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The Center for European Studies and Architecture (CESA) in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, continues to offer a broad array of undergraduate programs. Current programs in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, the Pamplin College of Business, and the new College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences have continued to attract large numbers of students and fulfill the center’s mission of functioning as a learning community while providing a base for enriching the experiences of faculty members and students in Europe. Canton Ticino, where CESA is located, recently celebrated its 200th anniversary, and the center’s Villa Maderni provided one of the key physical venues for the weekend of festivities and activities.
CESA has recently reaffirmed its partnerships with several regional universities and is exploring additional partnerships in Northern Italy as well as Switzerland. In addition, CESA is committed to a next-generation mission, which will include a focus on the center as an intellectual base to create even more European opportunities for scholarship, research, and outreach programs and partnerships. As part of this vision, the center is exploring a faculty development initiative similar to on-campus technology efforts but focused on European programs and activity.
Administrative restructuring and physical maintenance of the center during the past year have enhanced CESA’s ability to achieve its existing and projected missions. In the summer of 2003, a number of critical maintenance projects were started. Workers replaced all windows and shutters, repainted and repaired the exterior, and made safety/environmental improvements to the interior and exterior of the facility. Administratively, a significant portion of the academic leadership for programming has been moved to the Blacksburg campus, while ensuring the consistent quality of day-to-day operations at the center in Switzerland.
The center is now completing its first 10 years of academic programming. To mark this milestone, a celebration and reunion of CESA alumni and supporters is planned for July 2004 in Riva San Vitale. This celebration event will also help to establish a dedicated group of advisers and supporters committed to the next-generation vision for the center.