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ACE Internationalization Collaborative
Annual Meeting 2006

* FLASHPOINTS in Comprehensive Internationalization
* February 3-4, 2006
* M Street Hotel, Washington, DC

Comprehensive internationalization is an ongoing process of engaging multiple campus groups in the work of incorporating international, global, and intercultural dimensions into the teaching, research and service functions of an institution. The resulting discussions and debates can produce "flashpoints" that occur "when discussion of a particular topic reaches a temperature (degree of tension or disagreement) at which it begins to explode or provoke conflict with other related issues."

As institutions set goals, develop strategies, prioritize actions, assess their efforts, leverage campus resources, and make adjustments along the way, flashpoints inevitably emerge. These important areas of debate and discussion – when addressed intentionally – provide the opportunity for institutions to further clarify their internationalization goals and make strategic choices. It is important for internationalization champions to anticipate and manage flashpoints as they emerge and develop. "Flashpoint management" involves minimizing losers in a "zero-sum" environment, satisfying multiple interests, and working to ensure that as many stakeholders as possible can see the benefit of decisions to allocate resources. This meeting provided the opportunity for campus internationalization teams to engage in discussions related to several of the common flashpoints that have emerged at institutions as curriculum and resource issues are addressed, and as campus leaders strive to define what "international" means to the institution.

Examples of common flashpoints include:

• Domestic pluralism/diversity (multiculturalism) & internationalization
• Western languages & less commonly taught languages
• Short term study abroad & long term education abroad experiences
• What counts as international?
• Leveraging resources, reallocation & new resources
• Global studies, area studies and international studies
• Defining and assessing learning outcomes
• Foreign language & second language (requirements for native speakers of languages other than English)

Highlights from the 2006 Annual Meeting

(Links to presentations and other documents are available below for each session)

Pre-meeting Workshops:

Workshop A: The Internationalization Review Process

Intended for participants new to the Internationalization Collaborative or to the internationalization review process, this workshop drew upon the ACE publication, Internationalizing the Campus: A User’s Guide. The workshop provided an overview of comprehensive internationalization and the process for conducting an institutional internationalization review. Representatives from institutions that have already conducted a review shared their experiences and consulted with participants on important considerations before embarking on such a review.

Madeleine F. Green, Vice President and Director, Center for International Initiatives (CII), American Council on Education (ppt, 270 KB)
Kiran Cunningham, Professor of Anthropology, Kalamazoo College
Grace Liu, Professor & Coordinator, Global Education, St. Louis Community College (ppt, 224KB)
Susan Sutton, Associate Dean of International Programs and Chancellor's Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (ppt, 61 KB)
Steve Youngblood, Assistant Professor of Communications, Park University

Workshop B: International Learning Outcomes Assessment

This workshop engaged participants in articulating student learning outcomes, aligning this process with internationalization activities, and developing plans for assessing these outcomes. (Ranking Document used to identify the most important international learning outcomes.)
Participants in a multi-institutional ACE-FIPSE project on assessing international learning shared their experiences with the group and answer questions on the successes and challenges they are facing as they implement a coordinated assessment effort at six diverse institutions.

Christa Olson, Associate Director, Center for International Initiatives (CIII), ACE
Bob Mundhenk, Consultant in Higher Education Assessment (ppt, 47 KB)
Bob Franco, Director, Planning and Grants/Prof. Anthropology, Kapiolani Community College
Michael Poulton, Assistant Professor, Dickinson College

Plenary #1: Global Trends and the Changing Context for Higher Education

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Betty Siegel, President, Kennesaw State University

Respondents:

• Michael Sperling, Provost and Dean of Faculty, Manhattanville College
• Stephen H. Straight, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and International Affairs, Binghamton University

Roundtable Discussions

• Culture and/or Language Across the Curriculum (CLAC, LxC, LAC): Diana Davies, Director, International Programs, The University of Iowa
• Language pipeline issues – articulation of K-16, admission requirements, graduation requirements: Tatiana Karmanova, Director, International Language Resource Center, Missouri Southern State University (Notes from Roundtable)
• Assessing international learning – challenges in developing and assessing for learning outcomes: Darla Deardorff, Executive Director, AIEA & Jack Godwin, Chief International Officer, California State University, Sacramento (Notes from Roundtable)
• Using international students and students returning with international experience (students in service to the country at home or abroad) to enhance internationalization: Thomas Gouttierre, Dean, International Studies and Programs, University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Internationalizing graduate education: Aixa Ritz, Assistant Professor, Fairleigh Dickinson University (Notes from Roundtable)
• Experiential education: To what extent does international education need to be experiential? How should credit be awarded?: Kenneth Cushner, Executive Director International Affairs/ Professor of Education, Kent State University & Thelma Rohrer, Director, International Studies and Academic Enrichment, Manchester College (Notes from Roundtable)

Plenary #2: Working through Curricular Flashpoints

As institutions develop or revise curriculum to include less commonly taught languages, global studies, and new area studies programs, flashpoints often emerge. This panel will address how teams have worked through points of tension to develop innovative curricular or co-curricular options that respect the integrity of various fields of study, and offer opportunities for synergy in internationalization efforts.

• Elise Salem, Fairleigh Dickinson University – Introducing foreign cultures into the undergraduate general education curriculum: A Focus on the Arab/Muslim World
• Bob Franco, Kapiolani Community College – Island Roots and Global Reach: Tensions between Hawaiian, Indigenous, Intercultural and International Studies
• Margo Glew, Michigan State University – Strategic Planning for Less Commonly Taught Language (LCTL) Programming: Lessons Learned at MSU (Word doc, 52 KB)

Plenary #3: Working through Resource Flashpoints

As institutions cope with limited funds, a "zero-sum" mentality often emerges. This panel will present innovative strategies to defuse or manage resource flashpoints and produce "win-win" results.

• Norah Shultz and Jeff Shultz, Arcadia University - Challenges of Combining the Global and the Local (ppt, 105 KB)
• Elizabeth Brewer, Beloit College – Does the Past Matter? Moving Forward in a Time of Scarce Resources (ppt, 3,900 KB)
• John Heyl, Old Dominion University – Mobilizing Financial Support: Dean's Awards for Education Abroad (ppt, 71 KB)

Last updated: April 19, 2006