This month, the Office of International Studies and Programs starts its relocation from the third floor of Fell Hall to its new home on the second floor of Fell Hall.
“This is part of a larger initiative to bring International Studies under one roof,” said Luis Canales, director of the Office of International Studies and Programs. “The University is focused on increasing the number and diversity of international students on campus as well as the number of Illinois State students we send abroad. This move will help equip our office with the space and resources to achieve our international strategic goals.”
Over the course of the next year, International Studies will be expanding into the north and south wings of Fell Hall’s second floor. Various renovations will be made to add additional classroom and lab space to the facility for the English Language Institute, which will also be moving its offices from its current space in the Hudelson building.
“I’m thrilled with the centralized location of Illinois State’s international offices. I believe it will benefit us greatly as we move forward in our internationalization efforts,” said Rita Bailey, assistant provost for Honors and International Studies. “Additionally, having the international offices together at last will strengthen our efforts at maximizing internal and external communications and contribute to the development of increased procedural efficiencies.”
Work on this project should be completed in the spring of 2016. When finished, the new space will contain 21 staff offices, 11 classrooms, two computer labs, and resource libraries for Study Abroad and the English Language Institute. There will also be mixed-use space available for various international programs and initiatives.
The International Studies main office is temporarily located in the northeast corner of Fell, in room 214. This is part of the space that was previously occupied by the Financial Aid office. Students looking to meet with a study abroad advisor or immigration specialist should check-in with the front desk staff in this area before proceeding to their appointment.
