PIC Mission

To provide exceptional services and create opportunities that inspire international education, support international students, and facilitate global partnerships, working to model and ensure a vibrant and inclusive campus environment. 

Strategic Plan & Goals Summary

A summary of the Padnos International Center's strategic goals and objectives:  

Strategic Goals and Objectives 

Goal 1: Study Abroad: Provide impactful, accessible, and educational international programs

Goal 2: International Student and Scholar Services: To Support, Serve, and Retain international students and scholars coming to GVSU.

Goal 3: Community Engagement: To foster an inclusive local and global collaborative community.

Goal 4: PIC Climate: Provide Encouraging, Flexible, Effective, and Nurturing Place to Work

The full strategic plan may be found by clicking here: Strategic Plan 2024

 

Policy on Study Abroad Providers

Detailed information on GVSU's open study abroad policy and affiliate study abroad providers. 

Read More about Study Abroad Providers

Forum on Education Abroad

The Forum's 'Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad'. 

Read More about the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad

PIC Scholarships & Grants

Scholarships and grants are available to help students with the costs of a study abroad program. 

Are you interested in donating to a GVSU study abroad scholarship? Please visit https://www.gvsu.edu/pic/give

History of the Padnos International Center

Timeline

1970
Grand Valley State Colleges established the Office of International Studies to centralize responsibility for the development and administration of international exchange activities
sponsored by GVSC. Ezra (“Easy”) Gearhart, Chair of Modern Languages, is hired by new President A. Lubbers to lead Office of International Studies.

1971
First GVSU faculty-led study abroad program, to Klagenfurt, Austria. In subsequent years, programs to Paris, France, and Guadalajara, Mexico, were added. Graduate
Assistants to teach modern languages were regularly funded with Fulbright grants. Gearhart continues to head Office of International Studies, in his role as Dean of the
College of Graduate Studies (OIS is a reporting unit).
 

1974
Office of International Studies given the status of an independent institute: Global Education Institute (GEI). Leadership: R. Michael Haviland. First partnership with University of Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
 

1975
Partnership agreement signed with Cracow University of Economics (Poland).
 

1979
GEI became the Center for International Studies, with the purpose of assisting the colleges to achieve its goal of “graduating students who are responsible members of modern society; knowledgeable of our Western heritage and appreciative of other cultures.” Leadership: R. Michael Haviland. Some key faculty-led programs include a program to Spain (Prof. Antonio Herrera) and to Krakow, Poland (Prof. John Batchelder).
 

1984
Office of International Affairs founded. Leadership: Dorothy Armstrong (half-time position, reporting to Provost Glenn Niemeyer). Regular symposia are held with partner in Yugoslavia: University of Sarajevo.
 

1986
OIA becomes “Office of International Studies.” Housed in ARC; leadership: Alan Walczak (half-time position, reporting to Dean of Academic Resources, Mary Seeger).
 

1994
After Internationalization Task Force recommendation, OIS names first “Dean of International Education:” Louis Olivier (reporting to Provost Glenn Niemeyer).
 

1995
Dean of IE, L. Olivier, resigns in June 1995. Al Walczak, Director of OIA, interim leadership. Faculty exchanges with Albanian institutions are underway (involving Social
Work Professor Irv Berkowitz and others). Grand Valley began a relationship with East China University of Science & Technology in Shanghai. This agreement allowed the exchange of professors between these two universities. The first professor to teach abroad was Steve Matchett who taught a 10-week graduate Chemistry course there in 1998.
 

1996
Brenda Robinson named Dean of International Education (until 2000). Dean of IE is fulltime position, reporting to Provost Glenn Niemeyer.
 

1997
First of two one-year grants from US Information Agency to support undergraduate students from Bosnia at GVSU
 

1999
Office of International Affairs renamed “Barbara H. Padnos International Center.” GVSU hosts Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, Prof. Kwadwo Opoku-Agyemang, from University of Cape Coast, Ghana (for full academic year).
 

2000
Wendy Wenner, Acting Dean of International Education. End of two years of USIA funding for Bosnian students.
 

2001
Second Internationalization Task Force makes its recommendations. George Kieh appointed Dean of International Education. OIA becomes “Division of International Education,” with PIC its major “unit.” First partnership with African University: University of Cape Coast (Ghana).
 

2002
Wendy Wenner appointed as Acting Dean of International Education; Mark Schaub as Asst. Dean of Int’l. Education. First year of three-year US State Dept. grant to support collaboration between GVSU and University of Cape Coast, Ghana. International Student Services (Headed by Coordinator, Kate Stoetzner) moved from Dean of Students office to PIC.
 

2004
Re-organization into College of Interdisciplinary Studies. Schaub named Executive Director of PIC.
 

2005
End of 3-year grant from US Dept. of State (UCC-Ghana). Padnos Int’l. Center moves into the newly built Lake Ontario Hall.
 

2008
Start of 4-year grant project, STAIR: Studies in Trans-Atlantic International Relations. FIPSE-support for dual degrees for GVSU students, going to University of Debrecen (Hungary) and Cracow University of Economics (Poland).
 

2010
Delegations from National Taiwan Normal University, Cracow Univ. of Economics, and Univ. of Cape Coast attend the 50th anniversary celebration for GVSU, participate in August convocation. Rector Roman Niestroj awarded Honorary Degree at December commencement.
 

2011
First university-wide partnership with South American University: Universidad del Bio-Bio (Concepcion, Chile).

 

2012
Global Laker Alumni Chapter launches and hosts the first Global Laker Gala fundraiser.

 

2016
Rededication of the Barbara and Stuart Padnos International Center.

 

2019
Michael Vrooman, GVSU Associate Professor of Spanish, named interim Executive Director of the Barbara and Stuart Padnos International Center.

 

2020
The Barbara and Stuart Padnos International Center is recognized nationally for increasing diversity in study abroad program participants and receives the Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in International Education award by Diversity Abroad.

 

2020
Grand Valley State University cancels study abroad trips due to the coronavirus.

 

2023
Kate Stoetzner named Executive Director of the Barbara and Stuart Padnos International Center.

 

2024
Grand Valley State University welcomes over 600 international students to campus.

Updated, Dec. 2024