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.