About SAI

Since 1995, SAI has provided students with exceptional cultural and educational experiences abroad, offering the opportunity to enroll in some of the finest schools available to English speaking students in Europe. By encouraging students to explore the complex intersections between self, community, and creativity, SAI aims to provide an inspiring and transformative experience for all participants. All of SAI’s services, in the U.S. and overseas, are geared toward ensuring student safety and maximizing the student experience; both in terms of providing a framework for academic inquiry, and offering each student opportunities for personal growth and development.

Located in the historic Sonoma Wine Country town of Sebastopol, California, the SAI offices were built in 2002, replacing what was originally a tired, old warehouse. Visitors are often surprised to see such modern design in Wine Country, but we strive to reflect the excellent design programs we offer our students abroad.

SAI’s Mission

SAI is dedicated to providing academic and cultural learning experiences abroad that enhance global awareness, professional development and social responsibility. The organization concentrates its programs in Europe, with a focus on in-depth learning of individual European countries and their unique global role in the geopolitical economy, humanities, and in the arts. SAI Programs are intentionally interdisciplinary, leading to a wider knowledge and global understanding. SAI works deliberately to accomplish its goals in a sustainable and responsible manner, with consideration to the environmental impact on global and local communities.

SAI’s Vision: Inspiring Creativity

SAI has provided focused learning experiences in Europe since 1995. As a leading international education organization, SAI accomplishes its mission by providing high quality academics as well as a comprehensive and personalized approach to services from the first contact with each constituent. Through extensive pre-departure advising and superior on-site services and programming, SAI aims to enhance cultural understanding for every participant. Each program focuses on the historical, cultural, contemporary and natural factors that make its location unique while offering the structure, services and advising for students to create self-designed programs of study that meet their needs and objectives. Intentional in its size and focus, SAI fosters strong and mutually beneficial relationships with students, both affiliated and participating schools in the US, and SAI academic partner institutions abroad. SAI ensures rewarding educational experiences through a combination of personalized services and high quality academics.

SAI Diversity Statement: welcome to the SAI community

SAI is dedicated to fostering a strong and supportive community for SAI students and staff. SAI recognizes that the student experience abroad is strengthened and enriched by each unique individual who chooses to embark on our programs, and we are committed to doing what we can to welcome students who reflect the diverse global community in which we operate. The SAI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is devoted to fostering a culture of inclusion among our students, and ensuring that individual students’ needs are understood and met at each phase along the study abroad path.

SAI’s Commitment to Privacy: GDPR Compliance

As an international education organization that provides academic and cultural programs and services in Europe, SAI Programs is committed to high standards of data protection and privacy for participating students, faculty, and organizations. SAI has always maintained this commitment and since May 25, 2018 is in compliance, to the best of our ability, with the European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As a processor and controller of data, we have updated our policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the new regulation to participating individuals, whether EU citizen/resident or not. We will continue to review and make adjustments to our data management and protection as this law and new ones evolve, to ensure our continued commitment to data protection and privacy. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

Below find information on SAI’s ethical practices, goals and objectives, and SAI’s professional associations.

Interested in working with us? please see Careers.

SAI’s Statement of Ethical Practices

SAI is committed to conducting its programs in an ethical manner in line with its mission. In accordance with best practices in the field of study abroad, SAI and its employees resolve to:

  • Act in the financial and educational best interest of the students with which we work;
  • Act with integrity while conducting affairs of the organization and in all situations where SAI is represented;
  • Neither accept nor offer gifts, services or other favors with more than a nominal value on occasions which might infer that such actions were intended to influence decision-making or otherwise prejudice the ability of a party to complete his/her duties in an objective manner;
  • Avoid any ethical, legal, or financial conflicts of interest that may compromise effectiveness in carrying out SAI’s mission;
  • Disclose or rectify any conflicts of interest, and recuse ourselves from situations where this is not possible;
  • Manage conflicts of interest via disclosure and/or disciplinary action as necessary;
  • Uphold transparency and truthfulness in all communications, publications and marketing materials;
  • Maintain regular and open communication with students as well as advisors, faculty and staff at the institutions with which we work;
  • Ensure, to the extent possible, that financial scholarships and discounted fees are passed on to the students in order to encourage the greatest number of students possible to study abroad;
  • Respect the policies and procedures on the university campuses with which SAI works;
  • Respect student privacy and treat information with an appropriate level of confidentiality. See our Privacy Policy.
  • Adhere to the law and respect the cultural practices in the countries where SAI operates.

Student Learning and Development Goals

Knowledge & Skills

  • Students will gain knowledge related to their academic discipline or professional aspirations, in general and specifically in the context of their SAI Program location or an international perspective.
  • Students will gain skills related to their academic discipline or professional aspirations.
  • Students will be able to recognize the importance of studying in the particular location of their program.

Personal Development & Global Awareness

  • Students will develop an awareness of their personal identities and how they relate to their identity within the global society.
  • Students will gain an appreciation for cultures different from their own.
  • Students will seek to engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with individuals from their host culture and/or from a culture different from their own.
  • Students will gain a sense of personal and global responsibility.
  • Students will gain an ability to view values and cultural practices from a global perspective.
  • Students will gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of economic, political, ecological and social global systems, in particular in relation to its program countries.
  • Students will gain an understanding of the global significance of each program’s city and country, within the area of the humanities, economy, politics, art, culture and/or design.
  • Students will gain an understanding of how art and design act as drivers for social change, development, and global awareness.

Program Goals

In order to attain its mission and student learning and development goals, SAI will:

  • Develop curricular and co-curricular programming elements that support the mission and goals.
  • Develop and maintain opportunities for intentional cultural and/or linguistic immersion.
  • Develop and maintain programs that demonstrate an appreciation for sustainability and responsibility to the local and global community.
  • Develop and maintain organized and ethical policies and procedures that promote successful experiences abroad for the greatest number of students.
  • Provide superior student services, as recognized by affiliates and students.
  • Support affiliate and participating schools by assisting them in:
    • promoting study abroad on their campuses;
    • addressing academic needs of their students;
    • responding to campus internationalization/globalization initiatives;
    • engaging faculty in collaborative efforts to broaden the global culture on campus

In addition to providing rigorous academic programs overseas, SAI also aims to promote enhanced cross-cultural understanding and to encourage each student’s personal development. Since an ongoing exchange of ideas and best practices is key to this endeavor, SAI is committed to maintaining membership in a diverse set of professional associations. Through membership in the following organizations SAI benefits from, and contributes to, the ongoing discussion about the importance of international exchange in U.S. higher education.

 

NAFSA

The Forum on Education Abroad

IDEC

International Council on Hotel Restaurant and Institutional EducationInternational Textile and Apparel Association

National Association of Schools of Art and Design

EuropAssociation for International Education

AICAD

Member of the Better Business Bureau