US CONSORTIA NEWS DEPARTMENT — Week of March 08, 2010

Oklahoma State University
in Partnership with University in Oman
The Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University (OSU) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with A’Sharqiyah University (ASU) in Athabia, Oman that will allow OSU to assist ASU in developing curriculum and academic standards for its newly developed College of Commerce and Humanities. The ASU College of Commerce and Humanities will seek to promote community based research that will contribute to economic growth and development of society in Oman. By entering into a MoU, OSU will help ASU achieve these goals. Robert Dooley, Spears School associate dean of graduate programs and research, traveled to Oman in early December to sign the MoU on behalf of OSU.

“We are happy to enter into a partnership with ASU and are looking forward to building a better relationship with the university,” Dooley said. “This is an opportunity for OSU to develop a university partnership in a very important region of the world.”  

The Spears School has a strong record of cooperation from universities around the world. The college has partnerships with universities in Mexico, China and Kenya which range from dual degree programs to exchange programs to programs that help build faculty capacity.

About The Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is a comprehensive university with instructional, research, and outreach missions. OSU is composed of four campuses and extensive off-campus instructional and assistance programs. The combined enrollment for these locations exceeds 28,000 students. The Stillwater campus has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students and a full-time faculty of more than 900. International students are an important part of the OSU student body; seven percent of undergraduate enrollment and 17 percent of graduate enrollment comes from more than 90 foreign countries.

The Spears School of Business is composed of six academic departments with more than 100 tenure and tenure-track educational professionals. The student body is made up of more than 3,900 undergraduate students pursuing 15 degrees with approximately 800 students pursuing six master's degrees. The School also offers PhDs in business administration and in economics. The faculty of the The Spears School of Business is composed of noted scholars, authors, sought-after consultants and practitioners, and caring teachers. Many of the faculty have received outstanding teaching awards and have been recognized for innovative instruction. The faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for their publications and leadership positions in professional academic associations. Since 1958, all academic programs in the Spears School of Business have been accredited by the AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)


US CONSORTIA NEWS DEPARTMENT — Week of March 01, 2010

American Indian Higher Education Consortium
Sign Agreement to Increase Cooperation
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack signed an updated Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to promote increased cooperation between USDA, tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCUs), and American Indian/Alaska Native communities. The MOA reaffirms the partnership between AIHEC and USDA to assist in fulfilling the 2002 Farm Bill's mandate that USDA establish programs ensuring that TCUs and American Indian/Alaska Native communities participate equitably in USDA employment, programs, and activities.

"This MOA is an important step forward in our efforts to expand cooperation and consultation between USDA and tribal colleges," said Vilsack. "The Obama administration is committed to supporting the critical role tribal colleges have played in improving the lives of Native Americans, and to ensuring that they enjoy full access to USDA programs and services."

The parties will focus on strengthening the capacities of AIHEC member institutions and supporting their full integration into USDA programs and services, as well as the Land-Grant System and its programs. The agreement will also promote food and agricultural science careers and professional attainment among students attending AIHEC member institutions; promote employment opportunities within USDA for students attending AIHEC member institutions, and support the development of AIHEC. The first agreement was signed in 1998 and was updated in 2008.

This agreement reflects the commitment of the parties to further USDA's outreach efforts with the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions and the communities served by these institutions. The agreement is being guided by the values outlined in the Obama Administration – transparency, participation and cooperation. The MOA is an extension of President Obama's prior recognition of the importance of Tribal Colleges.

The renewed USDA and AIHEC MOA acknowledges the role of 1994 TCUs to the nation's food security and to tribal self-determination through their cultural and other science based educational programs that function to improve local economies, re-invigorate the use of ancestral foods to address nutritional issues that lead to diabetes and obesity, and to develop energy programs that have the potential to benefit all Americans. In November 2009, senior USDA officials met with tribal leaders and members from across the country to expand cooperation and consultation between the Department of Agriculture and tribal nations.

Participants in the signing ceremony will include Janie Hipp, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Office of Tribal Relations, who serves as the USDA Co-Chair on the USDA and AIHEC Leadership Group; and Carrie Billy, AIHEC President and CEO; presidents from the 1994 Land Grant Institutions across the Nation.