NAFSA’s 14th annual report, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, reflects the tremendous growth in support for campus internationalization from campuses across the country since the creation of the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. The selection committee receives an increasingly competitive number of applications each year from colleges and universities of all types from across the United States.

Each year, the selection committee seeks institutions where internationalization has been broadly infused into all facets of the campus. The 2016 selection committee was particularly focused on identifying institutions and programs with the following characteristics:

• The campus has been widely internationalized across schools, divisions, departments, and disciplines.
• There is evidence of genuine administrative or board-level support for internationalization.
• The campuswide internationalization has had demonstrable impact for students.
• The institution’s mission or planning documents contain an explicit or implicit statement regarding internationalization or global learning.
• The institution’s commitment to internationalization is reflected in the curriculum.
• The campuswide internationalization has had demonstrable results within the faculty.
• There is an international dimension in off-campus programs, outreach, and partnerships.
• There is internationalization in research and/or faculty exchange.
• The institution supports education abroad as well as its international faculty, scholars, and students.

NAFSA received many outstanding nominations from a diverse group of distinguished institutions. Each of the four institutions chosen by the selection committee—the College of William & Mary, New York Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and The University of Tampa—is profiled in this report. Three other institutions received the Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award and are featured for their outstanding accomplishments in specific areas of internationalization: East Carolina University, Texas Tech University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

NAFSA will present the award to the presidents of these institutions at a special ceremony on November 15, 2016, in Washington, D.C., as part of this year’s International Education Week (IEW) events. The presidents will also participate in a panel discussion prior to the awards ceremony to share their insights and perspectives on their institutions’ successes in internationalization.

The Simon Award celebrates the legacy of the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, who was a life-long advocate for international education and exchange, recognizing institutions and programs that promote international understanding and a more just and peaceful world at the student level. NAFSA continues to support the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act, which would create a program to incentivize institutional change to make study abroad an integral part of higher education. For more details, visit www.nafsa.org/simon.

We hope that international educators will share this report with their institution’s top leadership and across all levels of their campus community to celebrate the value of well-planned, well-executed international education efforts, and to broaden the reach of best practices in internationalization, especially those using innovative or creative approaches. Legislatures and government agencies may also find Internationalizing the Campus to be a helpful tool in framing discussions about international education and exchange.

NAFSA congratulates each institution recognized in the 2016 Internationalizing the Campus report for its outstanding work. These institutions truly recognize the importance of international understanding in the world today and of building a globally competent workforce in the increasingly globalized economy.