Globalization White Paper
Premise:
Recognizing that institutions of higher education have a responsibility to help citizens adapt to and succeed in a rapidly changing global society, Purdue University North Central seeks:
* To provide opportunities for students, faculty and the community at large to better understand the challenges and opportunities of a globalizing world
* To promote awareness of our political, social and economic position in international society
* To encourage critical analysis and discussion of the global economic and ecological consequences our actions have
* To prepare students to successfully live, work, and communicate across cultures, regions and countries and
* To provide a community forum for international learning opportunities focusing on issues in an ever increasingly, globally interdependent world
Goal 1:
Provide for coordination of international experiences and global learning opportunities on the Purdue North Central campus. Implementation of a centralizing plan for international activities will require coordination.
Strategy: Establish a Director of International Programs within an Office of
International Programs.
Action Items:
Establish an International Programs Coordinator:
* A person directing an Office of International Programs—a clearinghouse for PNC international activities (similar to new student engagement center)
* Coordinator should initially receive .5 release, potentially expanding to more as scope of responsibilities grows
* Coordinator will need administrative support commensurate with level of activity of international office
Responsibilities:
* Serve as central contact point for organization and promotion of study abroad programs
* Serve as coordinator of faculty exchange programs—encouraging PNC faculty to serve abroad and working to attract foreign faculty to PNC
* Serve as an advocate for enhanced library resources on international topics
* Compile and provide information on international research and funding opportunities
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* Promote distance learning and other international outreach activities based on information technology
* Support and promote on- and off-campus activities with an international theme—e.g., international movie nights, food and culture festivals, international lectures and other speakers, partnering with community elementary, middle and high schools to provide international activities for students, other public forums on international topics, internationally-oriented service projects
* Liaise with local businesses and social service organizations engaged in international activity (including the development of internationally-oriented internships with these organizations)
* As the number of international students grows, facilitate programs for integration of these students on campus and in the larger community
* Establish and sponsor a student diversity organization for all interested PNC students, faculty and staff
* Maintain a website for international programs, with links and other information on campus international activities
Recommendations:
Short term goals:
- Provide half time release to a full time associate or full professor to coordinate activities of the new Office of International Programs and a partial load assignment of one support staff person.
- Estimated overall costs would be $12,000., not including benefits.
Long term goal:
- Provide for a full time coordinator for the Office of International Programs and one full time support and clerical person.
- Estimated overall costs would be $75,000. not including benefits.
Assessment:
1. Annual performance review of the coordinator and support staff, much like what is currently used with annual review of PNC faculty. The Office would document annual progress in categories of Learning, Discovery and Engagement.
2. The annual senior survey would include evaluation items related to the function of the Office of International Programs.
Goal 2:
Develop Study Abroad, International Faculty Exchange, International Faculty Collaboration, and Distance Education Programs.
Strategy:
Provide international experiences for PNC faculty, staff and students.
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Action Item:
Focused collaboration between department chairs, college deans, study abroad programs on the other Purdue campuses, and the newly proposed Director of International Programs will provide support for this goal.
Responsibilities:
* Promotion of Study Abroad and Student Exchange
* Promotion of Study Abroad and Faculty Exchange.
* Promotion of Study Abroad and Academic Staff Exchange
* Promotion of Discovery Opportunities Abroad for Students
* Promotion of Discovery Opportunities Abroad for Faculty
* Promotion of activities which provide for Engagement Abroad for students and faculty
* Primary coordination for Goal 2 will be housed in the newly proposed Office of International Programs with regular consultation between the director and the academic deans and the department chairs. Goal 2 costs are somewhat flexible, but should begin with support for assisting with express mailing fees, mileage reimbursement costs to assist in visa applications (probably out of Chicago), possible transcription fees, etc. Estimated start-up costs would be $2,500.
Assessment:
Annual reporting of the numbers and frequency of students, faculty, and staff traveling abroad for educational purposes aligned with Learning, Discovery and Engagement purposes. Measurement of the success of this goal would be included on annual faculty performance reviews, staff annual reviews, and student travel records from the Office of International Programs.
Goal 3:
Globalization of curriculum throughout all colleges, all programs and all courses at PNC is a 21st century goal for today.
Strategy:
Globalization is a reality in every community throughout the United States. As we better prepare the next generation of college educated citizens it is incumbent on the institution to provide for a modern and globally-competent curricula which address global perspective throughout a student’s university education. Faculty need to provide globally competent curriculum within their subject matter expertise and the institution must provide for opportunities whereby global perspectives and ideas can be exchanged. The exchange of idea, strategies, etc., is important whether it is globally-focused subject-matter content or new instructional delivery and teaching strategies.
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Action Items (and Responsibilities):
* Academic Affairs would provide opportunities for one hour faculty workshops on best practices among some PNC and outside expertise on how to globally enrich curricula and instruction.
* College deans and department chairs would promote forums in which faculty and staff could discuss implications for a globally responsible curriculum.
* Programs and courses would encourage students to conduct research, construct projects, design lesson plans, and deliver formal presentations on relevant and contemporary topics of globalization.
* PNC would embrace the international and globally-focused resources within Northwest Indiana to heighten student, faculty and community awareness and learning of current globalization issues and the diversity of intercultural resources present in Indiana. A modest budget of $1,000 in year one would provide for initial start-up, but the budget should grow by $500. a year though the Strategic Plan cycle concluding with $3,000.
Assessment:
Create and provide students and faculty with a survey and evaluation instrument that asks students if they believe they were exposed to a globally enriched curriculum at PNC. This instrument could be constructed in the form of a Likert scale which measures degrees of approval or disapproval of the statement being examined. A separate evaluative instrument could be provided to the faculty to assess whether they believe their curriculum or courses are providing for a globally-responsive curriculum.
Goal 4:
Provide programming to raise the international awareness of students, faculty, staff, and the greater community. (Though this goal relates to goal 3, it differs in that the intent is to focus on how PNC can best bring the diverse, complex and current issues of globalization today to PNC and our communities in Northwest Indiana.
Strategy:
Provide multiple forums and events both on campus and in the neighboring communities in which topics and critical issues of globalization can be presented or shared with the public.
Action Items (and Responsibilities):
* Cultural Festival Week:
Develop, organize and promote an annual global awareness, Cultural Festival Week. The week long event will focus on various parts of the world and will
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feature a variety of events including guest speakers, cultural demonstrations, film festival, a festival dinner or luncheon, exhibits, etc. The Cultural Festival Week
will provide an opportunity for students in Northwest Indiana to experience and participate in a planned learning event which will feature one world region and examine that region’s history, culture and society. Participants would be drawn from PNC students, faculty, staff and the neighboring communities in Northwest Indiana.
Event Goal: Increase student knowledge and understanding of the diverse world in which we live. Students will gain significant information about different parts of the world and this information will assist them in being better globally focused citizens and decision-makers. Funds will need to be acquired to support various segments of the Cultural Festival Week Program, such costs as food and refreshments, film royalty costs, art supplies (Estimate $3,000.).
Assessment: A pre and post test instrument would be used which will measure student learning from the Cultural Festival Week.
* Globalization Speaker in the annual Sinai Forum Series.
A special speaker selected as part of the Sinai Forum Series to speak to one of many possible contemporary globalization issues facing America in the 21st century. The event would coincide with the annual PNC Cultural Festival (proposed above) on the PNC campus. Students would be provided an opportunity to receive free tickets and encouraged to attend to the Sinai Forum. The committee believes that this could be a powerful means to connect PNC to both an improved understanding of globalization and connect PNC students with the community through the Sinai Forum. On the following academic day, PNC would provide a one hour debriefing discussion for student, faculty and community members on the topic addressed by the globalization speaker; this would also be a part of the planned PNC Cultural Festival Week.
Projected and estimated costs of $500. which will cover costs associated with the event evaluation and the debriefing discussion to follow (next academic day) on the PNC campus.
Assessment:
Students would be provided with a program evaluation sheet to complete which would ask to how beneficial the event was, and what the student gained from the special Sinai Forum speaker.
* Faculty Forum, August 2008. Globalization across the Curriculum. Special Topic
As a part of the regular Faculty Forum sponsored by the Faculty Senate, include two or three faculty members who could speak to how they provide for global
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awareness and perspectives in the courses they teach. Each of the two or three presenters would present their example in 10 to 15 minutes with about 10
minutes for question and answer or discussion afterwards, thus this would be approximately a one hour commitment in the structure of the Faculty Forum event. No costs associated.
The Faculty Forum provides for an event evaluation and this instrument would include evaluative feedback based on the global curriculum infusion presentations made.
* The 2008-2009 PNC Theme of the Year: Globalization
The Globalization committee would like to propose that PNC kick-off the 2008 academic year as the year of Globalization. Such a bold announcement would bundle the activities proposed by the Globalization Committee with a heightened awareness of the realities of 21st century globalization at PNC, and in Northwest Indiana, the state, the nation, and our world. The proclamation of the 2008 as the Year of Globalization would encourage student and faculty to examine global relationships on a nearly daily basis. The PNC newspaper might include a globalization story in every edition, student organizations would be encouraged to promote or sponsor globalization events and activities, the PNC Film series could make selections on targeted themes of global concerns and issues. Program leaders from within the faculty could promote special globalization events and activities, for instance the Department of Communication’s Hyde Park Forum could conduct special year of competitive speeches on issue of globalization, just as one example.
Estimated costs for the 2008 Theme Year of Globalization would be $2,000. This cost is mostly to cover publicity, public relations and advertising costs, some event refreshments, program flyers, etc.
Assessment:
At the end of the year a scantron assessment tool will be made available to all PNC students (a separate one for faculty and staff) to assess and evaluate the Year of Globalization theme and what students believe that they have learned regarding globalization 2008-2009. Alternatively, and if possible, students will complete this self assessment online with a possible random prize award drawing for students or students completing the online survey assessment. Campus-wide assessment costs for this event should not exceed $500.
2/27/2008
