ACE/AIEA Internationalization Collaborative 2017 Focuses on Globalizing the Co-curriculum
February 27, 2017

Over 100 higher education leaders gathered in Washington Feb. 18 to discuss strategies for internationalizing the co-curriculum at this year’s ACE/AIEA Internationalization Collaborative, an annual meeting held in conjunction with the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) Annual Conference.

The day’s topic, “Focus on the Co-curriculum: Advancing Student Learning with a Comprehensive International Strategy,” concluded with a key takeaway: While many participants described innovative, one-of-a-kind approaches on their campuses, there was a strong consensus that coordination and intentionality matter. This approach requires strong leadership and the development of common learning outcomes for the curriculum and co-curriculum.

The morning plenary gathered experts to discuss the leadership challenge. Kevin Kruger, president of NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, offered the student affairs perspective, emphasizing that some significant elements of internationalization fall outside the typical scope of the senior international officer. Michael R. Halleran, provost of the College of William and Mary (VA), and Kathy E. Johnson, executive chancellor and chief academic officer of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, explored the role of the provost in stimulating innovation and developing student learning outcomes.

Breakout sessions and workshops focused on program design and learning outcomes; institutional strategy and funding models; and engaging staff and faculty. For example, Heather Ward, associate director of ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement (CIGE), led a session on connecting co-curriculum to institutional strategy with McKenna Brown, senior international officer at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ward and Brown opened their session by inviting participants to discuss successful initiatives at their institutions involving the co-curriculum, why they were successful, and how success was measured. The group also discussed a variety of funding sources and in-kind support for programs that advance internationalization through the co-curriculum.

During a research update, Robin Matross Helms, director of CIGE, presented early findings from the 2016 Mapping Internationalization on US Campuses report, which will be released this spring. The survey is conducted every five years and is the only comprehensive source of data and analysis on internationalization in U.S. higher education.

Helms revealed that more institutions are providing internationally focused co-curricular activities than in 2011. Chris Glass, assistant professor at Old Dominion University (VA), also spoke about his own research showing good practices for engaging international students in co-curricular activities.

ELS Educational Services, Inc., sponsored the 2017 Collaborative and hosted a closing reception.

Information about the Feb. 2018 ACE/AIEA Internationalization Collaborative will be available later this year.