Statement on International Education
Approved by the UT Board of Trustees at its Meeting in October 1975
The University of Tennessee, as the State’s comprehensive university system, has a primary role in serving the cause of international understanding. The world is ever more interdependent, and nationalistic isolationism is impossible. Therefore, the University must strive to provide some opportunity for its students to become personally, intellectually, and professionally familiar with the people and ideas of other lands. Such interaction will surely create a better understanding of the place of comparative cultures, and stimulate mutually beneficial communication between nations. The University of Tennessee’s past and continuing participation in international education interchange is a concrete demonstration of this ambition.
Clearly, the very designation of a university bespeaks the universality of its life and aims. The scope of learning has neither national nor cultural boundaries. The theories we test and the ideas we examine come from all over the world and from all periods of the world’s history. The University of Tennessee believes that the goals of international education may best be achieved through two major channels.
The first is that of foreign study for students and faculty. The University believes that both organized and independent study abroad are valuable. Students may study overseas for academic credit, or they may hold internships abroad; faculty members may pursue scholarly and professional study in foreign countries. Many benefits from such study are of a personal nature, while others result in scientific, economic, and artistic improvements for our whole society.
Second, on-campus internationalization occurs through the presence of students and faculty from other countries who add to the breadth and qualify of our lives while they are here. Their curricular and extracurricular activities bring fresh ideas and perceptions to our campuses. The presence of foreign scholars reinforces our old conviction that intellectual, economic, and social progress know no national boundaries.
Contact
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success
817 Andy Holt Tower
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville Tennessee 37996 865-974-2241
