Global Studies Certificates As An Instrument for Building Capacity for Community College Internationalization

Community college campus internationalization is only represented in a small portion of the institutions in the U.S. Global Studies Certificates (GSC) are in an even smaller proportion of community colleges, but offers a credentialed program for curricular and co-curricular activities to be used to work with campus internationalization. This pilot study looks at 23 community colleges with established GSC programs. Building capacity for campus internationalization cannot be just a tiny effort, it must be a comprehensive effort involving administration, faculty, staff and students. Utilizing Raby’s (2012) International Education model and Schultz’s (1960) Human Capital Theory in education, GSC’s will be examined to determine the effectiveness to establish pathways for integration of campus internationalization into the mission, outcomes, and culture of the campuses examined.

When Internationalization Funding Feels Tight: Satisfaction With Funding and Campus Internationalization Strategies

This study investigated predictors of satisfaction with an institution’s strategy for campus internationalization among international affairs staff ( N = 1,520) and compared the varying perceptions of their institution’s funding to fulfill this mandate. This study identified factors that influenced these individuals’ sense of their institution’s internationalization strategy. Among international affairs staff who were most dissatisfied with their institution’s funding, satisfaction with how their institution managed the outsourcing of university functions, and perceived competition with other universities most influenced their perceptions of strategy. For those moderately satisfied with funding, retention of senior university leadership most influenced their perceptions of strategy. Support from senior administration, communication with faculty, and capacity to support increased student enrollment influenced perceptions of strategy for all respondents. The results of this study suggest the negotiation of the educational and entrepreneurial rationales for internationalization are far more complex—and dependent on far more factors—at institutions where international affairs staff perceive fewer human and financial resources to be available.

Beyond Curriculum Internationalization

Curriculum internationalization (CI) has shifted from U.S. student and faculty mobility, foreign language offerings, and interdisciplinary programming to the delivery of content and the role of international students in the method of delivery. Although CI is still about developing students' international and intercultural perspectives, it is not only about teaching or students. Broadly speaking, it is about learning and involves every member of the campus community through purposeful curriculum planning and campus programming. Curriculum internationalization is also about exposing American students, scholars, faculty, staff, and administrators to their overseas counterparts as well as to international settings and perspectives through co-curricular programs. This chapter discusses Georgia Gwinnett College's path towards campus internationalization through a quality enhancement program, education abroad programming, international students and partnerships, and campus programming—a purposeful blend of an internationalized curriculum and a co-curriculum.

Using Data Wisely to Improve International Student Satisfaction

With increasing interests in international student satisfaction and experience, international educators in pursuit of substantial campus changes should not overlook small pieces of data that can help carve substantial pathways to creating campus change. The purpose of this chapter is to showcase what data revealed about international student experiences and how the data were used to drive campus change within an institution. The authors highlight International Student Barometer (ISB) data collected from international undergraduate students at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2013 regarding student satisfaction and their overall experience. Then, the authors discuss how multiple available sources of data are sought to compliment ISB data, and how ISB data have been used collaboratively to inform institutional practice and drive campus internationalization for all students.

The Global Engagement Measurement Scale (GEMS): A New Scale for Assessing the Impact of Education Abroad and Campus Internationalization

We describe the development and validation of a new instrument to measure the non-academic impact of education abroad, the Global Engagement Measurement Scale (GEMS). Based on a review of the extant literature, we developed a 37-item instrument containing scales for four specific constructs of interest: a) cultural engagement; b) ambiguity tolerance; c) knowledge of the host site; and d) diversity openness. The measure was piloted with 263 education abroad students before and after a 5- week education abroad program. We examined the scales’ underlying factor structure, reliability, and sensitivity to education abroad program effects. Results indicate strong reliability and statistically significant increases across all scales following education abroad experiences. The GEMS instrument is brief and easy to administer, publically available, and includes important constructs for assessing the impact of education abroad. Additionally, the GEMS could be used to assess campus internationalization efforts with domestic and international students.

Mapping Academic Library Contributions to Campus Internationalization

This study surveyed academic libraries across the United States to establish baseline data on their contributions to campus internationalization. Supplementing data from the American Council on Education (ACE) on internationalization of higher education, this research measured the level of international activities taking place in academic libraries and their role in campus internationalization efforts. The results of this study indicated that responding libraries contribute broadly to campus internationalizing efforts yet trail campuses in strategic planning and organizational support. Based on analysis of the results in comparison with ACE data, the authors provide suggestions for further library initiatives and research that focuses on international and global learning activities.