GAIE Advocacy Subcommittee Members with Governor Deal

12/14/2011
Photographed with Governor Nathan Deal are, from left to right: Brett Reichert, Clayton State; Amanda Marie Roshan-Rawaan, Georgia State; and Rebecca Bacon, Georgia Tech.

The three comprise the Advocacy sub-committee of GAIE and were successful in obtaining a proclamation from the Governor’s office this year, as seen in this photo, honoring International Education Week Nov. 14 – 18, 2011.

International Education Week is a program of the US Department of State that encourages campuses nationwide to plan relevant events to highlight the value, impact and importance of international education. The proclamation is hosted for the public to view at: http://adminservices.clayton.edu/isso/iew-proclamation.pdf

The Advocacy sub-committee also works to educate peers and elected officials on important issues in the field. According to NAFSA Association of International Educators / http://www.nafsa.org/, for example, international students and their dependents spent $20.23 billion in the US economy, of which $429 million was spent in Georgia in 2010/2011. NAFSA members also strive to promote study abroad and exchange programs, which are essential to keeping American university graduates competitive and marketable in an increasingly global economy. To learn more about advocacy, subscribe to NAFSA's "Connecting Our World" efforts.