Archived Information

Reauthorizaiton of the Higher Education Act

International Education Programs Proposals

The Department funds a variety of international education programs to help meet the nation’s need for expertise in foreign languages, area studies and international studies, and for a more internationally literate citizenry.

• Nine programs are currently funded under the HEA and provide a coordinated approach to strengthening international education: National Resource Centers, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships, Language Resource Centers, International Research and Studies, Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Languages, Centers for International Business Education, Business and International Education, American Overseas Research Centers, and the Institute for International Public Policy.

• These programs have helped to create high quality graduate and undergraduate international programs; encouraged outreach to the pre-collegiate level; and helped the business community meet the demands of an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

• Both the Department and the community agree that these programs are working well and should be continued with only minor changes.

We are proposing the following minor changes to the legislation to eliminate unfunded programs, to strengthen outreach to K-12, to encourage greater use of technology, and to include a new section on evaluation.

• Eliminate Sec. 605 Intensive Summer Language Institutes and Sec. 607 Foreign Periodicals Program. Sec.607 has not been funded since 1993 and Sec.605 has never been funded. Our recommendation to eliminate these two sections is consistent with the Department’s policy to eliminate unfunded programs.

• Eliminate Sec. 632 Preservation of Pre-1992 Programs. The elimination of this trigger provision gives the Department greater flexibility to support programs that best meet the changing needs in international education. Furthermore, Sec. 632 refers specifically to the 1992 amendments to HEA and is outdated.

• Eliminate Sec. 604(b) Programs of Demonstrated Excellence. This subsection of Sec. 604 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs has never been funded. We are proposing to eliminate it and incorporate key provisions of this program in subsection (a).

• Revise Sec. 603 Language Resource Centers for the following purposes:

  • To strengthen their role as resources to improve foreign language teaching and learning in K-12;

  • To focus each Center on a specific world area and carry out activities in collaboration with foreign language educators and professional associations;

  • To make dissemination an essential component of each Center activity;

  • To encourage utilization of the advances in educational technology; and

  • To authorize domestic and overseas intensive summer language programs.

• Add a new section on evaluation. Consistent with the increasing emphasis on performance measures and program results, we are proposing to add a new section on evaluation of the domestic and overseas international education programs. We will not recommend funding to conduct evaluation until the amount available for each program is more than the amount available for fiscal year 1998.

Last updated: April 4, 2002 by [pss]

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