Charles Jarvis '63 Honored Upon His Retirement as Director of Italy's Umbra Institute
May 12, 2006
May 12, 2006, Greencastle, Ind. - Charles A. Jarvis, director of the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy and 1963 graduate of DePauw University, is retiring this month and was recently honored by the Institute's faculty and staff. "Dr. Jarvis has been an inspiration for professors and students and greatly improved the academic program at Umbra," notes Philippa Stannard, professor of fine arts at the Institute.
The Umbra Institute is an accredited academic institution located in Perugia, Italy. The mission of the Institute is to provide a study abroad experience firmly rooted in the American liberal arts tradition within the context of an international student environment.
A news item on the institution's Web site notes that Dr. Jarvis, chief academic officer at Umbra Institute, "was influential in maintaining the academic excellence of the Institute while developing new initiatives... During Jarvis’s tenure, eight courses were added to the curriculum and ten Ph.D. professors were hired to join the faculty. He oversaw the inauguration of an additional learning center, the increase in library and academic resources, and the addition of on-site learning excursions to the curriculum. This fall, the Umbra Institute will offer an Honors Program, Field Reseach Seminar, and a Full Immersion option in addition to the General Studies Program. Although Dr. Jarvis will not be present to witness these changes, he was instrumental in their formation."
The Institute has hosted several DePauw students in receny years, including Laura Phillips'07 this spring.
Recently, "Jarvis signed an historic agreement with
the University of Perugia. This relationship allows Umbra students to attend courses taught in Italian within the European educational tradition. Dr. Jarvis also crafted agreements with the Comune di Perugia and the Ranieri di Sorbello Foundation to improve cultural interaction for students in Perugia."
Charles Jarvis' immediate plans include a return to the United States, but he does not rule out a return to Umbra Institute -- which he has led for two years -- as a professor. "I love Italy and Umbra," he says, "and I have been energized in a very positive way in working with such a fine group of people."
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