(PVAMU) Prairie View A&M University has received the prestigious 2024 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The University is the first HBCU to receive the honor.
NAFSA is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. The organization serves the needs of more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide at more than 4,300 institutions in more than 170 countries.
Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the awards celebrate outstanding commitment and accomplishment in campus internationalization.
The Award for Campus Internationalization recognizes U.S. colleges and universities making significant, well-planned, well-executed, and well-documented progress toward comprehensive internationalization—especially those using innovative and creative approaches.
“Being selected for the Senator Paul Simon Award in the Comprehensive Internationalization category is a high honor,” said Dr. Godlove Fonjweng, executive director of International and Intercultural Programs at PVAMU. “It highlights the University’s total commitment to comprehensive internationalization. As the first HBCU to ever win the award and one of a limited number of institutions to win it nationwide, it feels great to be recognized in such a very public way at the national and international levels.
“This recognition is part of the global footprint we seek to showcase during our ongoing internationalization journey. It is the result of hard, persistent and collaborative work, combined with a significant investment of institutional resources, which was started by our Quality Enhancement Program Committee and sustained by the talented and dedicated staff in our Office of International Programs. I appreciate all our campus stakeholders, including faculty, students and staff in various departments, whose cooperation and support made this possible. Now is the time to sustain and build on this success,” Fonjweng continued.
NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw said, “I am pleased to recognize such a diverse and dynamic group of institutions for integrating international education into their teaching, partnerships, systems, culture and student success models. With minority-serving institutions, large land-grant universities and a community college district counted among this year’s winners, these institutions demonstrate that the principles and practices of internationalization thrive within a variety of structures, geographies and student populations. We commend these colleges and universities for their exemplary work in advancing the intercultural skills of their students, faculty and staff in today’s dynamic landscape.”
Highlights of PVAMU’s work and commitment to internationalization include:
• Investing in faculty-led study abroad programs;
• Pioneering passport access;
• Implementing the Peace Corps Preparatory Certificate program;
• Developing the B-GLOBAL (Broadening Global Learning Opportunities Building Academic Leaders) program; and
• Partnering with international universities to offer subsidized, affordable and faculty-led programs for a wide range of majors and semester-long programs with transfer credits to diverse destinations.
As Houston is home to the third largest concentration of consular offices in the U.S., PVAMU’s Office of International Programs also recently launched the Consular Tour Program, promoting faculty-led student visits to consular offices to enhance students’ understanding of diplomatic staff responsibilities and diverse cultures. The program establishes connections between the University and the broader international community.
“I am elated to congratulate the Office of International Programs on being awarded the prestigious National Association of International Educators Senator Paul Simon Award,” said Dr. Michael L. McFrazier, interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.
“This recognition reflects our commitment to promoting global engagement and providing transformative opportunities for both our students and our community. We are proud to be the first HBCU and one of a select group of higher education institutions in the U.S. to receive this coveted award that recognizes our comprehensive internationalization efforts to prepare students for success in an increasingly interconnected world.”
“This recognition highlights the hard work and dedication of our faculty and International Programs staff,” said Dr. Nathan Mitchell, professor and director of B-GLOBAL. “They are some of the most creative and passionate people I have ever worked with. Every day, they work to broaden the perspectives of our students and create great spaces to learn.”
To learn more about NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Award and the 2024 recipients, visit www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.
