Office of International Programs announces new leader and focus


LAWRENCE — The Office of International Programs has a new leader and an enhanced focus.

Effective immediately, Charles Bankart is the new associate vice provost of international programs at the University of Kansas. Bankart has been serving in an interim capacity since the retirement of his predecessor, Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco, in January.

The Office of International Programs oversees international student recruitment, enrollment and student services, KU Study Abroad and the Applied English Center. The office also assists faculty and staff with a number of international research and educational activities.

“Charlie brings a unique vision and tremendous energy and knowledge to the position,” said Stuart Day, senior vice provost for academic affairs. “He’s the perfect person to build on the work of Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco. He is a passionate administrator who has already shepherded many efforts that positively affect the international community here at KU. I know he will continue to do so in the years to come.”

Day anticipates International Programs will be central in internationalizing the KU campus through additional exchanges and a special focus on bolstering research.

“As we work to solidify our position as a premier international research institution, Charlie will focus on faculty-led, collaborative research partnerships that have the ability to transform Kansas and the world,” Day said.

International Programs will continue to propel its high-profile programs, including KU Study Abroad.

“Over 25 percent of our domestic students participate in study abroad,” Day said. “KU ranks among the top public universities in the nation in terms of participation. And there is research to show that students who study abroad stay in school and persist to graduation. KU also welcomes students and scholars from over 100 countries.”

About Charles Bankart

In addition to his associate vice provost role, Bankart also holds a courtesy academic appointment as an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies.

Bankart is no stranger to the Office of International Programs. Before stepping into the interim role, he had been assistant vice provost for international programs for 10 years. In that position, he had responsibility for overseeing international grant development, developing and maintaining the university’s strategic plan for campus internationalization, coordinating programming and communication, and managing the office that provides immigration support to international employees and visiting scholars.

From 2012 to 2013, he established the office of International Recruitment and Undergraduate Admissions at KU while serving as interim director of International Student Services, and in 2014 he served as the implementation coordinator for the Academic Accelerator Program. Bankart served on the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Board of Directors from 2011 through 2016 and as president of the Alpha Pi Chapter of the Phi Beta Delta International Honorary Society in 2011. Before coming to KU in 2005, he served for six years in the Office of International Programs at Indiana University.

Bankart earned a doctorate in higher education administration from KU, and his research focuses on faculty collaboration and the mobility of the highly skilled, as well as on international student mobility. He also earned a master’s degree in Central Eurasian studies and master’s degree in public administration from Indiana University as well as a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College. He served in Hungary as an English language instructor for the U.S. Peace Corps from 1994-1996.

Tue, 04/25/2017

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Jill Hummels

Media Contacts

Jill Hummels

Office of the Provost

785-864-6577