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Murray State University

http://www.murraystate.edu/

Contents

General Institutional Overview

1. Vision and Goals for Internationalization
2. Progress
3. Successful Strategies
4. Future Plans

General Institutional Overview

For three-quarters of a century, Murray State University (MSU) has served students from the Midwest, the nation, and the world. Founded in 1922 as a normal college, the institution has grown from an enrollment of 202 students to more than 10,000 today. As a Carnegie-classified Master's I institution, MSU offers 13 associate degrees and nearly 70 undergraduate majors, 41 of which are professionally accredited; 38 master's programs, 22 of which are accredited; 5 specialist programs; and 5 joint doctoral degrees.

Located in the Jackson Purchase lake area of western Kentucky, Murray State is a state-assisted, comprehensive university with five academic colleges. The university's 236-acre main campus is situated in Murray, a city of 17,000. Notable campus facilities and programs providing high-quality instruction and regional service include: Program of Distinction in Telecommunications Systems Management; Martha Layne Collins Center for Technology; Center of Excellence for Reservoir Research; Mid-America Remote Sensing Center; Chemical Services Laboratory; Diagnostic and Remediation Center; Price Doyle Fine Arts Center; Interactive Telecommunications Network operated by the Center for Continuing Education and Academic Outreach; WKMS-FM, a National Public Radio-affiliated 100,000-watt station; Wrather West Kentucky Museum; three agricultural laboratory farms; Breathitt Veterinary Center; Hancock Biological Station; Murphy's Pond, a 279-acre primitive wildlife habitat; Wickliffe Burial Mounds Research Center; and Savage Cave archaeological preserve.

Overview of Internationalization Efforts

Murray State University (MSU) is currently conducting a comprehensive assessment of the state of internationalization at the university. This assessment will serve as the initial point of reference for developing and recommending policy options to advance internationalization initiatives, set directions, and commit the appropriate resources. The assessment activity itself was begun by the International Studies Advisory Committee (ISAC) in spring 2004. It is comprehensive to the extent that it is planned to cover all international activity, whether independent or under the auspices of the Institute for International Studies (IIS). International activities operating independently of IIS include two consortial memberships, departmental agreements with international counterparts, faculty research and cooperation with international counterparts, and work-related travel and campus visits from international guests. These are mostly idiosyncratic and managed according to the individual interest of faculty members.

The institutional mission of IIS is to administer the university's international programs and services:

1. International agreements, consortial memberships, and bilateral international exchanges.
2. Support and advisement of international students.
3. Study abroad programs.
4. English as a Second Language Program.

IIS was established in early 1998 when the Center for International Programs and the English Language Institute were combined. The International Center and the former English Language Institute (now called the ESL Program) operate under the IIS director, who assumed this newly created position in the fall of 1998. The programs continue to have separate budget authorities. While the IIS program office is funded from university sources, the ESL Program generates its entire operating revenue exclusively from the tuition paid by its enrollees. ESL Program revenues also support MSU's degree program international student recruitment efforts and have indirectly subsidized a significant proportion of other international activities through support of personnel who serve the university's international programs. International student recruitment also involves faculty members from different departments through direct contacts with prospective students, contacts with partner institutions, and other communications and information prepared for dissemination by MSU's admissions and international studies offices. The ESL Program's continued subsidization of core international staff and programs has become problematic of late, as enrollments have declined sharply since the fall of 2001, and the program's former healthy surplus had fallen into significant deficit by fiscal 2002–03.

Formed in January 2001, ISAC has been responsible for overseeing international activities connected with IIS. It functions as an advisory body to the provost and the IIS director on: 1) university international education policy; and 2) the policies and procedures of the institute, including English as a Second Language and other special programs. Membership consists of:

• One faculty representative from each of the five academic colleges, the Faculty Senate, and an administrator from the Office of Student Affairs. Representatives of these units serve three-year terms, with one-third of terms expiring each year.
• One student representative each from the Student Government Association and the International Student Organization, whose terms are determined by these organizations.
• The provost, who serves as an ex-officio, voting member of the committee.

Since its inception, ISAC has commissioned four operational subcommittees, whose members are drawn from faculty, staff, and students and whose overall charge is to support IIS in carrying out the following internationalization responsibilities:

• International student recruitment and retention.
• International program development and management.
• Globalization of the Murray State campus.
• Faculty and staff international professional development.

ISAC's subcommittees have carried out their responsibilities by organizing activities in each of their respective areas, assisted by IIS staff. Typical activities have included: International Education Week planning and programming; globalization grants administration for international professional development and infusion of international content into new and existing courses; review and establishment of international partnerships; some recruitment/retention support; and other responsibilities both curricular and co-curricular. As a parent committee, ISAC has initiated the internationalization assessment and intends to complete it during the 2005–06 academic year.

I. Vision and Goals for Internationalization

According to MSU's recently revised mission statement and graduate characteristics, the development of knowledge, skills, and competencies required for functioning in international contexts is an essential aspect of an MSU education. This has been incorporated into both the strategic planning and the quality enhancement processes initiated across the university in 2002. To fulfill MSU's mission, the global factors to be addressed in the educational experience include the inculcation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that reflect:

• Different cultural and religious perspectives, practices, and knowledge important for local, national, and global citizenship education.
• Awareness and ability to analyze international political events and their influences.
• International economic events, trends, upheavals, monetary issues, and their effects on local, national, and international affairs.
• Firsthand experience developing understanding of and competency in other languages, cultures, and ways of life.
• Utilization of various online, print, and public media resources to learn about world events from diverse, non-American perspectives.

In order to attain this level of international competence, it is incumbent on the university to support:

• Recruitment of a student body reflective of world demographics and the building of a globalized learning climate both at MSU and in the adjacent community.
• Strengthened recruitment and support of diverse faculty committed to participation in and development of international exchanges and relationships, teaching, research, and project work that spans the globe.
• Introduction of international content into new and existing courses spanning all colleges.
• Enhancement of residential life and other co- and extra-curricular programs toward creation of a globalized environment.
• Improved international student and scholar services for advisement, orientation, adjustment, and immigration counsel.
• Retention of international students through broader and improved academic advisement and adjustment counseling.

The strategic planning and quality enhancement processes are at the point of reviewing and adopting these and other pertinent internationalization goals. ISAC is responsible for both assessing the state of internationalization to date and informing and overseeing subsequent implementation of changes.

II. Progress

The Strategic Planning Committee on Academics has identified several factors, including those listed previously, that affect both the formal and co-curricular international education of our students. Under the aegis of this committee, ISAC has responsibility for developing the appropriate action steps and progress indicators suggested by each factor. Taken together, the internationalization vision and goals statements form the basis of the internationalization assessment activity now in progress. ISAC's immediate tasks are to develop appropriate progress benchmarks for the assessment and implement the assessment.

While the assessment itself is expected to have an impact on furthering internationalization, this will be the first comprehensive analysis of the state of internationalization on all these dimensions in over a decade. It will provide a concrete basis for action planning and enable ISAC to identify areas needing further development and to propose concrete plans based on current conditions and responsive to a consensus on goals. While progress in the curriculum, faculty development, campus globalization, and institutional partnerships has been made over the years, this eclectic and often disjointed range of experience has yet to be evaluated from a university-wide perspective.

Based on a loose and practical recollection of current programming experience, interests, and capacities, the current state of international studies at MSU can be summarized under the following headings:

• Internationalization of the Curriculum
• Faculty Development
• Recruitment and Retention of International Students
• Campus/Community Globalization
• Institute for International Studies

Institute for International Studies

Mindful of the general responsibilities mentioned above, IIS provides all international student and visiting scholar support services, all study abroad activities, institutional partnership development and relations, international student recruitment, and the ESL Program. Specific accomplishments in advisement:

• Spring International Dinner (usually in April).
• Country Spotlight Months (February, March, April).
• Completion of student database (including all former students).
• Successful registration in SEVIS tracking system with batch capacity.
• Managing volunteer mentors during orientation, IEW, other community activities.
• Offering new international student six-week orientation workshop as a graded class.

Initiatives to make study abroad opportunities more visible across campus:

• Direction pole.
• Curris Center corner.
• Public displays at events such as Junior and Senior days, Taste of Murray.
• International Friendship Families program.
• Graduation recognition sash for study abroad participants.
• Reentry program for study abroad participants.
• Redesigned Resource Center for students and faculty.

The Murray State ESL Program faces challenging times as enrollments continue to decline. However, adjustments made to downsize full-time positions have reduced costs dramatically and enabled the program to adjust teaching staff in close alignment with enrollments. A full-time recruiter has been appointed this year with the specific objective of increasing enrollments from independent as well as affiliated sources.

III. Successful Strategies

1. "Discover Korea" is a cost-free, three-credit program with a partner institution in Korea that provides a two-week study abroad introduction to local culture and history. Since international experience among MSU students is rare, the program was created to counter the existing student exchange imbalance. So far, 10 students have participated. The strategy has potential to be extended to other interested partner universities with which MSU has out-of-balance exchanges.
2. A curricular infusion award program funded by the provost's office was introduced last year, and 13 faculty members submitted proposals. Five were funded.
3. The ISAC committee approach of combining policy and operational responsibilities is proving to be effective in overseeing and carrying out many internationalization activities. 

IV. Future Plans

While it is expected that all routine and ongoing international program activities will be continued at least at the current level, the key focus now is the internationalization assessment. ISAC plans to complete the assessment this coming year by:

• Integrating findings into strategic planning and quality enhancement processes.
• Engaging all colleges in review of curricular program/course offerings.
• Engaging all offices, particularly student affairs, in a review of services with a view to enhancing student opportunities for international education.

In addition, the assessment expects to achieve the following specific objectives:

• Improve preparation of ESL students for successful integration into degree programs at Murray State and elsewhere.
• Champion and promote the internationalization of University Studies and degree programs through recruitment of visiting faculty; facilitation of research, service, and teaching opportunities abroad; and curriculum improvement support.
• Coordinate and support faculty efforts to secure grant/contract funding for international teaching, research, and service activities.
• Offer community outreach programs, including a speakers bureau for schools and civic groups, to foster a global perspective in the university's service region.
• Offer scholarship programs to Murray State students and international students in support of international education objectives.
• Provide opportunities for American and international students to interact socially and academically through learning and service programs such as International Ambassadors and International Education Week.
• Add a study abroad requirement for foreign language majors and minors, international business majors, and international affairs majors and minors.
• Provide support and supply specific information for academic advisers detailing study abroad program and course options for advisees in each department.
• Coordinate and expand the transferability of study abroad courses through support and consistent communication with academic advisers.
• Have IIS staff teach in academic departments, such as international affairs, English, and philosophy, to offer a unique international perspective in courses taught and strengthen the communication between IIS and those departments.
• Provide support to returning study abroad students through communication with advisers and department chairs for course reporting, scholarship activities and reporting, and re-integration into campus (academic programs and student outreach related to study abroad).

Last updated: April 27, 2005