Archives West Finding Aid

International projects concerned with economic, agricultural, social and educational development began at Washington State University in 1952 with a Pakistan Project that was to run for almost 20 years. The Office of International Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences provided the management for that project and succeeding projects until 1978. The College of Agriculture was heavily involved in the projects and provided increasing assistance. A Campus Coordinator for international projects was established in the College of Agriculture for the University of Jordan Project (1975-1979). The Coordinator's office also acted as a clearing house for other projects in which the University was involved in the middle 1970's, such as those in Syria, Morocco, and Mali. In 1978 the International Program Development Office was established in the Graduate School of WSU to direct the international development projects. At that time the University was involved in several projects, with major efforts in Indonesia, Lesotho, and a cooperative project in Sudan.

By the mid-1980s, three offices--with similar names--were the focus of international programs at the university. The Office of International Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences was concerned with international students and faculty. (This office was subsequently renamed as the International Education Office.) The International Program Development Office in the Graduate School was concerned with development work, while. the International Project Support Office in the College of Agriculture was involved in the administration of projects. Within the records of these projects some terminological confusion occasionally arises out of the similarity of names of the offices. In addition, there are many references in these records to international development as a subject concerning development in general.