The College of Arts and Sciences wishes to recognize Michelin North America for its contributions to the Raison d'Etre program through both financial support and personal involvement in the project.

The Raison d'Etre program came to fruition under the direction of Dr. Lara Lomicka-Anderson, an Associate Professor of French and Applied Linguistics at USC. Centered around collaborative communication tools such as Skype, Twitter, Facebook and e-mail, the program builds community between USC students and students at the Ècole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées outside of Paris. Students use technology to improve their spoken language skills, exchange cultural perspectives and expand their horizons outside of their own country.