Internationalization Collaborative

Liberal Arts Institutions

Kalamazoo College

Located in southwestern Michigan and established in 1833, Kalamazoo College (a four-year, private liberal arts college, Carnegie category IIB) is among the 100 oldest colleges and universities in the United States of America. It has long been recognized as one of the outstanding liberal arts colleges in the nation. The college is one of only four institutions of higher learning in Michigan to earn an entrance rating of "very difficult" in Peterson's Guide to Four-year Colleges 2000.

Kalamazoo's 1,343 full-time students for the 2001–02 academic year came from diverse backgrounds and many geographic areas of the United States and abroad. Nearly all students live on campus, creating a greater sense of community. Ninety-five percent of the college's 97 full-time faculty have doctorates or terminal degrees in their fields; and with a student/faculty ratio of 13:1, students and their faculty mentors are able to establish a rare intellectual camaraderie. Fifty-five percent of the faculty and 57 percent of the college's students are women, while 16 percent of the faculty and 9 percent of the students belong to minority groups.

The Kalamazoo Plan (K-Plan) of experiential education is unique among American colleges. In four years, students receive a broad exposure to the liberal arts, sample a career, pursue an independent project, and study abroad. During the past 36 years, 85 percent of Kalamazoo's graduates have studied abroad. Kalamazoo is one of only 30 institutions nationwide that belongs to both the International 50 and the Science 48. The college is also home to the only U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center in Western European Studies at a small liberal arts college. Kalamazoo College has a broad-based curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree and offers 28 majors.

The Center for International Programs leads the college's internationalization efforts through its management of the college's study abroad program and the International Students and Scholars program. Currently, Kalamazoo sponsors 28 programs in 15 countries on six continents.

According to a recent Higher Education Data Sharing study, the percentage of Kalamazoo College graduates who go on to earn a Ph.D. places the college in the top 1 percent of the nation's colleges and universities; the college is ranked ninth among private colleges and 14th when compared to all education institutions regardless of size or type. Loren Pope notes in Looking Beyond the Ivy League, "Kalamazoo is another gem which, if it were on the East Coast, would be as selective as most any other college and a lot better than most of its neighbors, whatever state it was in...Few colleges have as distinguished a record of producing graduates who go on to get doctorates or achieve mention in Who's Who."

To meet the changing needs of today's students and to prepare them "to better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world" (to quote the college's Mission Statement), Kalamazoo College continually revises and introduces programs. Since the inception of the K-Plan in 1962, its nationally recognized program in international and experiential education has continued to build upon the philosophy that international competence, knowledge, and cross-cultural understanding are absolutely essential for the well-educated person.

Overview of Internationalization at Kalamazoo College

I. Vision and Goals for Internationalization

At Kalamazoo, internationalization is central to the college's mission, academic and experiential activities, and desired outcomes for its students. Internationalism is at the heart of the college's mission to "prepare its graduates to better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world." The mission statement also specifies that a Kalamazoo undergraduate education provides "opportunities for experiential education in both domestic and international settings." Internationalism figures prominently in the college's presentation of itself in admissions and other materials and in communications to its stakeholders.

In a recent letter to the college community, Dr. James F. Jones Jr., president of Kalamazoo College, wrote of the "farther journey" that Kalamazoo students make in the course of their four years: "The undergraduate experience at Kalamazoo College is indeed a farther journey when compared to those offered at other colleges and universities. The distance our students travel from matriculation to graduation is simply greater, the transformation in their lives more profound." In support of this farther journey, the college's upcoming capital campaign, "Enlightened Leadership," includes a goal of increasing the international programs endowment by $8 million. This will support study abroad, international study and travel for faculty, exchange of faculty and scholars with prestigious international colleges and universities, and the inclusion of international students in all aspects of academic and campus life.

Goals for Student Learning
The goal for student learning at Kalamazoo is whole person education in a whole world context. The most concise statements of student learning goals are found in the five outcomes (Lifelong Learning, Career Readiness, Intercultural Understanding, Social Responsibility, and Leadership) expressed in the curriculum and in the K-Plan. Following a recent review of its international education programs and a re-articulation of the skills and competencies the next generation of global leaders will need, the college is moving its international programs beyond the language and culture models developed in the early 1960s to embrace new paradigms that will allow students to develop the cross-cultural analytical and communication skills they will need to work with local people on local projects in a variety of local cultural settings. These skills include:

• A broad-based understanding of the world and of one's place in that world.
• Specific knowledge of one's own culture.
• Knowledge of peoples, customs, and cultures in one or more regions of the world beyond one's home.
• The development of individual skills and facilities in:
  • Interpersonal relations.
  • Cross-cultural understanding.
  • Leadership.
  • Multi-perspective analysis of information and situations from a variety of sources.
• Specialized knowledge in a particular discipline.

Over the past 44 years, Kalamazoo College has achieved these goals through the on-campus curriculum, experiential programs (especially study abroad, career development internships, and the Senior Individualized Project), the international quality and character of its faculty, and an emphasis on relationship building and mutually beneficial international partnerships.

II. Progress

Along with the centrality of internationalism in its mission and presentation is the college's practice of emphasizing the development of mutually beneficial relationships with international partners. Over the past four decades we have worked hard to build relationships that will nurture and sustain the entire institution. Through these relationships, we have been able to forge the curricular and interpersonal linkages that unite us with our partner colleagues in a common educational mission. Also vital to the internationalization of undergraduate education is the ongoing support of all the college's stakeholders, including the president and the vice presidents, the faculty and administrators, trustees, coaches, grounds crew, residence hall staff, parents, alumni, and friends.

To achieve our internationalization goals, we have employed a number of strategies. These include: a nationally recognized study abroad program in which more than 80 percent of the college's graduates have participated; a strong effort to internationalize the curriculum; programs to provide an international dimension to the experiential education offered on campus; and programs to provide support to faculty, administrators, and staff who wish to engage in international activities related to their areas of responsibility.

Our progress in achieving these goals over the almost four decades the K-Plan has been in existence has been extraordinary, but we must guard against complacency. We have 40 years of enviable participation in study abroad. We have a Title VI National Resource Center for Western European Studies (the only such center at a primarily undergraduate institution, http://www.kzoo.edu/regist/depts/cwes/). We have received funding to establish a Luce Professorship in Global Technological Innovation as well as for our new Freeman Center in Asian Studies. We have included intercultural understanding and a "cultures requirement" in our general education program requirements. The faculty at Kalamazoo have active international interests, and the college's senior administrators are champions of Kalamazoo's internationalization effort.

But there is still work to be done. Participation in study abroad does not in and of itself guarantee that an individual student has achieved an acceptable level of intercultural competency. There are still areas of the curriculum that need internationalization. We need to increase the amount of support available to faculty, administrators, and staff to pursue international projects. And there remains the often daunting task of pulling all of these efforts together in a coherent manner within the college's academic and experiential program.

III. Successful Strategies

Internationalizing the Curriculum
International themes and experiences are woven throughout the various components of the K-Plan ("Foundations," "Explorations," and "Connections"); they are found in the five "Outcomes" (Lifelong Learning, Career Readiness, Social Responsibility, Intercultural Understanding, and Leadership) and three highly experiential pieces: Career Development Internship, Study Abroad, and Senior Individualized Project. These activities and opportunities lead students to gain competence in knowing, doing, and most important, synthesizing their experiences and new-found knowledge.

The liberal arts education of a Kalamazoo College student begins with the development and certification of foundation skills, which include Proficiency in a Second Language as well as Written and Oral Expression, Quantitative Reasoning, Information and Computer Literacy, and Participation in Physical Education. Concurrent with the development of foundation skills, students begin their exploration of the various academic disciplines and co-curricular opportunities which challenge, deepen, and extend their understanding of themselves and the world they inhabit. In addition to satisfying the requirements for a major and "Area of Study Requirements" in four broad disciplinary areas, student must also satisfy a "Cultures Requirement." The Cultures Requirement is meant to ensure that Kalamazoo students are open to and grounded in the cultural complexity of the United States and the world beyond.

Highlighting the students' exploration of the liberal arts at Kalamazoo College are the college's premiere experiential learning opportunities: the Career Development Internship and the Study Abroad program. These experiential opportunities allow students to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to real-life situations and then to return to the classroom able to use their experiences as guides for further learning. In the semester and academic year study abroad program sponsored by the college, Kalamazoo students are required to complete an Integrative Cultural Research Project (ICRP) which gives them an intensive experience of working with local communities on local projects.

Making conscious connections among the various academic components of the K-Plan as well as between academic and experiential learning opportunities is the third major element of a Kalamazoo education. The process of making connections is facilitated by the "Liberal Arts Colloquium" series which students attend throughout their four years and which often have an international focus. The "Experiential College" which is currently being developed will offer students increased structured opportunities to reflect on their time abroad and to integrate their experiences into their academic programs. The "Senior Individualized Project" provides Kalamazoo seniors a capstone experience of an in-depth personal and intellectual exploration of a particular interest. Finally, the "Kalamazoo Portfolio" serves as a student's personal record of his or her academic progress through the foundations, explorations, and connections of the K-Plan and provides a critical opportunity for reflecting on the connections between the seemingly disparate parts of the experiential and academic paths at the college.

The awareness that there are many ways to experience and organize the world and that no single cultural frame of reference is necessarily privileged or superior (Intercultural Understanding) requires a thorough grounding in the foundations, much exploration, and considerable connective reflection. Likewise, the development of Social Responsibility must be nurtured through many opportunities to explore various service roles and social commitments both at home and abroad. Students then must be guided through the reflective process as they develop their personal ethical value system and a growing awareness of their individual relationship to the larger community and the common good within a global context. Finally, the Kalamazoo undergraduate experience provides the basis for the highest outcome of any liberal education: "enlightened Leadership of a richly diverse and increasingly complex world."

Internationalization of the core curriculum extends to co-curricular activities and programs at the college. International themes are showcased and celebrated in events such as area studies weeks held throughout the academic year (Africa Week, Asia Week, International Week); international "living and learning centers" such as the Asia House; lectures in the College's Liberal Arts Colloquium Series by international speakers and on international topics; cultural events with an international focus; a regular European and international film series; and the Bach music festival. The CIP sponsors a number of activities for students returning from abroad as well as campus international students and teaching assistants, including the Spotlight series that highlights various countries, regions, and international issues.

In addition to the strength of European Studies in the curriculum, the college's affiliations with universities in sub-Saharan Africa, which extend to the early 1960s, are also evident in course offerings, faculty research, and co-curricular programs. Asian Studies has seen growth with the addition of an endowed chair and a grant from the Freeman foundation to establish the Freeman Center for Asian Studies. Latin American studies likewise is growing in response to faculty interest and increases in both the number of students studying Spanish and the number of study abroad opportunities available to Kalamazoo students in Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America.

All students are required to fulfill a cultures requirement for graduation and can satisfy this requirement with three courses chosen from specially designated regular curriculum offerings (only one of which can focus on the United States). The college offers courses in five modern languages (Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish) and two classical languages (Latin and Greek). Majors and minors are offered in French, German, and Spanish; minors are offered in Chinese and Japanese; and a major and minor are offered in Classical Studies.

The Study Abroad Program
The most exemplary aspect of the international experience at Kalamazoo College is its long-standing and comprehensive Study Abroad program. Study abroad at Kalamazoo began in summer 1958 with several non-credit language programs in France, Germany, and Spain. With the adoption of the K-Plan in 1962, study abroad became an integral part of the curriculum. Although study abroad is not required, the overall participation rate of more than 80 percent of all graduates since 1963 shows both the popularity and centrality of study abroad to a Kalamazoo liberal education. For the 2001-02 academic year, the Center for International Programs (CIP) anticipated that it would offer 50 programs in 28 countries pre-approved for transfer of academic credit. Most also allow for full transfer of Kalamazoo financial assistance and merit scholarships. Of these study abroad programs, 26 are directly sponsored by the college through the CIP. A Kalamazoo program is one in which the CIP has a direct managerial role, either by collaborating with the local partner institution in curriculum or by designating a staff member at the partner institution to serve as the college's in-country representative and resident director. When considering which areas of the world and which countries should be the focus for the development of programs, the CIP gives specific preference to those that further the college's commitment to programs in the developing world; have a clear relationship to the on-campus curriculum; provide for instruction in the local language; provide academic and experiential opportunities appropriate to the liberal arts mission of the college; are mutually beneficial; can be operated within the current budget and staff framework of the CIP; and offer reasonable assurance of the participant's health, safety, and security, provided they behave reasonably.

The center prides itself on the careful advising of students prior to application. Last year, the center was able to place 90 percent of applicants in their first program choice. Before departure, students are required to attend a series of hour-long orientation sessions that cover issues ranging from health and safety concerns to academics and home stays. A special session on intercultural understanding and a session with returnee students from the various programs round out the orientation. At the end of the students' time abroad, academic departments are furnished with lists of their returning majors and the programs they've attended. At the reentry dinner, students are given an opportunity to volunteer for a number of activities through which they can share their experiences abroad with others. The center is especially proud of Passage, a study abroad magazine written, edited, and produced by returnee students. This magazine is distributed on campus as well as to alumni, trustees, and friends of the college. The professional staff in the CIP are assisted by a cadre of Peer Advisers, senior students who have participated in study abroad through the college, have been selected and trained by the CIP staff, and who agree to serve in the CIP for ten hours per week during their final academic year. The Study Abroad experience, though pivotal in the students' international education, is grounded in and builds upon a curriculum strong in international course offerings, as well as the support and contributions of a faculty dedicated to internationalization of the undergraduate experience.

Internationalization of the Kalamazoo College Faculty, Administrators, and Staff
Also key to the successful internationalization of the undergraduate experience at Kalamazoo College is the internationalization of the pillars of the institution: the faculty. As important as the students' educational experiences abroad are, and as rich as the international content of the curriculum is, without the engagement of a dedicated faculty with a broad range of personal and professional international experiences, training, and research interests, no institution can consider itself truly international. At Kalamazoo College, 95 percent of the teaching faculty have the appropriate terminal degree for their disciplines. Roughly 13 percent of the faculty have pursued graduate study at a university outside the United States, and some 10 percent are themselves international. During the 2000-01 academic year, the college's faculty development program funded six faculty members to attend foreign conferences or to conduct independent research abroad. Kalamazoo faculty and administrators have held or currently hold leadership positions in such internationally focused organizations as NAFSA: Association of International Educators and the Canadian Studies Association. Faculty members are encouraged to conduct research and publish on international topics, and such activities are considered in tenure and promotion decisions.

The work of the faculty in the international arena has been supported by recent grants, among them a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department (Colleges and Universities Partnership Program with Africa University, Zimbabwe 1999-03, $118,000); a three-year renewal of funding from the Department of Education Title VI grant for a National Resource Center in Western European Studies; a grant from the Henry R. Luce Foundation for a Professorship in Global Technological Innovation (2000, $150,000); and a FIPSE grant to organize an international collaboration among students from colleges and universities in the United States and the European Community to study the scientific and cultural aspects of the bicycle. In May 2000, the College received a $5 million grant from the Arcus Foundation to increase the endowment for the college's international programs, raising the total in that endowment to more than $13 million. Finally, the Freeman Foundation awarded its grant in December 2001 to support Asian Studies and to establish a Center for Asian Studies at the college.

Because faculty support is critical to the success of the Study Abroad program, the CIP works hard to maintain cordial and collaborative relationships with the various academic departments. Faculty and departments are regularly consulted and asked to collaborate in the development of new programs and opportunities abroad. A program of Faculty Study Abroad Grants administered and funded by the CIP has allowed more than 20 faculty members to visit programs abroad over the past six years. A faculty-student International Programs Advisory Committee meets with senior CIP administrators throughout the year to review current and future programs and to offer advice on pressing issues. Recent committee initiatives have included recording study abroad grades on student transcripts (a proposal adopted by the faculty for the 2000–01 academic year) and the development of faculty-led international study seminars during vacation periods (approved by the faculty in fall 2000). CIP staff regularly visit each department, and the director of the CIP is a member of the provost's academic council (which includes the chairs of the five academic divisions). In January 2002, the provost established an "International Council" for the college. Chaired by the Associate Provost for International Programs, the International Council is charged with coordinating the college's international and internationalization efforts.

IV. Future Plans

Certainly we will continue with the activities already underway. Foremost among our priorities is ensuring the presence of sufficient resources to support the college's international activities and programs. The expansion and revision of Study Abroad programs to meet changing student and departmental priorities remains paramount, as does the development of articulated international master's degree programs and international 3/2 engineering programs with overseas partners. The Educational Policies Committee is currently considering an initiative of the provost to establish an "experiential college" which will serve as a forum and speaker's bureau for students returning to campus from study abroad as well as from other off-campus experiential opportunities.

Under the aegis of the college's newly constituted Center for Experiential Education (CEE), which houses both the Center for International Programs and the Career Development Center, we have been working to expand the internationalization of internships and Senior Individualized Projects. Students wishing to pursue senior projects abroad can apply to the CIP for funding to support their travel and living expenses. Like the Study Abroad program, Career Development internships have been a regular part of the K-Plan of liberal education since 1962. While students often have done internships abroad or have worked for international corporations in the United States, newly endowed funds will provide more regular support. The CEE also has been working with the college's Education Department to develop student teaching internships in collaboration with international partners. Through its upcoming capital campaign, the college is committed to increasing the endowment for international programs in order to ensure the continued availability of study abroad to all Kalamazoo College students regardless of their financial circumstances.

In all of the international efforts of the college, care will continue to be taken to strengthen the linkages between off-campus programs and the on-campus curriculum. Internationalization is not a separate program at Kalamazoo; it is the central mission of the college as we educate new generations of enlightened leaders for this richly diverse and increasingly complex world.

*Please contact the institution directly if you have questions about their institutional programs.

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This page last updated on: 6/19/2006