
    Global Region of Focus Initiative
  • University of Georgia – Athens, Georgia
    UGA-Minas Gerais partnership

“As future leaders of our nation, it is vital that our students have the tools and experiences necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected global community,” emphasized Esther D. Brimmer, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO. “These eight institutions stand as excellent examples of how U.S. universities and colleges can effectively provide opportunities for cross-cultural competency using a varied set of methods. There is no one-size-fits all when it comes to internationalization. With institutions like these continuing to strive to incorporate creatively global perspectives onto their campuses, I am confident we can prepare our students to succeed and ultimately strengthen ties around the world.”

A strong advocate for international education and cross-cultural learning, the late Senator Paul Simon is also the namesake of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act. The Simon bill aims to incentivize U.S. institutions to make study abroad an integral part of higher education by creating a modest program of challenge grants. The bipartisan legislation was introduced in the Senate (S. 601) and in the House (H.R. 4379) last year.

Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's report, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be published this fall, and honored at an event in Washington, D.C., during International Education Week in November. To learn more about NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Awards, visit www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.

Sample Tweet: Congratulations to the 2018 NAFSA #SimonAward winners. Thank you for your great work internationalizing U.S. campuses and strengthening global ties. @Babson @StLawrenceU @StonyBrookU @TexasTech @UF @BaldwinWallace @HarperCollege @universityofga. More at www.nafsa.org/SimonAward

About NAFSA: With more than 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education. Visit us at www.nafsa.org/press