Community Colleges
Lehigh Carbon Community College
http://www.lccc.edu/
Contents
General Institutional Overview
Established in 1966, Lehigh
Carbon Community College (LCCC) is a comprehensive, two-year, publicly
supported community college with a main campus in Schnecksville and four
off-campus sites—(1) the Donley Center for Workforce Training and
Lifelong Learning at Portland Place in center-city Allentown, (2) the
Carbon Site in Nesquehoning, (3) the Airport Site at the Lehigh Valley
International Airport, and (4) the John and Dorothy Morgan Center for
Higher Education in Tamaqua. Educational programs are also offered at
other locations throughout the college’s service area.
The college is accredited by
the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is
sponsored by all nine school districts in Lehigh County and four of the five school districts
in Carbon
County. The mission
of LCCC is “responding to the community with high quality
education through open access and affordability.” To fulfill its
mission, LCCC offers:
- Transfer education for those
who plan to continue their studies.
- Career education and technical
training for employment and advancement.
- A variety of services to meet
the lifelong education, personal growth, training, and economic
development needs of the community.
- Instruction to strengthen the
basic skills necessary for academic success.
LCCC offers 15 transfer
associate degree programs (A.A. and A.S.), 54 career associate degree
programs (A.A.S.), 33 certificate programs, and 12 specialized credit
diploma programs. In addition to credit programs, a variety of community
education programs and courses are available, as well as literacy and
job training, adult basic education training, continuing professional
education programs, and specialized training for business and
industry.
During the 2002–03 year,
more than 8,100 students were enrolled in credit programs, while
noncredit registrations totaled over 17,000. Throughout its history,
LCCC has educated thousands of students in short-term job training
programs, many of which were targeted to disadvantaged populations
(unemployed, low income, minority, individuals with disabilities, etc.)
and supported by federal, state, foundation, or corporate
funding.
Overview of
Internationalization Efforts
I. Vision and Goals for
Internationalization
The Board of Trustees of Lehigh
Carbon Community College (LCCC) has adopted a five-phase strategic plan
for the college for the next nine years. Phase Three, for the years
2005–2008, targets internationalization, and is entitled Focus
Beyond the Lehigh Valley. The goal of that phase is summarized as
follows: “We will solidify LCCC as a leader in internationalizing
the curriculum through our innovative contacts with business and
industry throughout the world.” The 2004–05 International
Education Task Force (IETF) is supporting this goal by assisting and
coordinating efforts to internationalize the campus.
The purpose of the IETF is to
promote awareness and create a vision of a globally competent
institution. It also oversees internationalization efforts on campus and
services as a liaison for them. The initial goal of the 2004–05
IETF is to conduct an internationalization review. The task force is
currently updating the mission statement, vision statement, and
statement of values and goals and will complete its review of
internationalization activities by June 2005. During the spring
semester, an external evaluator will visit the campus to help with the
review process. With the support of both the president and vice
president of the college, the IETF hopes to make possible even more
growth and expansion of campus internationalization, focusing on
curriculum, people, and programs.
The IETF was formed in 1997,
when six faculty members with varied interests in international
education approached the president of the college (who has since
retired) to create a committee to undertake the process of
internationalizing the campus. The original task force comprised the
only full-time assistant professor of English as a foreign language, the
foreign student adviser, an assistant professor of English, two social
science professors, and a biology professor. Between 1998 and 2003,
additional faculty members were added. Some years, members included one
or more community participants, members of LCCC’s Board of
Trustees and/or administrative staff. Although there was no central
office to coordinate activities, this dedicated group of individuals was
able to support and promote many facets of
internationalization.
The IETF adopted as its mission
the following statement: “The Task Force is dedicated to
coordinating and expanding activities at Lehigh Carbon Community College
that will promote understanding between the college community and the
world community by providing programs of study, services, and activities
that develop knowledge, appreciation and skills for active and
productive participation as global citizens.” Its vision was
stated as, “Over the next five years, the Task Force will assist
the college as it expands its leadership role in developing
international awareness through coordinating the
aspects/activities/educational programs and services that connect LCCC
students, faculty, and staff with the people of the
world.”
Campus internationalization
efforts received a major boost from the five-phase strategic plan
mentioned above and from the renewed administrative support of the vice
president. In the coming years, the college will continue to focus on
the four major areas of concern on campus—internationalizing the
curricula, study abroad, faculty development, and support services for
international students.
II. Progress
Internationalizing the Curricula
In the early years, the IETF
focused on identifying courses that were international in content.
Faculty members were encouraged to add global modules to existing
courses and use textbooks with global content. New global content
courses were added to the liberal arts offerings, including new courses
in Korean, Vietnamese, and Latin-American history. The English
department also added culturally diverse literature selections in many
of its course offerings. The Business Division developed an
international business course for its A.S. in business administration,
and a virtual business practice course with European offices was added
to the A.A.S. degree in business management. In 2002, a newly hired
political science instructor added an international relations course to
the course offerings. In 2005, he will also add a new ethics course that
contains international references and case studies. After the events of
9/11, students were also urged to consider a comparative religion course
as one of their humanities electives.
The education department
developed a specialized certificate program for teachers of English as a
second language. Two of the new courses developed for this program are
1) second language acquisition and literacy development and 2) teaching
diverse learners. In 2005, the English and business departments will
partner to create a course in intercultural communication.
Study Abroad
LCCC actively promotes the
value of study abroad. A four-credit world biomes biology course was
offered twice in Dominique and three times in Costa Rica. It is
anticipated that in the summer of 2005, this course will be offered in
the Galapagos Islands. In summer 2004, the history department had five
students participate in a European Battle of the Bulge Tour. Several
students also participated in summer courses abroad offered by a New
Jerey consortium.
In the late 1990s, the IETF met
with several area community colleges and formed an agreement to promote
each other’s study abroad programs. Unfortunately, many of the
courses offered were canceled because of low enrollment. Financing a
study-abroad experience is a problem for many community college
students, so the IETF was instrumental in convincing the college’s
Foundation Board to create a study abroad scholarship fund. As this fund
grows through private donations and fund-raising activities, increasing
numbers of students will receive financial assistance for study
abroad.
Future social science
department study abroad offerings include a course on World War II in
North Africa and Italy (2005), a trip to Thailand to study Buddhism for
a philosophy course (2006), and a World-War-II trip from Hawaii to Guam
to the Philippines to Japan (2007).
Faculty Development
In the IETF’s first year,
four members of the task force attended a conference sponsored by the
Stanley Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia. The information they obtained at
that conference helped launch many of the initiatives the task force
organized in its first four years. In addition, other members of the
task force, as well as interested faculty and administration, attended
regional and local conferences and workshops on internationalization and
shared their experiences with other members at division meetings. The
foreign student adviser is a member of NAFSA and shares information from
this source with both task force members and faculty. The college also
belongs to the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Council
on International Intercultural Education (ACIIE), the Council on
International Educational Exchange (CIEE), the Pennsylvania Council for
International Education (PaCie), Community Colleges for International
Development (CCID), and the College Consortium for International Studies
(CCIS), all of which provide excellent resource material.
To determine the LCCC
faculty’s level of international engagement, the task force
distributed an international resources survey in spring 2004. A sampling
of the results follows:
- 49 percent of the faculty and
administrative staff have passports.
- 51 percent have traveled
abroad within the last five years.
- 10 percent have studied at an
institution in another country in a non-degree program.
- 2 percent have a degree from
an institution in another country.
- 9 percent speak a language
other than English with working fluency.
- 49 percent feel that with a
refresher course they would be able to speak another language with
working fluency.
- 14 percent participated in a
study abroad program as an undergraduate.
- 5 percent have led a study
abroad program.
- 2 percent have been a visiting
scholar at an institution in another country within the past three
years.
- 8 percent have employed
telecommunications/IT technology to collaborate with a colleague at a
foreign institution.
- 14 percent have
personal/professional relationships with educators in other
countries.
- 3 percent have professional
relationships with religious leaders in other countries.
- 2 percent have
personal/professional relationships with religious leaders in other
countries.
- 2 percent have
personal/professional relationships with government leaders in other
countries.
Services to International Students
The Lehigh Valley is home to
many Latino, Syrian, Indian, and Vietnamese citizens. Each year, LCCC is
privileged to have approximately 35 F1 students on campus. Foreign
nationals and their dependents also take courses. Approximately 275
permanent residents attend the college. Faculty and staff consider all
these students contributors to the international culture on
campus.
The ESL Department added its
third full-time faculty member in fall 2004. The ESL faculty and
the foreign student adviser work together, not only to provide necessary
services to students classified as F1, but also to incorporate into
internationalization activities all students whose cultural heritage
originates outside of the United States.
One of the most successful
endeavors of the ESL Department is the “International
Café.” Twice a semester, an international student presents a
lecture on his/her native country, its geography, customs, and
traditions, followed by a sampling of food characteristic of that
country. The café has been very successful in introducing students
and staff to the many diverse cultures represented on campus.
International students are also
involved in activities, song and dance performances, and displays about
their cultural heritage during International Education Week. One
well-attended past presentation focused on international students
discussing the differences in medical practice in their countries. This
presentation served as a springboard for the various disciplines of
LCCC’s allied health department, such as nursing, physical therapy
assistant, and occupational therapy assistant, to expand the unit on the
different medical practices in the world. Other well-attended
presentations focused on the political, social, cultural, and religious
differences among countries.
International students also
participate in the events of CommunityFest, a campuswide celebration
that showcases the many facets of LCCC for the community. The
international students dress in native attire for a fashion show, give
lectures and demonstrations of native songs and dance, and set up tables
with artifacts of their native countries. Community response to their
participation has been very enthusiastic.
At the end of the school
year, Project Tell, a grant-funded program that partners the
ESL Department, the early childhood education department, and local
school districts and that involves hundreds of ESL teachers, sponsors a
workshop. International students share their talents during this
workshop as well.
In addition the director of the
student activities center, various clubs, and the campus life committee
support international student activities by sponsoring cultural events
and celebrations throughout the year. Two in particular have become
traditions: During International Education Week, international students
are encouraged to wear their native costumes and attend a luncheon with
the president of the college; in December, the campus life committee
serves to all interested students and staff a holiday meal featuring
traditional holiday foods of many different cultures.
III. Successful Strategies
One of the most far-reaching
accomplishments of the task force has been its work with the
college’s Competency Task Force to have “global
competency” included in the statements recommended for graduation
from LCCC. The initial competency objective of “observe, analyze,
and understand the diverse human experience” was the forerunner of
the objective that is currently under review in preparation for the
college’s Middle States Evaluation Each year, more courses meet
this goal, and most students now graduate with several courses that are
global in content.
In fall 2003, the college
administration made a major internationalization commitment by hiring a
full-time assistant professor of Spanish. This not only makes possible
offering of more advanced levels of Spanish, but it has also encouraged
outreach to the community by developing courses that address the second
generation of Hispanic students now enrolling in increasing numbers. The
college has also increased language offerings in French and German.
Future plans include a language laboratory that will allow students to
learn another language, improve their reading, listening, and speaking
skills; and develop their own native language comprehension at an
accelerated rate. The liberal arts department is also reviewing current
programs of study to ascertain if a foreign language requirement should
be added as a graduation requirement.
IV. Future Plans
September 11, 2001, initially
caused a slow down in efforts to internationalize the campus. Activities
were directed towards SEVIS compliance and efforts to reduce prejudice,
particularly toward foreigners or strangers. However, 9/11 also served
to emphasize the importance of international education. When the 2003
academic year began, the IETF met to develop a five-year plan that added
several objectives to those mentioned throughout this
profile:
- Establish an office that will
coordinate the process of internationalizing the campus.
- Investigate grant
opportunities.
- Encourage faculty and
administrator participation in Fulbright Programs.
- Encourage faculty to
participate in study-abroad programs.
- Investigate the possibility of
LCCC students doing internships abroad.
Internationalizing the Curricula
Efforts for the 2004–05
academic year will focus on the creation of a global studies program in
cooperation with the Penn State-Berks Lehigh Valley College. A member of
the noncredit division of the college has joined the IETF this year, and
it is anticipated that there will be a linkage between the credit and
noncredit areas in international course offerings as well as other areas
of internationalization.
Study Abroad
There are currently three
initiatives in place to promote future study abroad. The Spanish
language professor is investigating the possibility of developing a
“sister” college relationship with a university in Spain.
Four-year colleges with junior-year study-abroad programs are encouraged
to come on campus to meet with interested students who are planning to
transfer. In fall 2004, the college will initiate a new honors program
that awards scholarships to high school students who score 1200 or more
on their SATs and attend the college full time. In addition to a
specially developed “honors” track of courses in the liberal
arts areas, the honors program will contain a study-abroad component.
Two faculty members are currently developing this study-abroad
experience.
In 2003, LCCC invited the
American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) to campus to meet with
interested faculty and students. There are encouraging signs of
continued faculty interest in expanding course offerings in summer
programs as well in developing a semester abroad program.
Faculty Development
In 2004–05, the task
force will analyze the results of the international resources survey to
target and encourage future faculty development activities.
Every fall semester, classes
are canceled for a day while faculty and staff participate in a daylong
professional development day. The theme of the 2004 development day was
“Internationalizing the Campus.” It is anticipated that this
emphasis, as well as workshops the IETF is planning for the
2004–05 academic year, will help increase faculty and staff
efforts in all areas of internationalization. Members of the IETF met
with faculty of three of the four-year institutions in the
college’s service area who have expertise in an area of
internationalization, and they have agreed to facilitate the
2004–05 workshops.
Services to International Students
LCCC is currently considering
how to expand on-campus housing options. When this occurs, the college
will be able to actively recruit more international students and begin
to consider contractual partnerships with other countries. Together with
the ever-increasing foreign national population and migration of diverse
cultures to the Lehigh Valley community, on-campus housing will only
serve to increase international awareness on campus.
Please direct questions about this page to:
Beth Burris, Program Associate
beth_burris@ace.nche.edu
This page last updated on 5/12/2006
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