The Office of Study Abroad recently added a new feature to its Web site: a database of faculty and staff with international knowledge and skills. The site can be found on the Eastern study abroad Web site by clicking the EIU International link.

The director of the Office of Study Abroad, Wendy Williamson, originally proposed the database in Fall 2006, and assigned the project to a graduate student in the Student Affairs department. The project came together towards the end of Spring 2007. A graduate student with the Center for Academic Technology Support (CATS) designed the site and got it up and running online.

The database has been up for a month and currently profiles have been created for 99 students and faculty.

The database was created as a resource for multicultural and international knowledge and skills for the Eastern community. The Web site lists the names and contact information of faculty and staff members along with their area of expertise, what countries they frequently visit, have lived in, or are familiar with and what languages they speak. Anyone interested in taking advantage of Eastern professors and instructors with knowledge of foreign countries can search the site for their country of interest, foreign languages or specific research topics and areas of study. Faculty and staff are also able to access the site to create a profile listing their department, job title and contact information, along with relevant skills and experience.

OSA director Wendy Williamson is pleased with the way the database has worked so far and expects it to grow as the community becomes more familiar with it.

Williamson said the database was designed to enhance the community and focus of International Education at Eastern.

Faculty, staff and students who are considering participating in the Study Abroad program, are working on research projects, or have a professional interest in foreign languages or cultures now have access to the individuals at EIU with relevant knowledge and skills in these areas.

“It helps connect the international community at EIU,” Williamson said.

The database is available at www.eiu.edu/~edabroad.