Perspectives concerning the overall process of providing international education are considered in three articles. In "The Development of an International Commitment: A Case Study," Earl L. Backman describes the successful implementation of an international program at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. The Program for International Studies, after five years of planning, was designed to develop an academic concentration for undergraduates, sponsor programs designed to heighten awareness on campus, and respond to the needs of the business community. Major developments, program funding, and strengths and weaknesses of the approach are considered. In "The Short Course for Overseas Participants: A Growing Educational Option," Judith A. Horowitz examines cross-cultural training programs, which offer foreign students and visitors to the United States intensive study for a shorter period than a traditional degree course. These short courses are conducted at a variety of U.S. locations, ranging from corporate headquarters to federal training centers, but especially at colleges and universities. The nondegree courses are designed to impart a particular skill or way of thinking or to expose the participants to a particular set of experiences or a new technology. Program administration is also addressed. In "Assessing the Contributions of Overseas Institutional American College Systems," Herbert Maza describes the role of semi-independent centers that offer studies abroad, and which allow colleges and universities to send students overseas for specialized studies, without the need to establish their own overseas program centers. (SW)