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On December the 3rd about 40 Monterey Institute community members were given a chance to inform themselves more thoroughly and discuss about the ongoing conflict in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The two-hour event hosted by the MIIS Conflict Resolution Association featured in addition to speakers from our own university also a foreign guest- Mr. Andrey I. Belousov from the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in San Francisco.

He was supported by Mr. Alexander Melikishvili from James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Professor Gordon M. Hahn. Speakers introduced their viewpoints about the conflict and discussed the possibilities of its peaceful resolution.

For further information please contact:

Andreas Sepp
MA Candidate Spring 2010
MIIS International Policy Studies, Conflict Resolution
831-2246-798
andreas.sepp@miis.edu

The Monterey Institute is collaborating with Middlebury College colleagues to give web sites on both campuses a makeover.  You can read about the Middlebury project on their web makeover blog.  We hope to leverage Middlebury’s expertise to help us make innovative and cost-effective decisions about design, information architecture and delivery.

We’ve also assembled a team of volunteers to guide the planning process on our end. You can follow our progress here.  As a first step, we’re reaching out to everyone on campus for input. Help us build a site that reflects our commitment to excellence, innovation, and appreciation!

You can start by taking our brief survey.

In December and January, we’ll conduct a series of focus groups to further explore what we learn from the survey. To volunteer for a focus group, contact Lynn McDonald.

Great coverage of International Education Day at MIIS on KION news last night. Thanks to all who made this event such a success!

Patricia Szasz of the Institute’s Intensive English Programs, Karen Hamilton, a current MA TESOL student, and Lisa Donohoe of the Center for Non-Proliferation Studies (left to right in photo) visited Baku, Azerbaijan this past week. The purpose of their trip was to perform a curriculum needs assessment for the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. ADA currently runs the Advanced Foreign Service Program (AFSP) to train in-service diplomats in the areas of international law, politics and organizations, economic affairs, and public diplomacy. Kenley Butler from CNS was a guest lecturer for AFSP in May 2008. The curriculum team met with ADA administrators as well as current students to determine their English language training requirements. With diplomatic posts expected to triple in the coming years, the Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to ramp up their human resource capacity quickly.

ADA will also be launching a master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Affairs in the Fall of 2009. ADA hopes to attract international students from neighboring Georgia, Russia, and Turkey as well as students from Azerbaijan, and the medium of instruction will be English.  MIIS will be designing both a pre-academic summer intensive English program as well as specialized language courses in support of the master’s program.

The collaboration between the Monterey Institute seems like a natural fit, as the MA program will include specializations in International Security & Conflict Resolution, Energy & the Environment, International Business & Finance, and Caspian Basin Studies. Both institutions look forward to continued cooperation between Monterey and Baku.

The  Monterey Institute Ambassador MAP Peer Mentor program is now recruiting peer mentors for the Fall 2009 semester!

Mentor applications are available at http://www.miis.edu/saffairs_map_mentor.html.  Prospective peer mentors should apply no later than December 1st.

Here is more information about the MAP Peer Mentor Program:

Who we are: Current students (who have been at MIIS one semester or more) mentoring new incoming and first year students.

What we do: Establish peer mentoring relationships to support new student transition and encourage professional networking, information sharing, friendships and community. Read more about us on our blog and website.

Contact Information: Gail Lu, Coordinator of Student Services, at gail.lu@miis.edu or 831.647.3586.
During the month of November there will also be information sessions for prospective MAP Peer Mentors wishing to learn more about the program. Here are more details:

MAP Peer Mentor Program Information Sessions

Dates: Thursday, November 13th and Tuesday, November 25th.
Time: 1-2 pm
Location: B105

Interested faculty and staff are also welcome to attend the information sessions and are encouraged to contact Gail Lu, Coordinator of Student Services, for more information about the MAP Peer Mentor Program.

Addressing faculty and staff at the fourth Town Meeting of the semester on October 28, President Clara Yu reported on Board actions regarding administrative reorganization and delivered several pieces of good news for employees that came out of the recent Board of Trustees meeting:

Faculty and staff salary increases will be implemented on January 1.  These increases will be awarded based on the performance evaluation process administered for the staff during the spring and summer, and for faculty during the early fall, and will range from 4% to 6%.

The Institute’s matching contribution to employee retirement accounts will increase from 1% to 2% on January 1.  This means that for eligible employees who set aside 2% of their salary for retirement, the Institute will contribute 2%, in addition to the 5% contribution the Institute makes for employees who have been at the Institute for a year or more.

In addition to holiday time off between Christmas and the New Year, the Board voted to extend the break through Friday, January 2.  This means that the holiday break will begin at noon on December 24, and the Institute will reopen on Monday, January 5.

There are still a few places left in “Engaging Change,” a staff development workshop series planned for November and December.  If you are interested in learning new skills that will help you to navigate the currents of organizational change, join your colleagues for this four-session series sponsored by Human Resources, and led by Dr. Paul Porter.

Only one place is left in the morning series (9-12). There are four openings for the afternoon series (1:30-4:30). Dates are November 4 and 11, December 2 and 15, and registrants should plan to attend all four sessions. Please register here.

On October 9, a group of faculty and administrators participated in a conference call with Jerry Trapnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Accreditation Officer of AACSB.  This call was arranged by President Clara Yu to discuss the changes underway at the Institute and to identify the reporting requirements for AACSB’s accreditation process. This action was prompted by concerns expressed by students, alumni, and others about the impact of the impending structural reorganization on the AACSB accreditation of the Institute’s MBA program. Trapnell outlined the substantive change process that we need to follow in the coming months,  and reassured us that there were no inherent obstacles to continuing accreditation, but rather an overriding focus on program quality. Trapnell indicated that, while our reorganization appears to be a rational approach to the allocation of resources, AACSB will need to know the details and be reassured that MIIS can deliver on its promise of not only protecting but strengthening the quality of the business program. This call was the latest in a series of several conversations with Mr. Trapnell that began before the reorganization plan was anounced, and work is already underway on a substantive change report that will outline our plans for ensuring continuing program strength.

You can download a complete report on the call here.