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Lesley University
Institutional Overview
Lesley University
is a 12,000-student, multi-site and co-educational university that
offers undergraduate and graduate programs in global studies, education,
the arts, human services, and the environment at its Cambridge and
Boston campuses and in 200 locations in 24 states. Lesley prepares
individuals for lives and careers that make differences in our
communities and serves the evolving needs of students and our diverse
society through innovative programs and pedagogy, high quality
instruction, scholarship, advocacy, and outreach. The 650 full-time
undergraduates enrolled in Lesley College and a similar number who
attend the Art Institute of Boston (founded in 1912 and merged with
Lesley in 1999) enjoy the intellectual climate of a university community
with the small class sizes and engaged faculty they expect in a small
college.
The goal of a Lesley education is to empower students with the
knowledge, skills, and experience they need to succeed as catalysts and
leaders in their professions and the world at large. Lesley offers
undergraduate and graduate programs through four schools: Lesley
College; the Art Institute of Boston; the Graduate School of Arts and
Social Sciences; and the School of Education. Lesley's Carnegie category
is Master's L.
Since its inception in 1909, Lesley has remained committed to
providing equal opportunity and educational access to those historically
underserved by higher education. According to FY05 data, 22% of Lesley's
undergraduate students are minorities and 40% of our first-year students
are first generation college students. The majority of our
undergraduates come from New England: 55% from Massachusetts, 80% from
New England, and 20% from the rest of the country and abroad.
University-wide, one in five students, either individually or as part of
a family unit, earns less than the poverty-level income of $16,000 per
year. As a result, in 2006, Lesley provided financial aid totaling more
than $9.7 million to 3,300 students.
Lesley has pioneered several innovative programs, including the first
master's degree program in Technology in Education in the United States
as well as a unique master's degree program in Conflict Resolution and
Peaceable Schools. Lesley launched the first Ph.D. in Expressive
Therapies; the first, fully online, NSF-funded, master's degree program
in Science Education in the nation; and in fall 2006, introduced the
first Master's degree for STEM education in K–12 classrooms.
Building on a history of training educators, Lesley University has
become known as a leader in development of curriculum and methodology to
meet the needs of children and adults with learning disabilities,
special needs, autism, and other developmental disabilities. Lesley's
special education work brings together the University’s expertise
in a broad range of areas, including language and literacy, psychology,
and expressive therapies and has resulted in many innovative programs
designed to improve services for individuals with disabilities.
Internationalization Efforts
Lesley University offers its students a variety of international
experiences including: a global studies concentration area, foreign
language courses, study abroad opportunities, course-specific travel
study programs, a campus populated by students, faculty and staff from
many parts of the world, and American-born students eager to learn about
people from other cultures and lands.
Based on a foundation in political science, economics, sociology,
geography and history, the interdisciplinary approach of our
Global Studies major offers students the opportunity to
integrate theory and research to understand the complex nature of
cultural and political global issues. Coursework includes a focus on
globalization, social change regarding people, systems and the
environment, social equity and human rights, global political economy,
social justice and governance, historical and cultural transformation,
policy and advocacy. Global Studies majors take 33–46 credits in
these areas and have the opportunity to participate in a model UN
program.
Lesley undergraduates may minor in Foreign
Languages. In consultation with the foreign language study
advisor, students devise a 15-credit study program consisting of
upper-level language and culture courses. Please see our vision
statement below for plans to expand language course offerings.
Thirty-seven undergraduates studied abroad in
2005/6. Twenty-three students went abroad this past fall, and an even
greater number are preparing to go overseas in the spring. Students
participate in both Lesley-affiliated and non-Lesley affiliated programs
that span the globe—in addition to popular destinations in Europe,
students have completed study programs in Australia, India, Guyana and
Costa Rica.
A number of faculty members offer course-specific travel
study. This coming summer students will have the opportunity to
travel to India while earning credit in sociology (CSOCS 3999 Sacred
Places and Ceremonies: India) and psychology (CPSYC 3999 The Psychology
of Ancient Hindu Wisdom Texts). In recent years, travel courses have
gone to Cuba, Morocco, Bali, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Tibet.
Lesley's International Student Services (ISS) and Office of
Student Activities support events for Lesley students to share
and learn about the world's cultures. In collaboration with ISS, the
African America Latin American Native American (AALANA) student group
hosts an annual Thanksgiving dinner for international students. Other
ISS-sponsored programs are Holiday Happenings, Culture Quest, and Global
Guides; each has an educational component in addition to a social one.
The student-run Culture Club is raising money to support a primary
school in Morocco. The Multicultural Festival of Ethnic Traditions (FET)
is a popular annual event on campus.
Approximately 150 international students are
enrolled at Lesley. Of these, 30 are undergraduates. These students are
classified as "international" because their home country is outside the
US. However, many first generation immigrants attend
Lesley, as do others that identify strongly with their
particular cultural or ethnic backgrounds.
Massachusetts itself is home to a vibrant and diverse community of
immigrants; recent demographics indicate that 15% of the state's
population is foreign-born. This provides ample opportunity for Lesley
students to connect with people from other cultures in meaningful ways.
Last year, several education and human services students completed
required, credit-bearing internships at organizations
such as the Massachusetts Immigrant & Advocacy Coalition and
community agencies and local hospitals with large immigrant
clienteles.
Vision for Enhanced Internationalization
Recognizing the importance of equipping graduates with the tools to
develop international competence, and in response to current and
prospective students' eagerness for opportunities to practice global
engagement, Lesley has undertaken an initiative to enhance and expand
its international curriculum and co-curricular activities. Funded by a
modest-sized grant from The Ford Foundation, a half-time international
curriculum coordinator was hired at the start of academic year 2007/8 to
survey and summarize Lesley's current international activities and to
use this considerable momentum to develop a roadmap for the future.
In the words of Lesley Provost, Martha McKenna, our vision is "for
every Lesley student to have an international experience while on
campus." To bring this vision to reality, Lesley is exploring options at
the institutional, academic and co-curricular levels:
Institutional
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Increasing linkages with collaborative entities, studying best
practices and seeking outside funding to support continued
internationalization
-
Conducting an internal assessment to identify internationalization
strengths and harness this momentum to develop additional opportunities
for students to build their internationalization "intelligence"
Curricular
-
Expanding foreign language course offerings in a way that reflects
the Modern Language Association's recommendation to embed cultural
competence in language instruction. Lesley is investigating various
modes of e-learning and partnering with other institutions, as well as
hiring additional language instructors, to increase capacity in this
area
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Apart from Lesley's specific internationalization initiatives, a
Committee on General Education is investigating whether a Global
Perspectives requirement can be represented within the distribution of
general education courses.
Co-Curricular
- Faculty members are developing new study abroad opportunities with
universities in Paris, South America, and Africa that will provide
relevant and sound academic opportunities
- As internationalization efforts grow, it will inspire an increased
level of student-led co-curricular activity to take advantage of the
international cultural offerings available our local communities
Please direct questions about this page to:
jill_wisniewski@ace.nche.edu
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This page last updated on 03/25/2009
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