Letters to the Editor

University clarifies reasoning behind elimination of Paris Noir

The university is disappointed the SU Abroad Paris Noir program did not have sufficient enrollment for this summer’s trip. We worked very hard to promote and attract students to this one-of-a-kind summer offering and hosted additional information sessions to increase awareness of the program. We even extended the application deadline considerably in an effort to allow time for new applications. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the extended application window did not yield any additional applicants.

All summer programs set enrollment goals that must be met in order for the summer experience to be realized. At times, summer programs have to be canceled due to low enrollment. This year, five programs will not meet their enrollment objectives; Paris Noir is one of them. It’s important to note that we fully intend to offer Paris Noir again in the summer of 2016 and beyond.

The enrollment requirement for Paris Noir is 17 students. This year, we had 10 applicants, three of whom paid their deposits, one of whom is an SU student. Upon realizing we would be unable to offer Paris Noir this summer, we immediately notified the faculty program director. This is the same protocol we follow for all of our summer programs.

On Thursday, March 19, we informed our students that Paris Noir had been canceled for this year. In our outreach, we offered to help each student identify alternative summer programs including options in Madrid and London. We plan to work with each student to ensure they have access to a rewarding and educational summer experience.

Margaret Himley
Associate provost, international education and engagement



Karin Ruhlandt
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences





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