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Comprehensive Institutions
University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse
http://www.uwlax.edu/
Contents
General Institutional Overview
Overview of Internationalization
Efforts
- Vision and Goals for Internationalization
- Progress
- Successful Strategies
- Future Plans
General Institutional Overview
Established in 1909, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
(UW–L) is a fully accredited comprehensive four-year university in
the University of Wisconsin System. UW–L enrolls 9,100 students,
650 of whom are graduate students. Students currently come from 38
states and 42 foreign countries; 5 percent are from racially
under-represented groups. The university offers 43 undergraduate majors
in 30 disciplines plus a wide array of minors and emphases. UW–L
offers undergraduate degrees in international business, French, German
Studies, and Spanish, as well as an international studies minor. The
university's Modern Languages Department offers courses in Chinese,
French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian. The English as a
Second Language Institute offers various levels of courses to students
and visiting scholars from around the world. Two national U.S.
magazines, Kiplinger's and U.S. News & World Report, recently ranked
UW–L as one of the best universities in the United States.
The average ACT score of the 2000 freshman class was 24.0, second
highest (after Madison's entering class) in the Wisconsin System; 67
percent ranked in the top 25 percent of their high school graduating
class. Each year, more than 300 students study abroad, and more than 100
faculty and staff participate in international programs, lectures, and
research abroad. The university hosts many leading international
scholars from around the world and is an active member in
community-based international programs, as well as state, national, and
international organizations. UW–L is a participant in more than 20
international partnerships that offer a full array of opportunities for
the campus community.
Since 1995, UW–L has made significant gains in establishing
itself as a global university. It has developed a comprehensive,
multifaceted, campus-wide approach to internationalization. In addition
to traditional study-abroad and exchange programs, UW–L
established the Faculty and Staff International Development Fund to
support and encourage faculty and staff involvement in international
programs. Last year the university earmarked $10,000 for undergraduate
international research grants for students. By earmarking funds,
UW–L seeks to build a global campus that works in partnership with
the community to educate and create a global citizenry.
Overview of Internationalization Efforts
UW–L's international programs are centralized through the
Office of International Education. The programs include: International
Admissions, International Student Recruitment, International Student
Services, International Scholar Services, International Scholar/Special
Program Housing, International Alumni Programs, Foreign Government
Sponsored Student/Faculty Programs, Study Abroad/Academic Year and
Semester Programs, Study Abroad/Short Term and Summer Programs,
International Internship Program, International Student Exchange Program
(ISEP), Faculty Programming, English as a Second Language Institute, and
support and funding for less commonly taught languages.
International Partner and Exchange Universities
UW–L has established partnership agreements with leading
universities around the world. Exchange programs enable UW–L
students to enroll directly at a university abroad. Study-abroad
programs allow students to enroll directly but under the auspices of
programs designed to accommodate American students. A number of "study
centers" designed exclusively for American students offer a structured
learning environment, and short-term study tours led by university
faculty enable students to focus on issues and themes related to
specific world regions. All UW–L partnership agreements include
provisions for the exchange of university faculty and staff.
UW–L has established partnerships with education institutions
in Austria, Australia, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel,
Mexico, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. UW–L is a member of
the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), an organization of
more than 200 higher education institutions located throughout the
world. For more information regarding UW–L's international
programs, visit http://perth.uwlax.edu/oie.
Faculty Exchange Opportunities
UW–L provides support for faculty and staff who participate in
international experiences. In 1999, the university created the Faculty
and Staff International Development Fund, which earmarks $75,000
annually for faculty and staff to travel abroad. Faculty can apply for
these funds to conduct research, present papers, or participate in
international programs that will have a direct impact on their teaching
and students. UW–L also offers opportunities for faculty to teach
at partner institutions.
International Student Services
Currently, UW–L enrolls approximately 150 international students
from 42 countries. This represents a significant increase, as only 70
international students were enrolled at UW–L in 1990. UW–L's
Foreign Student Advisor works closely with these students.
International Student Recruitment
In 1997, UW–L developed a strategic plan to increase the number of
international students to 250 by 2003; this plan has been extended to
2008. Several major initiatives have been implemented as part of the
recruitment and marketing effort to increase international student
enrollments:
- New and updated recruitment publications.
- Cultivation of strong relationships with numerous embassies.
- Development of cooperative arrangements with English-language
institutions.
- Purchase of display ads in "Study in the USA," Peterson's Guide
to Applying to Colleges and Universities in the U.S.
International Internship Program
- International internship opportunities are offered in conjunction
with study abroad.
- Internships are available for the summer as well as for the academic
year.
- Internship sites are offered worldwide.
Study Abroad
- UW–L sends more than 300 students annually on study-abroad and
exchange programs worldwide.
I. Vision and Goals for
Internationalization
UW–L's vision for internationalization is addressed in the
university's strategic plan. "Forward Together" speaks of the university
as one that will "be representative of national and global diversity"
and that "encourages study abroad." Currently, UW–L is renewing
its commitment to strategic planning by building on the achievement of
"Forward Together" to create a new plan for the 21st century. The
university offers considerable support for internationalization, and it
will be a cornerstone of the new strategic plan. (The plan will be
completed by fall 2002.) Chancellor Douglas Hastad's leadership and
vision for international education at UW–L include academic
excellence, cultural immersion, and comprehensive internationalization
of the university. At his inaugural address, Chancellor Hastad stated
that the university "will continue to broaden its international
connection."
The university and the Office of International Education (OIE)
believe that international exposure is vital for all students, faculty,
and staff in order to create global citizenry. UW–L's vision is to
become at its very foundation a global institution. UW–L envisions
an institution where faculty, students, and staff see the importance of
being global citizens; where it is taken for granted that all curricula
have an international facet; where scholars from around the world work
with departments, students, and faculty; where 50 percent of students
have either a short- or long-term study-abroad experience; and where
study-abroad programs are linked to undergraduate and faculty
research.
UW–L is committed to excellence in its international programs.
The university has exchange agreements with some of the finest
universities in the world. Students and faculty are expected to
experience cultural immersion that is academically challenging.
UW–L expects that its international programs will be of the
highest academic caliber and that students, faculty, and staff will
interact fully with the culture in which they are living.
Goals for Internationalization
OIE has compiled the following goals for internationalization. (These
goals will be formally introduced to the chancellor, provost, deans, the
Faculty Senate Committee on International Education, a student advisory
group, and the university community in fall 2002.)
- Support a new university-wide strategic plan that includes
internationalization as a cornerstone.
- Increase the numbers of students studying abroad to 25 percent of
each graduating class by 2008.
- Increase the number of international students on campus to 250 by
2008.
- Increase funding of the International Development Fund for Faculty
and Staff to $100,000 by 2008.
- Expand the International Internship Program and create a full-time
coordinator's position for internships and summer programs by 2004.
- Work with the Faculty Senate Committee on International Education to
develop a review process to ensure top academic standards for
faculty-led summer and short-term programs.
- Support and encourage university colleges and departments to insist
that all courses have an international component.
- Create a campus where global diversity is valued and celebrated.
- Challenge the university faculty and staff to provide students the
"tools" they need to meet the challenges of a global society by
providing them with the basic cross-cultural, historical, economic,
critical thinking, and technology skills required in the global
village.
- Ensure that UW–L study-abroad programs uphold the highest
academic standards and include cultural immersion as a major
component.
II. Progress
Apart from the numbers of international students on campus and
students studying abroad, measurements of UW–L's progress in
internationalization are primarily anecdotal and the result of
observation. Numbers indicate that the campus has made great gains in
increasing opportunities for students to study abroad as well as in the
number of students studying abroad. In 1995, only 57 UW–L students
studied abroad; last year more than 300 students studied at more than 23
sites worldwide.
UW–L has developed an aggressive program to recruit
international students and has restructured its English as a Second
Language Institute to make it more profitable. The numbers of
international students have increased in the past few years, but the
number of new student applications has decreased following the events of
9/11.
In those areas of internationalization that are more difficult to
assess-campus environment for internationalization and
internationalization of the curriculum-UW–L appears to be making
significant progress toward becoming a truly global university. Colleges
and departments are realizing that all courses should have an
international component. OIE strives to ensure that the goals for
internationalization at UW–L are not OIE's goals but rather goals
that reflect the needs of the institution.
The university has made substantial progress in the area of support
for international travel. The university administration and OIE
recognize that faculty, staff, and students who have not had an
international experience often do not support or understand the
importance of internationalization. When faculty, department chairs, and
students have the opportunity to participate in an international
experience, they become the best advocates for internationalization.
Chancellor Hastad is committed to ensuring that faculty, staff, and
students are given ample opportunities to participate in an
international experience. For example, with the support of the
chancellor, the university student president visited one of UW–L's
new study-abroad sites in Austria and attended the International Student
Leadership Conference in Prague, Czech Republic. This was an excellent
opportunity to influence student government, and it reinforced the
importance of study abroad for the University Student Senate.
Critical to the success of the internationalization process at
UW–L has been strong support for OIE by the administration, deans,
faculty, students, and the community. This has ensured that
internationalization evolves at all levels within the institution.
III. Successful Strategies
- DEVELOPING A MULTIFACETED, INTEGRATED APPROACH TO
INTERNATIONALIZATION
The most successful strategy that UW–L has used is developing a
multifaceted approach to internationalization. By working with faculty,
university senate committees and administrators, departments (academic
and student support services), and local, state, and federal elected
officials, the university has made great gains in internationalization.
The goal must be shared and developed. The administration, the faculty,
and so forth, cannot build a global university alone. The
university—and OIE in particular—needs to work with deans
but also with housing, the counseling center, career services, and the
health center to build a global community within the institution.
Internationalization cannot occur only in the classroom: it must be an
integral part of all aspects of the institution.
- FUNDING INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND TEACHING
In 1999, UW–L created the International Development Fund for
Faculty and Staff. This fund is compiled from $50,000 from student fees
from OIE and $25,000 from the chancellor's office. A committee
comprising the provost, academic deans, the dean of students, the
director of international education, and the chair of the faculty senate
international committee review proposals from faculty and staff twice
each year. Faculty and staff can request up to $3,000 per application.
Funds can be used to offset costs associated with presenting papers at
international conferences, establishing joint research projects with the
university's partner institutions abroad, conducting research, and
supporting new international initiatives.
In addition, OIE has earmarked $10,000 (from student study-abroad fees
and profit from the English as a Second Language Institute) for
undergraduate research. The funds are administered through the
Undergraduate Research Grant Committee. Students can apply for up to
$2,000 annually to support travel and related costs for international
undergraduate research projects.
- COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
The goal of internationalization cannot be fully obtained within the
ivory towers of the university. Through the community, corporations and
nonprofit and civic organizations are addressing issues related to
internationalization. UW–L has played a major role in teaming with
the City of La Crosse Sister City programs and other organizations to
support community-based international programs. For example, the
university played a leading role in creation of a university in Dubna,
Russia, sister city to La Crosse. The partnership has grown to include
student, faculty, and staff exchanges, as well as joint grant
applications to expand and support the program.
IV. Future Plans
- Review the draft of the university's new strategic plan to ensure
that internationalization is sufficiently represented.
- Although the university and the State of Wisconsin are faced with
substantial budget cuts, continue earmarking a minimum of $30,000 for
international student recruitment.
- Expand interaction with community organizations involved in
internationalization.
- Work with the University Foundation to develop a strategy to raise
funds to support international visitors to campus.
- Develop a "strategic plan" for increasing participation in study
abroad.
- Maintain the visibility of OIE at UW–L to the University of
Wisconsin System, ACE, and NAFSA.
- Continue to highlight UW–L's international programs on campus,
in the community, within the University of Wisconsin System, and
nationally.
- Use the results of the ACE-Carnegie Promising Practices and
materials from the ACE International Collaborative to develop an
instrument to assess internationalization on campus.
The new university strategic plan may include additional specific
plans for internationalization.
Last updated: April 27, 2005
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