​What can an American university do to help students from Sierra Leone feel at home on campus? How can a college work with the local region to bolster opportunities for cultural and economic exchange not just on campus, but in the larger community? What is the best way to ensure that a student who takes a service trip to Haiti uses lessons from that experience in pursuing a degree?

These were just a few of the issues teams representing the nine institutions of ACE’s 10th Internationalization Laboratory discussed as they began the 20-month process of collaboration, consultation and planning with an Aug. 30 meeting in Washington, DC.

The institutions in the cohort are:

• Becker College (MA)
• Grand Valley State University (MI)
• Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
• Merrimack College (MA)
• Samford University (AL)
• Texas Christian University 
• University of Minnesota Duluth
• Villanova University (PA) 
• Virginia Commonwealth University

Over the course of the Laboratory, cohort members will work to increase global engagement on campus by forming leadership teams to work on strategic planning and student outcomes, attending community meetings in Washington, and participating in site visits and peer reviews, among other activities.

“As the teams start their work, they’ll find the Laboratory helps them focus attention on and create a community of understanding around the concept of campus internationalization,” said Barbara Hill, senior associate in ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement. “This cohort is made up of a diverse group of engaged individuals who will energize their faculty and leadership to enhance the way they approach global education.”

Although the institutions represent different regions, sectors and student bodies, many face similar challenges, such as integrating curriculum into international experiences (and vice versa), assessing global learning, and finding the resources to create these opportunities for faculty and students.

Since 2002, 68 institutions have participated in the program. Applications for the 2013-2015 cohort will open in January 2013.