From Sunday 11 to Tuesday 13, November 2012, the International Studies Institute hosted the Florence Consortium Meeting in the rooms of its headquarters at Palazzo Rucellai. Representatives of the Consortium members (namely University of Connecticut, Pennsylvania State University, University of Virginia, Arizona State University, and University of Melbourne) flew in to join the discussion. Established in 2006, the Consortium  has a clear mission: providing students from public universities with an outstanding academic program, in harmony with Italy’s unmatched cultural resources. Some pivotal topics were the reports on the current state of the Institute and the future direction of this top-notch study abroad program. Special items on the agenda were the implementation of scholarships and new learning opportunities, such as internships and volunteer activities. The committee also focused its attention on the importance of ISI alumni’s participation and the active involvement in and promotion of an array of new academic initiatives. Such a positive atmosphere was a manifesto, for all its members, of the refreshed approach to common objectives shared by these great academic institutions. During the three-day meetings, Consortium members had the chance to talk to ISI faculty and staff and participate in round-tables. Finally, they toasted to a renewed commitment to academic excellence abroad, with the learning and transformative experience of students as the focus of all efforts.