Where Faculty Live: Internationalizing the Disciplines

With financial support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the two-year Where Faculty Live: Internationalizing the Disciplines project (2004-2006) sought to promote the internationalization of teaching and learning at U.S. colleges and universities through collaboration with four disciplinary associations: the Association of American Geographers, the American Historical Association, the American Political Science Association, and the American Psychological Association.

Project Goals

The overall goal of the project was to promote the internationalization of teaching and learning at U.S. colleges and universities through collaboration with the four disciplinary associations listed above.

Specific Goals

1. To articulate global learning outcomes relevant to specific disciplines that will inform both the major and general education, and to communicate those outcomes to the participating associations’ membership.
2. To develop action plans for each association to promote internationalization within its respective discipline.
3. To explore how the work on internationalization accomplished by the disciplinary associations can be integrated into institutional strategies to promote internationalization.

Strategies to Accomplish the Goals

1. Creating a steering committee consisting of representatives of the four participating associations and other relevant academic organizations (see below for complete listing).
2. Assisting the four participating organizations in developing global learning outcomes and an action plan to promote internationalization of their fields.
3. Convening a roundtable of the steering committee members and institutional leaders (presidents and chief academic officers).
4. Disseminating project activities and learning via the ACE web site.

Project Activities and Products

Each of the four associations developed a statement of global learning outcomes within the framework of its discipline and will disseminate the statement to its members. Each organization also developed an action plan to enhance internationalization of the discipline. The reports of the Association of American Geographers, the American Historical Association, the American Political Science Association, and the American Psychological Association are available for review. The Association of American Geographers and the American Political Science Association have also created their own web pages devoted to the project.

On November 9, 2005, under the auspices of the Leadership Network for International Education, ACE convened a meeting of institutional presidents and chief academic officers to explore how the work of the project and overall institutional efforts to enhance internationalization can be mutually reinforcing. 

At the conclusion of the project, ACE published an essay, Where Faculty Live: Internationalizing the Disciplines, that highlights the role of national disciplinary associations in promoting internationalization of the disciplines and outlines how global learning outcomes can provide useful tools for faculty.

Mini-Grant Award

Following the project, Park University (MO) successfully applied for a $2,500 mini-grant award, funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York, to help internationalize math, science, and computer science courses at Park University during the academic year 2006-07.

Participating Disciplinary Associations and Their Representatives

The following disciplinary associations participated in the project:

• Association of American Geographers: Douglas Richardson, Executive Director
• American Historical Association: Noralee Frankel, Assistant Director
• American Political Science Association: Michael Brintnall, Executive Director
• American Psychological Association: Maureen McCarthy, Director, Pre-college and Undergraduate Programs

Additional Steering Committee Members

ACE and the Carnegie Corporation of New York convened a steering committee to act as an advisory body to the project. The steering committee met twice. At the initial meeting in September 2004, the steering committee framed the issues and jointly developed a detailed work plan for the project. The second meeting in September 2005, which included institutional leaders and campus representatives, focused on the work accomplished by the associations since the inception of the project, lessons learned, and the future agenda. The steering committee also planned the Leadership Network for International Education meeting held at the conclusion of the project. The committee consisted of the individuals and organizations named above, ACE project staff, and the following members:

• American Association for the Advancement of Science: Alan Leshner, Chief Executive Officer
• American Association for Higher Education: Robert Mundhenk, former Director of Assessment
• American Council of Learned Societies: Steven Wheatley, Vice President
• American Institute of Biological Sciences: Richard T. O’Grady, Executive Director
• Consortium of Social Science Associations: Howard J. Silver, Executive Director
• George Mason University: Peter Stearns, Provost
• Lawrence University: David Burrows, Provost and Dean of Faculty
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education: Jean Morse, Executive Director
• National Humanities Alliance: John Hammer, Executive Director
• Social Science Research Council: Mary McDonnell, Executive Director
• University of Wisconsin-Madison: Peter Spear, former Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Last updated: November 16, 2006