Two major positions in the Study Abroad program, Director for International Education and Resident Director in Oxford, are now open.
Dr. Kevin Kehl was the director of the Center for International Education at ACU for nearly 15 years, but in July, Dr. Kehl and his wife, Dr. Susan Kehl, moved to Searcy, Arkansas to begin teaching at Harding University. Their absence leaves a large hole to be filled.
“Any time you lose someone of that quality, it has an impact on the organization,” said Stephen Shewmaker, current interim director for the CIE. “But he assembled a good team over the years, and so we will carry on in fulfilling the mission of both the Center for International Education and ACU.”
Shewmaker also described Kehl as a respected leader and very experienced international educator. Shewmaker had been associate director before being asked by Dr. Greg Straughn, professor and interim provost at the time, to take on the role of interim director for the program. The permanent director will be named by the current provost, Dr. Robert Rhodes.
Ron and Janine Morgan will be returning home from their position as resident directors in Oxford, with Jacqueline Morrison filling the position. Morrison graduated from ACU in 2003 with a BA in History and Spanish. She then went on to acquire an MA in History from Oxford Brookes University in 2005.
Several students traveling abroad this semester were not aware that the director for the CIE had changed recently, indicating that the transition had gone smoothly.
“Even though they switched directors, I feel like everyone in the program knows what they’re doing,” said Christen Herod, a sophomore kinesiology major from Perry, Oklahoma.
“Despite all of the little hiccups, they’ve done a really good job of trying to make sure that we have information,” added Ashley Anderson, a sophomore speech pathology major from Cedar Hill.
“There won’t be any major changes,” said Shewmaker, commenting on the Study Abroad program. “We all have much to learn in our new roles, but I am confident that the CIE will continue to effectively serve both international students and students who study abroad.”
Students participating in Study Abroad this semester left Wednesday morning for Oxford, Montevideo, and Leipzig.
