Associate Vice President Welcome
WELCOME TO OGA!
Welcome and thank you for visiting the web pages of the Office of Global Affairs. OGA assists The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to globalize by identifying, creating, and supporting international initiatives while opening a range of opportunities for the faculty, students, the community, and senior leadership. OGA provides vision, logistics, funding, and other support to help UTRGV realize its global strategic priorities.
As a global university, UTRGV is home to a rich and diverse community of students and scholars. We have international students from over 80 countries, and Mexico is our next door neighbor. Our students regularly study abroad in dozens of countries. Our faculty come from around the world and conduct international research that promotes knowledge, learning, and the common good. And, we are a bilingual university, offering our students the choice of taking classes either in English or Spanish. UTRGV is global.
WHAT WE DO
As part of our mission, we:
- Create study abroad and international exchange experiences for all of our students;
- Recruit, advise, and manage visas for our international students (F-1, J-1, H, and more);
- Provide world-class language education courses, particularly in ESL;
- Oversee strategic partnerships and institutional affiliations throughout the world;
- Actively recruit and support international scholars to engage in joint research projects;
- Author and provide support for global workshops and conferences;
- Provide hands-on experience to international students through curricular internships and professional development;
- Offer strong support systems and services to our international student population (counseling, immigration & academic advisement, student health services, intercampus transportation, student residence, student rights and responsibilities, tutoring and much more);
- Enrich the campus and community through an array of cultural events and speakers; and
- Provide funding and other support for research, travel, and publications.
To achieve all of the above, OGA houses and supports International Admissions and Student Services, International Partnerships and Programs, and the Language Institute.
Please explore our web site and see what we can do to help you become more global. I invite you to contact any of OGA’s professional and expert staff with your questions or inquiries. Everyone here looks forward to meeting you.
Go Vaqueros! Go Global!
Dennis Hart, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President
Office of Global Affairs