Viva España - Learn More About This Summer's Spanish Languge & Culture Program in Toledo, Spain

Northern Illinois University's Spanish Language and Culture Study Abroad Program in Toledo, Spain just wrapped up its summer 2011 session. This program, led by Nicholas Henriksen, a Foreign Languages & Literatures faculty member at NIU, gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture of Spain for 5 weeks. Participants earn academic credit in intermediate and advanced classes in Spanish language during the weekdays, and attend cultural and historical activities at night as well as during the weekends. Students on this program have the opportunity to explore Toledo, Spain, arguably the most important city in Medieval Spain. It is a place of rich cultural fusion, which makes it an captivating destination for students studying abroad. Aside from the language and culture, students enjoy the chance to meet other students from around the globe at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.



Toledo, Spain



To get an inside look at what life was like this summer on the NIU Spanish Language and Culture program, check out http://niuintoledo.blogspot.com/. You can see pictures and read first-hand descriptions from students who participated in the 2011 program. You can even follow a link on the blog to connect with students from this trip. ¡Qué bueno!

Summer 2011 Participants on the Spanish Language and Culture
in Toledo, Spain Study Abroad Program

Chair Strauss Stresses That All Are Global Ambassadors

At the March 24, 2011 Board of Trustees meeting, Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees Chair Marc Strauss shared an experience that showed NIU is truly an international institution and that that all those connected with NIU are global ambassadors.  As per his statement below, taken from the March 24, 2011, Minutes of the Board of Trustees, no matter where one is, if he or she is wearing or carrying the NIU logo, the NIU brand is represented.  NIU's international presence is growing, and we all need to be good ambassadors for our institution. 

"Last weekend, I had an experience I want to share with you this morning, Chair Strauss said.  On my back back from a trip overseas, I changed planes in Frankfurt, Germany.  I was wearing an NIU polo shirt with a Huskie on it, and I was recognized by a group of NIU students who spent their spring break in Poland and were returning to NIU.  They saw my NIU shirt and quickly identified that I had a relationship with the university, but did not have a clue who I was.  Later, while waiting in the immigration line on that same trip, I was asked twice about NIU - once by the gentleman standing between me and reentry to the country, who asked whether I was a football coach.  So here was someone else who recognized an NIU affiliation.  These exchanges, albeit brief, proved to be a reminder of our NIU brand, not only to our region, but to the world over.  Our brand is much more than a logo or a tagline.  It is NIU - our students, our alums, our faculty, our staff and our community.  We are truly all ambassadors for the institution, and it was brought home vividly to me over the last weekend."