Outcomes
Since completing the Lab, Southern has made steady, measured progress on internationalization. As a public institution, state support declined substantially over the years, so funding has been a challenge. Nonetheless, the university’s office of student enrollment launched new recruitment and retention efforts that support a diverse population matrix—including international students, whose numbers increased from 131 (39 undergraduate and 92 graduate) in fall 2014 to 190 (33 undergraduate and 157 graduate) in fall 2016.
In terms of institutional structures, via the office of international education, the dean of international education initiated the Southern University Globalization Committee to help ensure alignment of internationalization initiatives and Southern’s strategic plan. In addition, the office of the president impaneled a group of national thought leaders to guide a world-class universities framework. This effort was designed to provide recommendations supportive of a diverse student and faculty population, as well as complementary infrastructure and global partnerships.
With the help of the networking opportunities presented by the Lab, Southern also expanded its partnerships with other historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to support global engagement and to provide experiential learning opportunities for our students. Following their Lab experience, a primary focus for the university was to further internationalization of the curriculum and research activities across all academic areas.