For the second year in a row, Fresno State has been selected for a national Excellence and Innovation Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

The awards program honors AASCU member institutions for excellence and innovation in several major areas of campus life and leadership that are mission focused.

Fresno State won one of two International Education Awards for its work since to expand international recruitment of faculty and students and to increase study abroad opportunities for domestic students. Northwest Missouri State University was the other recipient in the category.

In 2010, Fresno State launched a presidential internationalization initiative that began with an assessment of programs and identification of strategies to internationalize the campus. AASCU noted that “Fresno State is a majority-minority university and the sole major university in the area, making critical its mission to provide university education to the region.”

In 2013, the University became the first public institution in California to administer the International Student Barometer. Assessment activities led to marked improvements, with students ranking Fresno State first or second in the U.S. in key categories such as “University Orientation” and “Language Support.”

“We are honored to receive this prestigious national award acknowledging excellence and innovation in our international programs,” said Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro. “This is our third AASCU award in two years, which provides further evidence that Fresno State’s academic programs are boldly rising.”

Last year, Fresno State won two AASCU awards: the Leadership Development and Diversity Award and the Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award.

The awards will be presented Oct. 25 at the opening session of AASCU’s Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas.

AASCU is a Washington-based higher education association of more than 400 public colleges, universities and systems in which members share a culture centered on learning and teaching, a historic commitment to underserved student populations and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.