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San José State University

http://www.sjsu.edu/

Contents

General Institutional Overview

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

General Institutional Overview

San José State University (SJSU) is part of the California State University (CSU) system and was the first public higher education institution on the West Coast. From its beginnings as a school to train teachers for the developing frontier, SJSU has matured into a comprehensive university offering more than 134 bachelor’s and master’s degrees with 110 concentrations.

SJSU is committed to making higher education accessible to all persons who meet the criteria for admission and offers programs in a variety of innovative delivery formats. Students can take courses via the Internet or television, in community-based centers, and in traditional classes. In fall 2002, SJSU enrolled 22,784 undergraduate and 7,566 graduate students. Non-whites made up 63 percent of the student population. Students of Asian descent made up the largest minority group, numbering about 9,600 out of the total undergraduate enrollment. Hispanics and Mexican Americans numbered about 3,500, and African Americans about 1,100. There were 1,349 international students, mostly from Asia.

SJSU’s mission states that it will enrich the lives of its students, transmit knowledge and the necessary skills for applying it in the service of our society, and expand its base of knowledge through research and scholarship. SJSU has long stressed the need for internationalization of courses, student experiences, and degree programs.

For both undergraduate and graduate students, the university emphasizes the following goals:

• In-depth knowledge of a major field of study.
• Broad understanding of the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts.
• Skills in communication and critical inquiry.
• Multicultural and global perspectives gained through intellectual and social exchange with people of diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds.
• Active participation in professional, artistic, and ethnic communities.
• Responsible citizenship and an understanding of the ethical choices inherent in human development.

Overview of Internationalization Efforts

I. Vision and Goals for Internationalization

In 1993, the SJSU Academic Senate passed a resolution setting goals for international education. This resolution encourages students and faculty to visit, study, or work in other countries. It also encourages faculty to integrate international perspectives into all campus activities. In 1994, the university created an International Programs and Services (IPS) office, which now houses the study abroad and exchange programs.

Since the arrival of provost Marshall Goodman, internationalization efforts have been coordinated and focused through the International and Extended Studies (IES) office, under the direction of an associate vice president for international and extended studies. IES creates guidelines for linkages between SJSU and other institutions, fosters a cooperative spirit among the international units on campus, and supports a variety of new international programs. As a result, programs, departments, and administrative units now focus on internationalization. Each year more courses contain international content, more professors take students abroad, and more discussion of interdisciplinary global tracks takes place.

In his SJSU Vision 2007, President Robert Caret stated that SJSU would be “recognized internationally for innovative curriculum, global outlooks, centers of excellence, and partnerships.” Accordingly, SJSU has a series of specific goals for internationalizing the campus, which are organized around three themes: faculty development, curriculum development, and student experience.

II. Progress

1. Faculty Development

• The new Provost Faculty International Travel Award program aims to promote international research and program development among a cohort of faculty selected from across the campus. In 2003, the program will focus on collaboration with Chinese universities. The program consists of three phases: pre-study seminars, field study in the particular host country (in this phase, SJSU faculty will meet with their counterparts at Chinese universities), and a series of post-study seminars and public forums for faculty to share their experiences with the campus. Faculty members will receive a small grant when they return to jump-start their research and program development projects.
  
  
• Ten faculty members were awarded Provost’s International Studies fellowships for the 2003 spring semester to give them extra support for exceptional projects in internationalization. Forty professors submitted proposals, which were evaluated by a selection committee for institutional impact, relevance to global studies, conceptual quality, and support by other faculty and administrators. The 10 fellows will pursue their projects during spring and summer terms while also helping define a strategic plan for consolidating global studies at SJSU. They will meet weekly to discuss their progress, assist one another, seek external funding for their activities, and promote interdisciplinary approaches to their fields.

2. Curriculum Development

• General education (GE) requirements at SJSU total 51 credit hours; students can choose from dozens of courses that contain international and multicultural content to satisfy these requirements. All students must take at least one course in the field of culture, civilization, and global understanding. Some foreign language courses also satisfy the GE requirement in writing skills. In addition, the university offers many area studies minors or concentrations. These include African Studies, African-American Studies, Asian Studies, Asian-American Studies, Jewish Studies, Latin-American Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and Mexican-American Studies. Students in the international business program must complete an area studies minor. The honors program, which focuses on Western civilization, satisfies most of the GE requirements. In spring 2004, a new honors track will embrace global studies. The Global Studies Collaborative (GSC) will implement a global studies bachelor’s degree in 2004 in cooperation with various colleges and the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
  
• Area studies programs allow first-generation students to convert their cultural background and second-language skills into an academic program. Local immigrant communities subsidize intense courses in Punjabi, Portuguese, and Hebrew. SJSU offers 15 foreign language study programs, more than any other campus in the California State University system.
  
• In a recent poll of professors, more than half of the respondents said they had had overseas research experience or had conducted study abroad tours. Sixty percent had contributed to international publications, presentations, exhibits, or grants. Collectively, our professors speak more than 50 languages. One-third of the professors polled said they included international material in their classes. When planners of the global studies bachelor’s degree investigated current course offerings, they identified 57 courses in various departments and programs with significant global studies content.

3. Student Experience

• Foreign students at SJSU are eligible to live in the International House (I-House) adjacent to campus. The I-House, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2003, provides housing for 70 international and domestic students, with a balance of cultures represented. The I-House also offers educational programming such as international dinners, speakers, and events that develop intercultural awareness in its residents. I-House helps foreign and U.S. resident students understand other customs and cultures.
  
• The International Programs and Services Office sponsors programs that encourage students to study abroad. The staff visit classes, promote study abroad in the student newspaper, hold several information sessions each week, and counsel students individually. Staff members address the specific needs of students in their presentations and materials, addressing issues such as financial concerns and whether study abroad will extend their time to degree. Staff also speak with parents to help families see the value of study abroad.
  
• The political science department uses videoconferencing to foster exchanges between students of SJSU and students in other nations. In 2003, the department offered a videoconference course that engaged SJSU students and counterparts in Russia; students read the same materials and discussed them together via videoconference. The department aims to make intercultural learning a requirement for political science majors.
  
• In fall 2003, SJSU will launch a teaching assistant program in Dijon, France. Students will serve as English teachers in elementary and secondary schools around Dijon, live at the University of Burgundy, and enroll in university courses. The teaching assistants will receive a salary to cover their basic expenses while in Dijon.
  
• International programs like International Week celebrations take place in public areas of campus. These expose all students to international foods, topics, and opportunities and give students the chance to learn about international programs and services. Students, given their busy lives, need repeated exposure to international opportunities before they appreciate the value of these programs.
  
• In summer 2004, SJSU will launch a series of faculty-led study abroad programs, lasting between one and three weeks. The university will grant academic credit for these programs, which are an essential way to broaden educational opportunities for those students who cannot spend a year or even a semester studying overseas. They will also provide opportunities for faculty to increase their field knowledge and bring back ideas for internationalizing the SJSU campus.

III. Successful Strategies

In making progress toward the achievement of international education goals, SJSU is particularly proud of these three internationalization initiatives:

• Study Abroad and Exchange Programs and Services: A wide variety of study abroad options are available. SJSU students can take part in 33 overseas programs sponsored by the California State University or enroll in programs at scores of other universities. The Study Abroad and Exchanges Unit of International Programs and Services regularly makes presentations to department chairs in the colleges, explaining the opportunities for study abroad and asking professors to promote study abroad programs during class time. In addition, study abroad staff visit classrooms, make presentations at residence hall meetings, and hold two study abroad fairs each year.
  
  
• International Weeks: In collaboration with the annual nationwide observance of International Education Week, SJSU hosts its own events to highlight the many international education programs on campus and heighten awareness of international education among faculty, students, and staff. Typical activities include study abroad fairs; workshops for international students applying for jobs and for faculty and staff on subjects such as international alumni development, as well as general sessions on international careers and intercultural communications; fund-raising dinners for international education scholarships; and film festivals. In 2002, SJSU started a Flags for Peace event at which students created flags symbolizing international peace. This event involved dozens of students, faculty, and staff from all over campus.
  
  
• Global Studies Collaborative: SJSU has an extremely cosmopolitan faculty and dozens of courses on international subjects, but until recently, international activities lacked a focal point on campus. Deciding to give greater coherence to global studies on campus, Provost Marshall Goodman appointed a task force to create a Global Studies Collaborative (GSC), which is developing a bachelor’s degree program in global studies. The GSC hosts international speakers, applies for grants to enhance campus international activities, and develops international research programs. It helps educate students to understand world affairs, possess the language and cultural skills to operate comfortably overseas, and have the competencies needed to be global citizens and professionals. 

IV. Future Plans

SJSU has the following plans for future internationalization development efforts:

1. Develop a comprehensive internationalization plan with specific goals, plans for achieving these goals, and assessment of success.
   
2. Double the number of Fulbright professors, both incoming and outgoing.
   
3. Nurture a global research and program development environment by supporting faculty development.
   
4. Implement the bachelor’s degree in global studies in 2004.
   
5. Form a northern California university and community college consortium for global studies.
   
6. Expand heritage language and area studies opportunities for minority, part-time, and adult students.
   
7. Double the number of students who travel abroad for study and professional experience.
   
8. Implement short-term faculty-led study abroad programs by summer 2004 as a new opportunity for students to study overseas during winter, spring, or summer breaks.
   
9. Improve the transfer rate of international students from community colleges.
   
10. Ensure placement of graduates from the new global studies degree with international companies in the Silicon Valley and elsewhere.
    
11. Raise private funds for scholarships for students who want to take part in study abroad and other international programs.
    
12. Expand linkages and partnerships with institutions to provide more opportunities for SJSU students and faculty for learning, exchange, teaching, and research.

Last updated: April 27, 2005