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INTERNATIONAL NEWS | Winter 2014 Community Colleges For International Development, Inc. | 1

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE3 Northampton Community College4 Lone Star College System5 Delaware Technical Community College5 Miami Dade College6 Humber Institute of Technology and

Advanced Learning8 Kirkwood Community College9 Hillsborough Community College10 Madison College11 Challenger Institute of Technology12 Davidson County Community College13 Daytona State College14 Ivy Tech Community College Northeast15 St. Louis Community College - Florissant

Valley16 Valencia College17 Universidad Tecnologica de Xicotepec de

Juarez, Puebla17 Brookdale Community College18 Hillsborough Community College19 Tacoma Community College19 St. Louis Community College - Meramec20 Northcentral Technical College21 Wayne County Community College

District22 Miami Dade College22 Hillsborough Community College23 Universidad Tecnológica de Tulancingo24 Craven Community College25 St. Louis Community College -

Forest Park25 Northwestern Michigan College26 USMEXFUSION27 Northwestern Michigan College28 St. Louis Community College

COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INC. WINTER 2014

As our team at CCID and Lone Star College System assembles these issues of International News, it never ceases to amaze me to see the variety of innovative programs and activities happening across our global membership.

This issue in particular is full of so many “firsts” for community colleges and for CCID as a whole – things we really need to take pride in. So please take a few minutes to do so! From corporate responsibility programs to service learning to outstanding faculty leaders, there are so many models to look toward as we seek new pathways for internationalization. But even more refreshing is the ever present commitment to expanding access and increasing participation in global engagement opportunities. Just looking at the faces and locations in the photos, you can see the diversity of the populations we reach. And while everyone looks so happy,

it’s important to not forget that behind each success story in this issue is a long road of struggles taken on by people with a passion for this business. Thank you to all of you who took the time to contribute to this issue. Make sure you take the time to read your own stories and marvel at what you’ve accomplished.

Carol Stax Brown

Greetings from the President

Delivers immediate educational benefits to students:• Provides faculty with extraordinary professional

development opportunities• Gives CCID member colleges a viable and cost-

effective means to sustain international programs• Strengthens the consortium as a whole by expanding

its capacity as a provider of knowledge-based services• Positions community colleges as the local gateways

to global education

http://ccid.studioabroad.com

TROIKATHE STUDY ABROAD INCUBATOR


CCID EVENTS CALENDAR

CCID EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEChair

Dr. Tom Ramage Parkland College

Chair Elect Dr. Jack Bermingham

Highline Community College

Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Mick Starcevich

Kirkwood Community College

Member at Large Dr. Barbara Prindiville

Waukesha County Technical College

Past Chair Dr. Richard Carpenter Lone Star College System

Executive Director Dr. Carol Stax Brown

EXECUTIVE OFFICESP.O. Box 2068

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-2068 Phone: (319) 398-1257

Fax: (319) 398-7113 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.ccidinc.org CCID was founded in 1976 CCID is an Affiliate Council

of AACC

International News is published by Lone Star College System 5000 Research Forest Drive The Woodlands, TX 77381

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Northampton Community College in Beth-lehem, PA is one of the first four colleges and universities in the country selected to

receive grants to participate in President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative to increase study abroad between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The announcement was made on January 17 following a news conference at the State Department in which Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry spoke about the importance of international partnerships to foreign policy and to economic development. Northampton’s president, Dr. Mark Erickson, and Dr. Manual Gonzalez, director of interna-

tional programs at Northampton, were both at the State Department for the announcement, as was Dr. Orlando Velásquez Benites, the rector (presi-dent) of the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, the university in Peru with which Northampton will partner.

The grant will give students studying science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics at Northampton the opportunity to participate in a summer study abroad program devoted to bringing sustainable energy systems to a remote area of Peru. Students undertook a similar project last summer. It is expected that the expansion of the program may provide a model for other community colleges looking to enrich the educational experience of science, technology, engineering and mathematics students and to provide more international experiences for their students.

The goal of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas program is to increase the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America and the Caribbean by 100,000 and the number of students from those regions studying in the United States by 2020.

More than 100 proposals were received in the first round of the grant competition. In addition to Northampton’s partnership with the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, the others chosen for funding were the University of Arizona and Pontifica Universidad Católica de Peru and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago; the University of North Texas and the Universidad de Magallanes and the Institute for Ecology and Biodiversity; and the University of Rhode Island and the Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Chile.

Community College Chosen for 100,000 Strong Initiativeby Heidi Butler

Northampton Community

College

u Building a wind turbine requires a high degree of skill.u Installing it at an altitude of 4,882 meters

isn’t easy either.

u Students from Northampton Community College join other volunteers in celebrating the successful completion of work that brought electricity to a remote village in Peru.


Lone Star College System has been awarded the 2014 Andrew Heiskill Award for

“internationalizing the commu-nity college” by the Institute of International Education.

LSCS was recognized for its Faculty International Exploration (FIE) program, which offers full-time faculty members the opportunity to conduct research and collect materials abroad with the goal of internationalizing their curriculum and developing study abroad programs.

“The FIE award promotes curriculum internationalization, study abroad program development, and increased student involvement,” said Nithy Sevanthinathan, LSCS chief international officer, interna-tional programs and strategic global part-nerships.

“Resulting programs have broadened the career horizons of students, enriched the annual Lone Star College System Interna-tional Education Conference, and fostered engagement with the community,” Sevanthinathan said.

The Institute of International Education created the Andrew Heiskell Awards in 2001 to recognize and honor the most outstanding initiatives that are being conducted in international higher education by IIE Network member universities and colleges. By recognizing excellence and innovation, the institute hopes to promote and further wide-

ranging internationalization efforts on campuses across the world.

LSCS is among an elite group of winners of this year’s awards that included Clemson University, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and the University of Michigan.

“We are living in a global economy and it’s crucial for our faculty and students to understand the role that Houston area plays in that economy,” said Dr. Richard Carpenter, LSCS chancellor.

“This award represents our commitment to being at the fore-

front among our peers and providing our students the best tools possible to succeed.”

As part of the LSCS FIE awards, study abroad programs have been held in China, Costa Rica, Italy, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and the United Kingdom.

Lone Star College System has been opening doors to a better community for 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSCS remains stead-fast in its commitment to student success and credential comple-tion. Today, with 78,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and the fastest-growing community college system in the nation. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Mont-gomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.

Lone Star College Receives Prestigious International Education Awardby Bill Van Rysdam

Lone Star College System

u Lone Star College professor Shawn Miller is pictured during his FIE trip in 2008 to Sri Lanka, which later led to an accounting-based study abroad program for LSC students in 2010


Students Explore Alternate Energy Sources in Denmarkby Taryn Gassner Tangpricha

In June 2013, the Delaware Technical Commu-nity College Energy Department returned to Denmark for the second year in collaboration

with CCID partner colleges Hillsborough Commu-nity College and the Institute of Technical Educa-tion in Singapore to explore how alternative energy is produced and consumed on a large-scale basis.

Energy Department Chair Jennifer Clemons noted that Danish consumers pay one of the highest rates for electricity of any nation across the globe; thus, there is a huge incentive to reduce consump-

tion and produce energy from renewable sources. This has led to Denmark having one of the highest percentages of renew-able energy consumption of all industrial-ized nations. “In Denmark, they’re doing in practice what we teach in theory,” says Clemons. “When students actually see it

and experience it first-hand, there is a greater impact. They know that alternative energy is not just the future: it’s happening now.” The students’ most memorable experiences included a visit to a wind farm where they had the opportunity to climb a wind turbine, and a visit to the Siemens Corporation where the group saw large wind turbines – up to 6MW – being built. According to student Steve Seichepine, the impact of the trip went well beyond the curriculum:

“I have nothing but positive experiences that I’ve taken from this opportunity and hope to apply lessons learned to challenges I may meet in the future, whether it be meeting new people, encountering a foreign culture, or discussing sustainability and renewable energy sources. I also hope to continue to nurture the personal connections I’ve made along my travels and continue to build these relationships across cultural boundaries and vast distances.”

Students from Cuba to Spend Semester at Miami Dade Collegeby Sue Arrowsmith

For the first time in 55 years, students from Cuba have arrived in Miami and will spend a semester studying at Miami Dade College

(MDC). This historic, groundbreaking project is being coordinated through MDC’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Initiatives (CLACI), with the support of the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba.

The “We Are One People” scholarship that makes this project possible is the first of its kind since 1959. More than a dozen students will take the following courses: Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Microcomputer Usage, Psychology of Personal Effectiveness, and Principles of Business & Organizational Management, as well as English as a Second Language (ESL). They will obtain certificates of completion once finished. With the exception of ESL, the classes are for college credit. The students range in ages from 18 to 37, are racially diverse, and hail from throughout the island. More than half are women. The students are expected to return to Cuba after the program concludes and teach what they learned in Miami to their peers.

“We want to be free individuals with knowledge of technologies that don’t exist in Cuba,” said student Danilo Machado. MDC welcomes these students from Cuba as it does with hundreds of students it receives each year from across the globe, especially from the Caribbean and Latin America. “We always say we are a single people, if we are over there or here,” said MDC Provost of Operations Dr. Rolando Montoya as he and faculty formally welcomed the students. “We are here with our arms wide open.”

Delaware Technical

Community College

u James Volkomer, Energy Department Chair Jennifer Clemons, Steve Seichepine and Dean Zinetti on top of the Navitas New Zero Energy Building in Denmark

u MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón chats with a student from Cuba as the group prepares to meet their new professors.

Miami Dade College


An innovative new Certificate Program offered by Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning in Toronto, Canada

is helping educators to gain the broad range of skills and knowledge they need to successfully work in culturally diverse settings. Humber’s Internationally Inclusive Educator certificate program aims to enhance the intercultural expe-rience, cross-cultural knowledge, communication skills, curriculum development and differentiated teaching skills of faculty teaching international higher education students.

Launched in 2013, the International Inclusive Educator program is designed for those interested in the field of teaching or private sector training. The certificate is comprised of five individual courses that are designed to develop essential intercultural teaching competencies:

• Intercultural Context • Intercultural Communication • Intercultural Curriculum • Understanding Students in Transition • Supporting Language Acquisition

Chrissy Deckers, an instructor in Humber’s School of Social and Community Services and member of the first IIE cohort enthuses,

“Completion of the Internationally Inclusive Educator Certifi-cate provides instructors, including myself, with an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with others, to work towards creating a learning environment that is mutually beneficial to both our

international students and domestic students.” Upon successful completion of the five courses, participants receive a Certificate of Completion.

It is well known within the international education community that the number of students choosing to pursue post-secondary education outside of their country of citizenship is growing rapidly. A recent projection by the OECD suggests that the numbers could grow from 3.7 million students in 2009 to 6.4 million by 2025. This trend is reflected at Humber, where there has been a 25% increase in the number of international students attending our institution in the past five years. International students presently account for thirteen percent of our 22,700 full time student population. The academic areas and program selections of international students are wide and diverse. As a result, the vast majority of professors, instructors and staff at Humber are engaged in the higher education experience and curriculum of international students.

As with other post-secondary institutions, Humber is enriched by the many students who come here to study from around the world. Our international students bring new cultures, new perspectives and new ideas to our campus community. Canadian students learn about culture directly from international students, which enhances their understanding of the world. Diversity in the class-room helps students develop a broader world view, a critical trait for future leaders. Diversity encourages students to step outside themselves and see the world through someone else’s perspective. International students add richness to the Canadian classroom dynamic because of the vastness of ideas, life experiences and knowledge they share. International students who return home after their studies at Humber College bring with them their new skills and knowledge and an understanding of the Canada; our language, values and culture. While international students benefit from a great understanding of Canada, Humber staff and faculty also gain from the opportunity to grow, learn, serve and teach in a global learning environment.

While there are many benefits to student mobility, the benefits are not realized without challenges. The challenges faced by interna-tional students adjusting to life in a new country and educational institution may include a sense of social loss, culture shock, and confusion regarding social and academic norms and expectations. Some students also face language and academic barriers in the classroom, including difficulty adapting to new learning styles

New Humber College Program Fosters International Educatorsby Nikki Sinclair

Humber Institute of Technology

and Advanced Learning

u Educators acquire the essential skills and knowledge required to work in an intercultural context

continued on page 15


Dr. Carol Stax Brown was invited to give the keynote address representing CCID at the Inter-American Development Bank

(IDB) Education Regional Dialogue – Commu-nity Colleges: A Good Model for LAC in Wash-ington November 6-7, 2013. The objectives of the dialogue were: to learn from the experi-ences of community colleges focusing on their strengths and challenges, discuss the central role of community colleges in expanding job oriented post-secondary education opportunities in the US and evaluate their potential contribution in addressing the skills gap in today’s Latin Amer-ican economies and other educational challenges in the Region.

The countries represented included Argentina, Brasil (states of Sao Paulo and Ceará), Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Perú , Costa Rica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, and included secretaries and ministers of education, undersecretaries, vice presidents, prin-cipals, coordinators, and foundation representatives. IDB staff

attending included Emiliana Vegas Chief of Education Division and Gustavo Arnavat, US Executive Director among others. Due to a travel conflict, Dr. Don Matthews, representing Dr. Stax Brown, opened the meeting with the keynote address discussing CCID and the CC system in the US. Additional presentations included making the case that what workforce training in LA is inadequate and that more needs to be done. Best practices in the US were covered by the presidents of LaGuardia and HCC North-

west. The rest of the day had presentations from the for profit sectors in Chile and Mexico and ended with a reception hosted by Juan Pablo Bonilla, Chief Advisor to the Executive Vice President, IDB and Dr. Mitsui, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges, USDOE.

The second day began with a presentation by Dr. Keith Bird, Senior Policy Fellow for Workforce and Postsecondary Education talking about curriculum development for workforce training and evaluation issues dealing with credits. We visited Montgomery College and then wrapped up the conference with observations about the meeting. Problems identified with workforce training in LA include: at times the questionable quality, not necessarily relating to local workforce needs, lacking access (large numbers of college age students are not in higher education training programs), not accredited and not widespread. University educa-tion is even more disengaged from the economy in general with no incentive to change.

There is movement to provide more access and gear workforce training to the economic realities of the country/region such as the UT’s in Mexico. The barriers to change include not having data to measure labor force needs and how that relates to education, the cost effectiveness of the current system, culture and tradition, ensuring quality education and dealing with students entering the higher education system not prepared for it, generating an interest and fascination with the college prep programs offered by our colleges. A more complete summary will be available when the IDB issues its report on the meeting..

CCID Keynotes Inter-American Development Bank Dialogue on Community Colleges: A Good Model for LAC?by Don Matthews

u Opening Session - Gustavo Arnavat, US Ex. Dir. IDB; Matthews; Emiliana Vargas,Chief of Education Division IDB

u Reception with Juan Paublo Bonilla, Chief Ex. Assistant for Ex. VP IDB; Dr Mitsui, Dept. Asst Sec. for CC USDOE; Matthews; Emiliana Vargas, Chief of Education Division, IDB


Dr. Alissa King, Assistant Professor of Soci-ology at Kirkwood Community College had the energy and spirit from her very first

day at Kirkwood to lead a study abroad program. When she arrived as a new faculty at Kirkwood about three years ago, she was impressed by the opportunities for faculty to develop and lead study abroad programs.

In her second year at Kirkwood, she applied for Professional Devel-opment funds to join a University of Iowa winter interim program, developed in 2006 by geography professor Dr. Rangaswamy

Rajagopal, to Madurai, India focused on Education. During this experience, she was able to develop the necessary connections in India to pursue her own program for January 2014. The interest in Study Abroad India far exceeded the expectations of both

the Study Abroad staff and faculty as applications to participate came in quickly. With the dramatic cultural differences in India expected by everyone, a series of pre-departure meetings were held to better prepare students for the environment in India.

The Kirkwood program was designed as a service learning oppor-tunity with a sociological foundation to work with the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple School in Faridabad, India. Faridabad is located in northern India near Delhi and is the largest city in the state of Haryana. The Shirdi Sai Baba School, founded by Motilal Gupta,

provides free education, vocational training, meals (break-fast and lunch), uniforms, healthcare, and mass marriages to underprivileged children in Faridabad. The number of children

served by the school has risen to more than 1,100, and 40% of these students are girls. Kirkwood was able to send a group of 15 faculty and students to Faridabad to experience the rich culture and history of India, and to interact with the students, teachers, and staff at the school.

Kirkwood students engaged in service learning projects that included such topics as American-Indian cultural exchange, photography, a letter-writing exchange with elementary school students in the Cedar Rapids area, robotics, chemistry, drug and

alcohol education, cultivating happiness and anti-bullying educa-tion, and motivation. The goal of these projects was to empower students to engage in a mutually beneficial experience that high-lighted the sociological concepts used to frame this entire experi-ence. In addition to engaging in interactions within the school, Kirkwood students also experienced cultural excursions, such as visits to Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal, Ranthambore Fort, and a safari at the Ranthambore Tiger Preserve where they were fortunate to see one of the 52 rare Bengal tigers in its natural habitat.

Reflecting on the experience, Dr. King says she has already begun to integrate her experiences in India into her teaching at Kirk-wood through examples of cultural differences in relationships and families in her Marriage and Family classes to concrete expe-riences with culture shock and norms in her Sociology classes, and is ready to plan for her next experience in India Kirkwood strives to ensure that every Kirkwood student, faculty, and staff have an intercultural experience as part of their Kirkwood experience.

Kirkwood Faculty Leads Service Study Abroad Program to Indiaby Dr. Alissa King and Dawn R. Wood

Kirkwood Community

College

u Kirkwood India Study Abroad group visiting the Taj Majal on one of their cultural excursions

u Kirkwood India Study Abroad group pictured in front of the school where they provided Service

continued on page 9


The academic advisors in the Center for International Education at Hillsbor-ough Community College are focusing on

student retention for F1 international students who are on academic warning or probation. The academic intervention program, called PASS, stands for Plan for Academic Student Success.

Students on academic warning or probation, who have a cumula-tive GPA of below a 2.0, are strongly encouraged to participate in the PASS program. The PASS student will sign an academic success contract committing to put forth a full effort to achieve a higher grade point average and to agree to work with his or her advisor regularly throughout the semester so the advisor

can review study habits, share campus resources, and have an honest dialogue with the student regarding how he or she is doing in classes. The advisor and the student will work together to build a personalized student plan for academic

success by discussing study skills, attendance, and time manage-ment practices. Students may receive minimal or full intervention depending on whether they are on academic warning or academic probation. For example, a student who is in academic warning may only need to meet their advisor bi-weekly or monthly, but a student on academic probation will be required to visit their advisor weekly and will need more intensive academic support (by being required to visit a tutor once a week or have attendance signatures submitted). The advisor will be working with the student in a “coaching” role and the student will need to put forth

the extra effort to not only see the advisor on the scheduled dates, but also to make appointments with the free tutoring and writing center (at one of the five HCC campuses available to students), to keep track of all classwork due dates in a student planner, and to have atten-dance verifi-cation forms signed by their instruc-tors. PASS is being offered to help the students achieve their educational goals and will require the students to commit 100% to the individual program outlined for them. The PASS program is being piloted for the spring semester 2014 and the Center for International Education will be collecting data at the end of the semester to determine how effective the program is in assisting students with raising their grade point averages. F-1 visa holders are required by federal law to “make normal progress” towards their degree [8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(7)(iii)]. The advisors at the Center for International Education hope this academic intervention program will prevent international students from requesting an extension of their I-20 since poor academic standing is not an acceptable reason for extension of stay in the U.S.

Academic Intervention Program for International Students at Hillsborough Community Collegeby Erin Pew

Hillsborough Community

College

These student and faculty quotes are the proof that our efforts are successful.

“I was struck by the differences between India and the United States, the level of poverty, the more rigid social stratification, and the belief system. Seemingly everything was different. The moments that really resonated with me, however, were when I noticed the similarities. When a child would giggle to her best friend about an inside joke, when a husband danced with his wife at their wedding anniver-sary, when a local stood next to me, just as awed by the Taj Mahal - It made me realize that even though India is very different, we are all still people, and that is comforting to think about” (Andrea Jayne, Kirkwood Student)

“The most impactful experience that I had on this trip was the realization that no one was asking for us to help them. We, as Americans, have the notion that everyone else needs our help, thanks to the media which makes things worse than they really are. When we interacted with the children and most of the teachers, all they wanted to do was show us their world and learn more about ours. They never dwelled on what they didn’t have; they embraced what they already had” (Mindi Kauffman, Kirkwood Student)

“Three years ago, I had a dream to take students somewhere, but I never imagined it would be India. What an incredible experience to be back here with students in tow, and I can’t thank those who made this possible enough. Thank you”

KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE continued from page 8

u Staff at Hillsborough’s Center for International Education.


This January 2014, 13 students traveled to rural Jamaica to engage in a 10-day sustainable development service learning

program. Students installed solar electric systems, volunteered in local schools, and provided nursing services at rural clinics. The program, coordinated by Madison College, included students and faculty, not only from Madison, but also from Moraine Park Technical College (WI) and Red Rocks Community College (CO).

This opportunity is an outcome of Madison College’s Dept. of State, “Capacity Building for Study Abroad” grant designed to develop service learning and sustainable development programs

in Central America and the Caribbean. Students conducted their volunteer service in Hagley Gap, in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica, St. Thomas Parrish. The community sorely lacks government infra-structure and support. The main bridge

washed away nearly a decade ago, dirt roads erode annually, elec-trical power regularly cuts out for hours (and sometimes days), and unemployment outpaces employment among the local population.

In this environment, the Blue Mountain Project (BMP), is a non-profit community development organization that has been working in Hagley Gap for 10 years. Madison College partnered with BMP to create service learning opportunities that allow technical and community college students to share their skills and work with BMP staff in community development projects. Renew-able Energy students worked to install solar systems on BMP’s two health clinics in the region. After a week of work, BMP now has

lighting and computer access that function independently from the Jamaican Power Service electrical grid. In addition to reducing the monthly bill for BMP, these solar panels now provide a critical emergency backup for the community as a whole. During hurri-cane season when local power is out the BMP clinics can serve as both health care facilities and important communications hubs. With the solar power, the BMP Internet connection will remain as an important communication link when other systems may be down and local people can come to the clinic to recharge cell phones during prolonged outages.

Nursing track students provided care for local residents including wound care, blood pressure and blood sugar testing, and shared best practices related to neonatal care and other topics with BMP volun-teer nursing staff. Nursing students also provided outreach educa-tion to local residents, school sessions on preventative care, and home visits to care for home-bound elderly individuals. Education track students designed teaching lessons for primary school students and basic school (preschool/kindergarten) groups. Students learned about the Jamaican educational system and the importance of selec-tive testing that regulates access to high school. Education students also developed lessons to tie in with the other tracks of the service including health lessons related to hand-washing and tooth-bushing, and a solar energy unit where students used solar panels to pump water and magnifying glasses to create heat.

“This was truly a life changing experience for me,” said renewable energy student Aaron Thompson. “I never would have had the opportunity to come to a place like this without this program, and now I want to re-think my studies so I can take advantage of both the renewable energy and global studies certificates at Madison College.”

Madison College Students Learn Through Service in Jamaicaby Geoff Bradshaw

Madison College

u Madison College nursing student Ashley Raanes checks blood pressure of a local resident at the Jamaica clinic.

u Renewable Energy student Tylor Lalleman with students at Penlyne Primary School in rural Jamaica.

u English instructor Amy Edwards and education student Emily Koebke Barsic with students at the Mento Primary School in rural Jamaica.


Challenger Institute has committed to local and global community engagement with the launch of its Corporate Social Responsi-

bility program Challenger Cares. “A range of new initiatives have been launched including schol-arships assisting Challenger staff to volunteer abroad and the establishment of international projects in Cambodia and India,” Challenger President and Chief Executive Officer Liz Harris said.

This year, in conjunction with the India Study Abroad Centre in India, nine of Chal-lenger’s Children’s Services students and two lecturers spent time working at the Shikshan Gram Shelter for Homeless Children and the Modern English School in Malavli, a village 100 kilo-metres from Mumbai. The shelter provides food, accom-modation, clothing, medicine and education to more than 100 chil-dren. Challenger’s students worked with local teachers at the shelter to develop their curriculum and helped assist children with special needs. In Cambodia, Challenger worked on a number of projects with non-profit organisation, One2One Charitable Trust. One project involved health and fitness students and a lecturer training

more than 20 Cambodian teachers in anatomy, strength training, cardio fitness and children’s nutrition. The Cambodian teachers took their new skills back to their schools to educate their students. Additionally, Challenger IT students and a lecturer spent three weeks in Cambodia assisting One2One in website security, Micro-soft programs and IT networking. Digital strategy manager Adam Quigley was the first Challenger staff member to undertake a chari-

table overseas experience as part of the Challenger Cares program.

In 2013, Mr Quigley took part in The Rickshaw Run, an event that saw competitors from more than 70 countries travel 4,500km of India, from Cochin to Shillong, in a 7 horsepower tuktuk. Mr Quigley’s team spent 12 hours per day for two weeks navi-gating some of the world’s worst roads to raise money for FRANK Water, a UK-based charity that provides clean drinking water to underprivileged children. Another Challenger employee, Sarah Furness, visited Kenya and spent a week at the Limuru Children’s Centre. “I helped teach the chil-dren basic maths and English, distributed food for their feeding program and spent time with the kids making them feel special,” said Sarah, an executive assistant at Challenger.

Challenger’s CEO Liz Harris said the institute had wholeheart-edly embraced contributing to the local and global community through the Challenger Cares program. “I’m delighted with the passion and commitment that our staff and students have shown towards this worthwhile initiative,” Ms Harris said.

Challenger Cares About Corporate Social Responsibilityby Nikki Sinclair

Challenger Institute of Technology

u Challenger Institute’s Children’s Services student Samantha Hatton with children from the Modern English School in India.

u Challenger Institute staff with children from the Shikshan Gram Shelter for Homeless Children in India.


Global interconnectivity and interdepen-dence are undeniable, and Davidson County Community College is passionate

about inviting the college community to live locally, yet to think globally. With support and guidance from the administration, DCCC’s Inter-national Education Committee designed and launched the Scholars of Global Distinction Program in the fall of 2013.

The mission of the Scholars of Global Distinction (SGD) Program is to develop engaged global citizens who are prepared to be successful in our increasingly interdependent world.

DCCC students who are accepted into the program agree to successfully complete at least five courses consid-ered to be “globally intensive.” While some courses are inherently global, such as foreign language, world religions or

cultural studies, the International Education Committee (IEC) recognized the need to encourage faculty to globalize the content of gateway courses as well as program specific courses, such as

pharmacy and welding. The energy and commitment of the IEC spread contagiously to DCCC faculty. Currently, SGD students may select their required five courses from 36 globalized sections.

The second component of the SGD Program requires attendance at eight “Passport to International Education” events. The College offers between 40-50 of these events each year, so achieving that goal is easy and fun! Students thoroughly enjoy interactive activi-ties such as Salsa dancing or African drumming, as well as the many educational displays and multicultural offerings of Inter-national Night. On this special day, The College invites not only students, but the local community to learn about cultural diversity and to “think globally.” Other passport events include presenta-tions from international students and scholars.

Lastly, Global Scholars must have 30 hours of global experi-ence through travel abroad or a domestic intercultural experi-ence. DCCC offers several travel abroad trips each year and even provides partial travel scholarships. One scholar, Marisa Drake, engaged in a personal service learning trip to an orphanage in Paraguay. Other participants in the SGD Program travel on CCID troikas to Peru or China or study Spanish in Spain. Local projects include internships at the annual multicultural festival, volunteering at a Chinese church, and researching the educational crisis in Ethiopia. Students share the impact of these experiences through a capstone presentation.

Over 25 DCCC students are currently pursuing the Global Scholar distinction. They love the program and are excited as they

“think globally” about the diversity of the human experience.

Living Local – Thinking Global: Scholars of Global Distinction at Davidson County Community Collegeby Susan Scarboro

Davidson County

Community College

u Global Scholar Marisa Drake at Orphanage in Paraguay

u Parade of Nations for International Night


The first community college of its kind in the Dominican Republic modeled after Daytona State College was inaugurated

in July, 2012 now is beginning its second year. Former Daytona State College president Kent Sharples, now president of the CEO Business Alli-ance, Daytona Beach and Don Matthews, former Daytona State associate vice president for global education and affairs who headed up the effort for the college and now a CCID personal asso-ciate for outreach and development, attended the opening event.

The Instituto Técnico Superior Comunitario (ITES – Superior Tech-nical Community Institute) has 14 buildings and can accommodate 10,000 students. Currently, the college has 3,383 students enrolled

in 27 programs, the top 10 most popular are in order: nursing, network management, medical imaging, software development, graphic design, computer support, dental technician, culinary arts, automotive tech-nology and dental hygiene. ITES also offers college prep programs in Spanish reading

and writing and mathematics for students who need to improve their basic skills in order to be successful at the college.

The Minister of Higher Education Ligia Amado Melo noted recently that 90% of students tested were deficient in math and

70% in reading and writing. ITES also has a locally appointed Board of Trustees mirroring the US model. The collaboration started in 2002 with DSC personnel contacting the Global Foundation for Development and Democracy headed by former President Leonel Fernández, 1996-2000, who was reelected presi-dent 2004-2012. Preliminary discussions focused on collaboration efforts and the conversation resulted in the idea of assisting the DR to develop a community college.

In January 2007, DSC received a $1.78 million contract from the Dominican Government through the Office of the President for the project. President Fernández mentioned at the inaugural event the importance of this collaboration to their country and in devel-oping ITES. Over the next few years, over 74 DSC faculty and staff provided consulting to help develop curriculum, training of faculty and staff, and making recommendations for the buildings, technology, equipment and other related aspects. Over 50 higher education personnel in the Dominican Republic were involved in the project. Sharples said: “It’s a major accomplishment and point of distinction for Daytona State to help another nation create a community college system that provides educational access to its citizens and relevant education for work and social mobility”.

Current president of DSC Dr. Carol Eaton noted “It’s great to hear that this inaugural institution in the Dominican Republic is successful. We’re gratified to see Daytona State’s expertise with community-college development contribute to workforce growth through quality training and education. This model can foster economic opportunities for the people and industry in the Dominican Republic and beyond.”

Daytona State Serves As Model For College In Dominican Republic, Now In Its Second Yearby Don Matthews

Daytona State College

u Exterior view of ITSC entrance

u Swearing in of Board of Trustees for ITES by President Danilo Medina, from left Minister of Higher Education, Liga Amada Melo, Rector Dr. Victor Hugo De Lancer and other community members.


You can’t go home again” is more than a trite, throwaway expression to some people. For Atchima Mahamat-Zene in

particular, it serves as a painful reality check given her exposure to unimaginable condi-tions growing up. It’s her resilience in spite of them,however, that has helped her earn the 2013 Melvin L. Curtis Award for Academic Excel-lence—Ivy Tech Community College Northeast’s highest honor for a graduating student based on outstanding academic achievement, community-service participation, and personal qualities.

Mahamat-Zene is a native of Chad—a landlocked republic in north central Africa that possesses some of the most unenvi-able high rankings among nations. According to United Nations’

data, Chad is one of the poorest and most politically corrupt states in the world. Most inhabitants live in mud–brick dwellings and exist as subsistence herders and farmers. Young girls often dream about better futures in Chad, Mahamat-Zene says, but they rarely achieve them.

Many social, cultural, and religious customs deny those ambi-tions for women and girls, given barriers on access to educational opportunities,incidents involving domestic violence, and the practice of female genital mutilation, which are all commonplace despite laws prohibiting these acts.

“Before becoming teenagers, 13 of my friends and I made a pledge to go to college. By age 17, only one of us was not married. Now, only two of us are going to college,” Mahamat-Zene says. “I was the crazy one (in the group) for having those big dreams and even thinking of accomplishing them. I always strive to be an educated and successful woman, and for that reason, I took a big risk one day, and I decided to leave my home country for the United States.” Her motivation for doing so as a non-English speaking asylum-seeker was to reclaim her life after escaping a kidnapping and hostage scenario. She had been taken to her soon-to-be-husband’s remote location for an arranged marriage she did not want. Following a respite period of several months in the New York City area,she made her way to a host family in North Manchester, Ind., where, upon the birth of her daughter,Mariam, she enrolled at Manchester High School. Upon graduation in 2012, she applied to, and was accepted in, Ivy Tech Northeast’s Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP)—a one-year, associate-degree option financed by a three-year grant from the Lumina Foundation.

The single mother with great financial needs had no relatives to assist her. She faced numerous challenges while persisting at Ivy Tech Northeast, from changing living arrangements unexpect-edly and finding suitable child care assistance to balancing study time and coordinating daily, one-hour commutes to and from Fort Wayne. Nevertheless, she persevered and found the solutions necessary to complete an associate degree in business administra-tion in 12 months, earning magna cum laude honors with a 3.92 GPA and participating in ASAP-sponsored volunteer work with school children along the way.

“I am so very proud of Atchima,” says Cindy Chenoweth, ASAP program coordinator. “She truly values her education and sets goals for herself along with a plan on how to achieve them. Atchima does not let any obstacle deter her from achieving success.”

Mahamat-Zene will be attending Manchester University this fall with a prestigious President’s Scholarship and advanced standing in the university’s Fast Forward accelerated-degree program. Mahamat-Zene says her short-term goal is to complete a bachelor’s degree in business administration and enter the human resources field. Her long-term goal is to attend law school and become an immigration attorney. “Many times, in Chad, when I felt let down by school, my aunt told me, ‘Knowledge is the only thing you will have left when you lose everything,’” Mahamat-Zene recalls. Expanding that knowledge base will continue to be her focus, as she realizes the dreams she once believed were unobtainable.

Graduate Endures Longest Journey to Commencementby Dane Hawley

Ivy Tech Community

College Northeast

u Business administration graduate Atchima Mahamat-Zene, a native of the African nation of Chad, receives the Melvin L. Curtis Award for Academic Excellence from Ivy Tech Northeast Chancellor Jerrilee K. Mosier, Ed.D., during Commencement on May 10. The award is the region’s highest honor for a graduating student based on outstanding academic achievement, community-service participation, and personal qualities.


St. Louis Community College- Florissant Valley campus hosted its first annual Fair Trade Marketplace on November 11, 2013. It

was part of the Global Gathering Series organized by the Global Education Committee.

The Marketplace aspired to: 1) raise awareness of environmental and social justice issues stemming from global trade; 2) introduce the lives of artisans, farmers, and workers from 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America; 3) educate attendees about the Fair Trade movement and history; 4) encourage attendees to get involved in service learning involving fair trade and sustainable

solutions to world hunger, poverty, and environmental protection.

An anticipated outcome of the Market-place was to stimulate each attendant’s interest in moving from a passive consumer to an active world citizen who

can make a difference. To achieve this, attendees were inspired to examine the significant role they play as consumers, and the power they possess to change the lives of people in their own and other countries. This includes local, national, and global impact of consumer behavior in terms of social and environmental justice.

The Fair Trade Marketplace brought together local fair trade vendors on the Florissant Valley campus. The vendors displayed their products while educating students about fair trade. Vendor tables were interspersed with informational tables about the Fair Trade movement, focusing on coffee, women and poverty, slave/child labor, global economics, and the legacy of colonialism. The Fair Trade Marketplace was attended by more than 200

people within the span of a couple of hours. During that time, the marketplace hall was bustling with sounds of people inter-acting with questions and answers, interwoven with music and live presentations by enthusiastic students at Florissant Valley who volunteered to staff informational tables. The Fair Trade Market-place brought awareness of the global connec-tions that occur in our lives, especially due to the globalization of trade.

Many students who have not had the opportunity to travel abroad were able to learn how connected they are to the lives of individuals across the globe. Attendees were also presented with the opportunity to raise funds (using fair trade commodities) for schol-arships to travel abroad on a Fair Trade Eco-Tour to Costa Rica in the spring of 2015 to learn firsthand about fair trade and the lives of individuals partici-pating in fair trade in Costa Rica.

St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley Campus Connects Students with International Producers and Artisans by Mark Manteuffel

St. Louis Community

College - Florissant

Valley u Hadson Jarquin, an international student from Nicaragua, at STLCC-Florissant Valley’s Faire Trade Marketplace. Hadson is standing in front of Professor Manteuffel’s fair trade jewelry display table. Behind Hadson is The Blessing Basket Project table, one of many non-profit organizations that participated in the Fair Trade Marketplace at Florissant Valley on November 11, 2013.

and curriculum differences. As a result, it is inherent upon faculty to create inclusive learning environments that take into account diversity and the cultural differences that exist in the classroom

It is for these reasons that our Internationally Inclusive Educator Program was developed. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, apparent in the endorsement of Dawn Aitken, a Professor in Humber’s School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism: “I am very excited to be taking the Internationally Inclusive Educator Certificate Program at Humber. This program is another example of how Humber creates a positive and stimulating educational

experience for our students. Humber’s success in attracting inter-national students makes this course a “must take” for faculty to facilitate and ease international students into our Humber culture, and ensure their success in their chosen program. I am enjoying the insight and discussions of the IIE sessions and will be able to take new knowledge and strategies directly into my classroom.”

To learn more about Humber’s Internationally Inclusive Educator Program, contact Denise Gardner, Director, Professional Devel-opment, Centre for Teaching and Learning at [email protected].

HUMBER INSTITUTE continued from page 6


Valencia College received an honorable mention in the “Internationalizing the Community College” category for the

progress it has made in internationalizing the campus through faculty development for Study Abroad. The Institute of International Education (IIE) announced its 2014 Andrew Heiskell Awards, recognizing Valencia, on Monday, January 27, 2014, in New York City. .

Founded in 1919, the IIE is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance international education and access to education

worldwide. The award, named for former chairman of Time, Inc. and philanthropist Andrew Heiskell, showcases the most inno-vative and successful models for interna-tionalization of campuses, study abroad and international partnership programs in prac-tice today among the member campuses of

the IIENetwork, IIE’s membership association of more than 1,200 higher education institutions.

“Receiving this national recognition for our work over the last four years to internationalize the college is an honor and testament to the collaborative efforts of both faculty and staff throughout the college,” said Jennifer Robertson, director of study abroad and global experi-ences. “In today’s global society, it is essential that our students have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to live and work effectively in a multicultural environment. Through these study abroad experiences and internationalization of the curriculum, Valencia graduates will be well positioned to achieve both their academic and career goals.”

With a goal of increasing student participation in study abroad, Valencia instituted several measures to train faculty leaders and increase funding for students. Namely, the college developed a Study Abroad Program Leader Certificate to assist faculty in the program development process and to ensure safety for all programs. A competitive proposal process was launched for faculty to lead short-term study abroad that gives priority to programs that have demonstrated high enrollment. In addition, a Program Leader-in-Training mentorship initiative, which partners veteran faculty leaders with new faculty leaders who participate on a program as a mentee before leading students abroad, was established. Valencia increased student scholarship funding by changing its funding model and using student development and Valencia Foundation funds to support study abroad. Moreover, it has also engaged faculty in the college’s efforts to internationalize the curriculum at home for students who cannot travel overseas.

The interest prompted an internationalizing the curriculum event in summer 2013, where faculty teams worked to integrate interna-tional/intercultural components into their courses. Faculty members are also engaged in the work of creating internationalized course toolkits to make their curriculum work available college-wide. A collaborative effort by Valencia College’s Study Abroad Committee, Internationalizing the Curriculum Committee, International Education Steering Committee, International Education Connec-tions Team, study abroad program leaders, their respective deans, faculty and student development and the Valencia Foundation all contributed to this important recognition. IIE will present the awards at a ceremony in New York City on March 14, 2014, as part of its ninth annual Best Practices in Internationalization Confer-ence for campus professionals. More than 150 campus leaders and international education professionals in the United States and around the world attend the conference each year. Jennifer Robertson will travel to the conference to accept the award on behalf of the College.

u Jennifer Robertson (shown standing) works with Valencia's team of certified as study abroad program leaders.

u Study abroad program leaders include: (top left to right) Karen Fowler, Deymond Hoyte, Andy Ray; (middle left to right) Kenneth Bourgoin, Nichole Jackson, Chris Klinger, Bonnie Oliver; (bottom left to right) Pierre Pilloud, Jennifer Robertson, Karen Rumbley.

Prestigious Andrew Heiskell Award Cites Valencia’s Innovation in International Educationby Joy Jones

Valencia College


The UTXJ has just created the Coordination

of Mobility and Inter-nationalization and I am proud to be the person in charge of it. My name is Dianne Vargas and I have been working in this Institu-tion for about 10 Years.

Currently we have been working with our friends from USMEXFUSION Jennifer Granger and Carlos Huerta as well as PhD Heber Tamayo in

order to develop the strategic plan for the Internationalization of our Institution. Recently we had a workshop and we made a diagnosis of the University by using CCID’s Framework for Comprehensive Internationalization (FCI). The President, Deans and Coordinators got involved in

this activity which will certainly bring nothing but success on our way towards Internationalization. Thank you all!

Internationalization Workshop at the UTXJby Dianne Vargas

Universidad Tecnologica de Xicotepec de

Juarez, Puebla

u Staff who participated in the Internationalization Workshop at the UTXJ

u Dianne Vargas, Coordinator of Mobility & Internationalization

Brookdale Receives Gift from Portuguese Consulateby Janice M. Thomas

In December 2013, Brookdale Community College received a set of books from Instituto Camoes of the Portuguese Ministry of Education.

This gift came about after having signed a protocol agreement earlier in the year. Under the terms of the agreement, Camoes will support Brookdale as the institution promotes the study of Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures. Brookdale has recently added Portuguese to its offering of languages and is hosting a Brazilian Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assis-tant for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Brookdale Community

College

u Consul General Pedro Soares de Oliveira and Brookdale’s Nancy Kegelman, Dean of Academic Affairs

u Consul General, Pedro Soares de Oliveira (back row 2nd from left) and Antonio Oliveira from Camoes (back row 2nd from the right) and Brookdale students, staff and faculty.


We offer hundreds of disciplines and several scholarships for international students!’ could be heard against the

background noise that consisted of student inqui-ries and eager college counselors. A quick glance around the conference room revealed dozens of students surveying and shuffling the many fliers, pamphlets, and booklets of the colleges and universities in attendance.

One ambitious student beamed a smile from ear to ear as she heard about the wonderful opportunities for engineering majors at San Jose State University, while another student wrinkled his brow contemplating the opportunities for international business majors at Northeastern Illinois University. This was the scene at Hillsbor-ough Community College’s First Annual International Student Transfer Fair held on January 29, organized by HCC’s Center for International Education (HCC).

Both F-1 international and Honors Institute students were in attendance. Despite the unseasonably cool and wet weather, ten institutions—including The University of South Florida, The University of Central Florida, The University of Tampa, St. Leo University, and Stetson University, San Jose State University, SUNY Plattsburgh, Northeastern Illinois University, Lycoming College, and SUNY Oswego—arrived at HCC’s Dale Mabry

campus for a chance to meet some of central Florida’s best and brightest young minds from all over the world.

For some, the International Student Transfer Fair was an introduction to HCC, while for others it was a routine visit to recruit students. HCC students have been transferring to institutions around the country for years; however, this was the first instance in which this many colleges and universities from all over the country have visited all at once. Students and visiting representatives wholeheartedly agreed that the fair was a great success and that it provided students with helpful information in navigating the transfer process.

The CIE is a true ‘one stop shop’ for F-1 students, offering comprehensive support and programming services for 230 F-1 international students at the College. With nine staff members (3 Advisors, 2 Recruiters, 1 Center Manager, 1 Admissions Coor-dinator, 1 Program Specialist, 1 Director), students truly get the attention and support they require. The dedicated CIE staff work tirelessly to ensure student’s academic goals are met during their time at HCC, and the International Student Transfer Fair is just one example of how the staff is helping our students be successful beyond their time on our campus!

Almost as Awesome as our Beaches: Hillsborough Community College’s First Annual International Student Transfer Fairby Matt Barrett

u SUNY Oswego’s Ryan Lemon speaks with one prospective HCC student

u Ryan Miller and Daniela Vitale (NE Illinois) speak with prospective HCC students


College


TCC International Student Accepted to Columbia Universityby Jon Maes

Amadou S. Jallow from the Gambia received exciting news during this past winter break that he was accepted to Columbia Univer-

sity! While many TCC international students have transferred to top-ranking universities in the US over the years, Amadou’s success is the highest in recent TCC history with Columbia’s Ivy League

status and ranking of #4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report 2014 Best Colleges. His acceptance is also an incred-ible accomplishment when you consider the fact that only

150 transfer students (both domestic and inter-national) out of 2500 applicants are admitted according to Columbia’s admissions website.

Amadou arrived at TCC in Spring 2011. He plans to continue his studies in chemistry or biochemistry at Columbia University this Fall 2014 term. Amadou is also an avid linguist who is fluent in three native Gambian languages (Fulani, Mandingo, and Wolof), English, French and Arabic with proficiency in Spanish and he is currently studying Chinese as a hobby. Along with his appointment

as the designated administrator in Seattle for the ADLaM script (a newly invented script for the Fulani language), it is no wonder that Amadou has chosen to minor in world languages at Columbia as well. While at TCC, he was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and served as a MARC tutor, Discussion Group Leader, and volunteered as a mentor for international student orientation activities. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Amadou knows he is a passionate student with a kind heart and humanitarian drive to help others. He will surely be missed, but we are excited that he is “Reaching Higher” in TCC spirit to greater heights and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Please join us in congratulating Amadou for his amazing achievement!

St. Louis Community College’s Indiana Jones partners with Gotland University in Swedenby Lisa Martino-Taylor

Dr. Michael Fuller, professor of archaeology at St. Louis Community College - Meramec, is the College’s true Indiana Jones. He

has traveled around the world searching for new archaeological findings and last fall he traveled to Gotland University in Sweden during a sabbatical.

At Gotland, Dr. Fuller worked with Viking artifacts that have been excavated by Swedish archeologists at a Viking settlement, near Visby, Sweden. Fuller also worked with archeologists in Norway during his sabbatical project. Dr. Fuller has led numerous study abroad programs in different parts of the world and he is one of the leaders in interna-tional education at STLCC. He brings his international knowledge and experience to the classroom and our students are excited to listen to his lectures. During this trip he worked on establishing contacts for future study abroad programs and international partnerships in Scandinavia. Stay tuned because the tireless Professor Fuller always finds ways to deliver interesting programs to the students at STLCC.

Tacoma Community

College

u Amadou standing in front of TCC sign

St. Louis Community

College - Meramec

u Dr. Michael Fuller from St. Louis Community College-Meramec holds a 1,000 year old skate blade excavated this year in Swede


The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is an organization that was established in 2005 by former President Bill Clinton. CGI is

committed to gathering leaders who have a strong desire to make a change and implement innova-tive solutions to the most pressing challenges of the world. Every year, CGI hosts a conference where youth organizations, topic experts, and students come together to debate and create solutions to solve global issues.

This year, the CGI meeting will take place at Arizona State University, and will bring approximately 1,200 attendees together. This year, nearly 25 international students from the SEED program at NTC applied for CGI. They developed different Commitments to Action in order to make a change in their community. The focus areas that they are addressing are environ-ment, education, and climate change.

Wilfredo Hernandez is an international student from El Salvador whose Commit-ment to Action is “Paying It Forward,” a learning center that will inculcate the culture of volunteering in young people in El Salvador. He states, “Someone gave me

the opportunity to grow myself. I know how good it was for me, and I want to pay it forward. I am sure I cannot do it by myself so I applied to let other people have the same opportunity as I did through the help I can get from CGI.”

There are many inspirations and experiences that motivate the students to participate in CGI. A good example is Mery Rosa, another international student from the Dominican Republic.

“What inspired me to apply for CGI is the lack of resources that prisoners in the Dominican Republic have. If I have the opportu-nity to go, I can find people there willing to help me.” Throughout the years, the Global Educational Office has supported the interna-tional students with the application process. Last year, the students did an amazing job and eight of them were selected to attend CGI in St. Louis. This year, the international coordinators hope to increase the number of students selected by the program.

The Clinton Global Initiativeby Erick Lopez, Meqlui Arias, Laura Benitez, Rosemberg Rojas, Sandy Ochoa, Nancy Silverio

Northcentral Technical College

u NTC International students represented at CGI 2013

u Students present their action plan to be implemented in their home countries upon return


Study abroad trip to Belize and Guatemala offers Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) prospective nursing

student a different view on health care delivery. Marquia Ziyad can only reflect on her study abroad trip that spanned two Central American countries – Belize and Guatemala.

While in Belize, she had the unfortunate opportunity to visit two area hospitals – the Belize Medical Associates; a private hospital, and Belize General Hospital – where she accompanied her sick

roommate. What impacted her the most, she said, was the trip to the two hospi-tals took her out of her comfort zone and opened her eyes to the world of the healthcare delivery system outside of the United States. “I stepped outside of what I had been taught in the classrooms with

all the modern equipment – and saw nurses coping with limited resources and instruments as they took care of their patients. When a nurse comes face-to-face with the daily challenges of life, all they can rely on is their instincts.”

Ziyad was one of 28 students from Wayne County Community College District who spent a week studying the culture, language, and the contributions of the Mayans. There was no dull moment but a fun-filled activity for the weeklong study abroad trip. The students turned everything into a learning experience. The emphasis was to study the contributions made by the Mayans by visiting the Altun Ha Mayan Ruins in Belize and learn conver-sational Spanish at the Máximo Nivel, an international language

center in Antigua, Guatemala, where they were awarded certifi-cates of completion. Also on the itinerary was a climb to the top of Altun Ha’s temple-pyramids, known as the “Temple of the Masonry Altars”, and a hike up the 8,373-ft active Pacaya Volcano, one of three active volcanoes in Guatemala.

But Ziyad said while she enjoyed every aspect of the trip, her visit with her roommate to the hospitals will forever change the prospective on her future career. “I am grateful to have had the chance to visit the two hospitals and my experiences were quite intriguing, informative, humbling, but saddening. The hospi-tals lacked the simple things that we take for granted here in the U.S. and those things we have in abundance. As I watched blood drop from a needle in a patient’s arm into an open test tube, I was stunned to see this technique because it is not sterile. It was against everything I’d been taught,” she added. Above all, Ziyad said studying abroad can open an individual’s eyes to see the world differently. “To watch a nurse making use of what she had and not complaining was truly humbling. The staff was courteous and professional, and without the fancy equipment and latest in technological advancements, they maintained a level of profession-alism and ensured that they gave the best possible patient care.”

She said this experience of studying and observing healthcare delivery in a developing country reduced her ignorance of other cultures and will make her into a better person. “I automatically assumed that it would be impossible to receive adequate health care in such under-developed country, but I was completely wrong. The nurses and doctors everywhere; whether in the United States or in Belize, are all caring and patient advocates.”

An Adventure to Remember!by David C. Butty

Wayne County Community

College District

u Wayne County Community College District students share a moment with Colin Dempsey (red shirt), Director of National Programs at Maximo Nivel, in Antigua, Guatemala. Students were awarded certificates of completion at the end of their Spanish Language Program.


Keeping with its mission to provide a truly international perspective to students and the community, Miami Dade College (MDC)

will open a School of Government in partnership with the renowned José Ortega y Gasset – Gregorio Marañon Foundation from Spain, establishing an education program for government leaders from throughout Latin America and beyond.

MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón formally signed an agree-ment with Alfredo Pérez de Armiñán, the Foundation’s general director, at a ceremony recently. Perez de Armiñán expressed his pleasure at the creation of this center of higher learning that would benefit elected officials, government and business leaders from Latin America and the larger Hispanic community in the United States, and that it would be located in the city known as the Gateway to the Americas.

“We are extremely pleased to enter into a partnership with the College, especially since it is the institution that grad-uates the most Hispanics in the United States,” said Pérez de Armiñán. “We will provide all our cultural knowledge of the Spanish language, to jump-start the program as soon as possible, plus specially designed

curriculum materials for public servants.” The Ortega – Marañon Foundation is a cultural organization in Spain focused on the social sciences and humanities. It will contribute its vast network of cultural resources and educational services to the new School. MDC will contribute its

proven teaching experience and its great influence and prestige as an institution known for promoting social development. The new School will also benefit from the expertise of Enrique V. Iglesias, the former secretary general of the Iberoamerican General Secretariat, who will serve as an “honorary collaborator” in the endeavor. In the near future, MDC will share details of the initial steps being taken to open the School and receive the first class that will benefit from this groundbreaking initiative. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado was also present at the ceremony and expressed his support for this new program. The new School also has the support of several interna-tional organizations.

Collaboration Paves Way for School of Governmentby Tere Estorino Florin

Miami Dade College

u MDC President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón formally signed an agreement with Alfredo Pérez de Armiñán, the Foundation’s director.

At the Start of a Global International Alumni Networkby Ashley Marie Sansotta

The Center for International Education (CIE) at Hillsborough Community College (HCC) has been actively recruiting prospective

international HCC students from countries in both Latin America and Asia. As part of their recruiting efforts, they have begun contacting HCC international student alumni, hoping to create a global and robust international alumni network.

On Sunday, September 21, 2013, CIE hosted the first ever Inter-national Student Alumni Meeting in São Paulo, Brazil. Ashley Sansotta, CIE Project Manager, and Michael Brennan, Director of International Education, met with Daniel Carranza and Joyce

Gomes da Costa, two students who studied at HCC on Community College Initiative (CCI) program funded by US Department of State. The meeting gave them both the opportunity to draw on their HCC experiences and discuss how

their lives have changed. Daniel was in the Digital Television and Media Production Program at HCC.

“Thanks to HCC and all the faculty members, I’m able to shoot, edit, direct, and act on TV spots here in Brazil,” he says. Daniel hosts his own local television show, where he broad-casts music videos in a comedy format. Some of his favorite experiences at HCC include his internship in Ecuador, producing a video on HCC’s

study abroad (nursing) program, and his participation in with the Interna-tional Student Club. Joyce is currently working in the U.S. Consulate in São Paulo, Brazil in the Culture and Education Office in the Public Affairs Section. She works mostly with sports and youth programs, as well as with information/library outreach activities.

“My experience at HCC was essen-tial for me to decide that I wanted to work with different cultures. Today

I’m fortunate to have a fun job that I love, where I can help to promote a mutual understanding between Brazilians and Ameri-cans,” Joyce says.


College

u Joyce Gomes da Costa, HCC class of 2009

u Daniel Carranza, HCC class of 2010


International student mobility mainly at the Technological University of Tulancingoes a topic of big importance as it becomes a training

strategy aimed beyond academia and is primarily concerned with about of integral formation.

It is desirable that the experience is rewarding in many different areas, for those who are away from their homes to other parts abroad, as well as the challenges of joining a different university environment with a different culture and other teaching models, they are added to become independent in different in different subjects like or as caution in the use of their financial resources, care for their physical and moral integrity and the necessity to

live with other people with different ideas and culture outside the university and in most cases in another language that is not their place of origin as English, French and Chinese. Particularly noteworthy is the student Beatriz Delgado Lazcano outstanding student of Tulancingo Utec

who trained hard in learning the French language from 2011 in order to participate in international mobility programs who are offered to students. In 2012 she obtained a scholarship which she did a studies conducted a year at the Université de Bourgogne, France, and she returned with significantly level improved their of French, now she is practicing the language giving a classes in her free time simultaneously she continues its Mechatronics Engineering and learning the English language in the evenings ; This case is considered a example success in UTec Tulancingo and we are confident that more students will follow. Experience: “ My name is Beatriz Delgado Lazcano citizen from rural El Paredon Chignahuapan Puebla. After making this wonderful experience abroad I have learned about my strengths and weaknesses to enhance as a professional even for international competitiveness. In addition I acquire as a person the challenge the future of through my family influence and social change and evolution of thought. Therefore I welcome the opportunity to my family, school, and people who have supported in my way and the achievements made in the future is sow my commitment to my country.”

Impact of International Experience for Studentsby M. Sc. Gerardo Marcelino Lara Orozco / Dra. Dulce Marisa Barberena Serrano

Universidad Tecnológica

de Tulancingo

u Beatriz in louvre museum

u Beatriz La Seine


Craven Community College has made it part of its mission to go glocal, focusing on bringing global content to the campus

through the efforts of the Globalization Task Force, as well as offering experiential learning in a foreign country through the College’s study abroad program.

The Global Task Force (GTF) is a cross-campus collaboration that includes faculty & staff from all areas of the college. Last year

subcommittees focused on the four initia-tives: 1) creating an international space on campus, 2) designing a global webpage, 3) creating partnerships with international community organizations and other glob-ally focused schools, and 4) promoting global professional development opportu-

nities to faculty and staff. This year’s committee added a panel for International Education week 2014.

The goal for creating a global space on campus was to give students, faculty, and staff a place to meet and explore the inter-change of world views, values, art, customs, ideas, and other aspects of culture. Craven’s International Room opened its doors in August. Currently our global space is being used to facilitate a variety of glocal activities such as a language exchange, language group tutoring sessions, and study abroad program information sessions & club meetings. Instructors are holding open hours in the space to allow students the opportunity to explore the interna-tional media resources available there.

The College’s global webpage (http://www.cravencc.edu/globalini-tiative/index.cfm) went live in April. The page describes College’s

vision for the global initiative, our study abroad programs, high-lights on-campus international activities and visitors, and links to faculty and staff profiles of our globetrotters. One opportunity to go global is Study Abroad Ireland. The trip is a partnership between Craven Community College in New Bern, NC, and the Institute of Study Abroad Ireland in Bundoran, Western Ireland. Participants will experience Irish culture, music, art, and history through an 11-day excursion beginning in Dublin and then trav-

eling west to Bundoran. In preparation for our trip we will host several on-campus activities celebrating all things Irish.

Our kick-off event was a visit from the director of our partner institution in Bundoran to give a lecture on the Irish Cultural Revival and answer questions about the upcoming trip. Other activities during fall included a lecture on folk mythology and a poetry reading focusing on the work of W. B. Yeats. In the spring, the college will host an Irish film series. This Irish adventure is open to students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Craven on the Move: Going Glocal and Globalby Cynthia Bellacero

Craven Community

College

u Study Abroad Ecuador Participants at the Equator in 2013

u Craven Educators at Pre-Celtic Site of Newgrange, Previewing Study Abroad Ireland 2014

u Craven Students Painting Along Side Visiting Artists in 2012


STLCC-Forest Park has continued to expand its Global and Intercultural Programming with two popular events, the Fall Interna-

tional Education Festival and the upcoming Spring Intercultural Arts.

This academic year, the Fall program included a number of special-ized presentations, workshops, and performances ranging from highly politicized travelogues of Palestine by Jordanian film-maker, Suhad Khatib, to screenings of pithy documentaries like The Dialogue from MSU’s Crossing Borders series. Festival goers, students, and community members also enjoyed original program-

ming by Forest Park faculty including the crowd-pleasing “Harry Potter and the Seven Pillars of Islam” which re-imagined J.K. Rowling’s Hogwarts through a Muslim lens. The event drew quite a crowd and featured a collaboration by two star faculty, Hilary Wilson, a Children’s Literature

specialist, and Layla Goushey, a World Literature scholar. Other offerings included political action seminars by LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) and discussions of the liberating roll of soccer in South Africa from internationally recognized scholar, Chuck Korr.

As always, the festival was capped by the International Club’s exciting amalgamation of song, dance, and fashion as well as yearly performances by the children of the St Louis Language Immersion School. This celebration of diversity represents the truly collabora-tive spirit of multiculturalism that thrives at Forest Park and more than 100 members of the campus community took part in its successful orchestration including International Club coordinator,

Keith Hulsey; Campus Life Director, PhilisheaIngram; Global Education Coordinator, Daniel Yezbick; Hospitality Studies Chair, Ellen Piazza, and Media Services specialist, Donna Bakke. As a special treat this year, International Festival events were also coordi-nated around showcasing the campus’ NEH Muslim Journeys grant, coordinated by Neil Das, Dan Yezbick, and Deborah Henry.

Public enthusiasm and administrative support for Forest Park festivals continues to build and the campus International Committee is already abuzz in preparation for this Spring’s Inter-cultural Arts festival, another ongoing collection of guest lectures, workshops, and performances developed to showcase how visual art, music, theater, and language allow us to define our differences and celebrate our increasingly international perspectives on life and learning.

Flying Highby Jim Bensley & Steve Ursell

Since 2011, the aviation program at North-western Michigan College (NMC) in Traverse City, Michigan has worked to ensure interna-

tional participation with seven institutions around the globe. NMC has been successful in signing memorandums of understanding with universi-ties/colleges in the United Kingdom, India, South Africa and China that enable international aviation students to train at NMC while also providing US students the opportunity to gain aviation experi-ence overseas.

One such partnership between NMC and the University of Hertfordshire (UH) has allowed over 50 Aerospace Engineering students, representing more than 15 countries, to gain required flight hours high above the waters of Lake Michigan. Students come to NMC to complete either a two-week flight expe-rience course or an eight-week private pilot license course. Since its implementation, the college has had a 100% completion rate. Emmanuel Adeniji, a student form Nigeria enrolled at UH says,

“Flight training at NMC has not only been educational and fun, but has underscored daily the fact that my occupation is truly an inter-cultural endeavor!”

Fantastic Festivals Bring Intercultural Awareness to St. Louis Community College - Forest Park Campusby Daniel Yezbick

St. Louis Community

College - Forest Park

u Jordanian filmmaker Suhad Khatib and STLCC students during International Education Festival

Northwestern Michigan College

continued on page 28


CCID Outreach Partner USMEXFUSION delivered a workshop on Comprehensive Internationalization to the technological

universities of León and Tehuacán in Querétaro, Mexico January 30, 2014. Participants included Dr. Jesús María Contreras Esparza, rector of UT León, Dr. Francisco Valencia Ponce, rector of UT Tehu-acán, and approximately 20 middle managers and coordinators from each of their institutions.

The 6-hour workshop began with a presentation by U.S. partici-pants Don Matthews, CCID Internationalization Coach, and Liz Bergeron, CCID Program Manager. They joined the workshop via Skype to participate in the discussion and encourage engagement

with CCID’s System of Comprehen-sive Internationalization (SCI). Liz also provided some background on CCID and the importance of SCI. Don added his expertise by examining the differ-ence between global and local educa-

tion to help the participants contemplate why it is important to internationalize even if they are part of a system that has tradi-tionally focused on the “local” only. Carlos Huerta, Co-Director of USMEXFUSION, and Dr. Heber Tamayo Cruz, USMEXFU-SION’s Strategic Planning Coach, continued by defining compre-hensive internationalization, highlighting the importance of

developing a new institutional culture, and providing additional rationale for comprehensive internationalization within higher education institutions in today’s day and age.

Completing the morning session, Jennifer Granger de Huerta, Co-Director of USMEXFUSION, presented relevant data from The Community College in a Global Context: New Directions for Community Colleges, Number 161 (2013). Discussions focused on Chapter 2, Building Support for Internationalization through

Institutional Assessment and Engaging Leadership, authored by Shawn Woodin, former CCID CCI Program National Director, and Bonnie Bissonette, Associate Director of the Student Center for Global Education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The Framework for Comprehensive Internationalization (FCI) tool was introduced to all workshop participants.

In the afternoon session, participants completed a brief SWOT analysis focusing on the perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportu-nities and threats concerning internationalization at their indi-vidual institutions. Following this activity, they synthesized their answers in small groups. The discussions were lively and there was strong participation from everyone. The day ended with small-group reflections between the two universities. They analyzed similarities and differences between their institutions in the area of internationalization. It led to very engaged discussions between the participants. According to Dr. Contreras, “The seminar and workshop on internationalization was a rich experience with a lot of learning for the entire management team of UTL. It showed both the work and knowledge of the speakers and CCID.”

CCID/USMEXFUSION Internationalization Workshop in Querétaro, Méxicoby Carlos and Jennifer Huerta

USMEXFUSION

u Workshop Facilitators and Participants

u Joint UT Discussions

u SWOT Analysis Synthesis


NMC and EARTH team to bring global awareness on clean water issues North-western Michigan College’s Great Lakes

Water Studies Institute established a program in Freshwater Studies in 2009 with an emphasis in global policy and sustainability.

This emphasis area calls for a thorough understanding of water-related issues affecting the whole world. A key strategy is to promote awareness of water challenges around the world, and NMC has developed a global partnership with the Escuela de Agronomia para la Region Triopical Humeada (EARTH Univer-sity) in Costa Rica. NMC’s institutional agreement with EARTH

University was signed in 2011 to cover many aspects of international cooperation including joint research projects, faculty exchange, short summer courses and student internships. This joint collabora-tion serves students from the United States

and 30 other countries who exchange knowledge, dispositions and expertise in sustainability and resource management, using inno-vative, efficient cost-effective technologies.

An outcome of NMC’s partnership with EARTH has been the promotion of cross-functional teams within each respective institution. At NMC, preparation for study abroad includes the development of content knowledge in fresh water, in addition to the development of language competencies in Spanish. Faculty from NMC’s world languages and freshwater studies areas come

together every year to offer an interdisciplinary course that supports students in both areas before they embark on a trip abroad. In addition, the experience abroad is suitable for students studying world cultures with an emphasis in community service. Faculty from the humanities is directing students towards the completion of a summer course at EARTH, awarding them credit for community service.

NMC’s partnership with EARTH University allows the college to host students who need to complete their internship semester abroad. These international students bring to a wealth of expertise and knowledge to the local community in Traverse City, Mich-igan in the areas of horticulture, agronomy and waste manage-ment. During their internship, students serve the community by volunteering at the college or at local schools, sharing their unique cultural assets and language. Student exchange is not the only component of NMC’s partnership with EARTH.

As a result of the memorandum of understanding, NMC has connected with faculty and staff across 10 US universities-

-members of EARTH’s Consortium for Sustainability, who share resources to offer outstanding summer programs in environmental studies at EARTH.

NMC and EARTH Team to Bring Global Awareness on Clean Water Issuesby Constanza Hazelwood

Northwestern Michigan College

u NMC students take a break at Flamingo Beach, Costa Rica

u Water testing near Earth University in Costa Rica


Chris Sulincevski represented St. Louis Community College at the 2013 Chinese Bridge Delegation, a one-week educational

program in China, November 6-14, 2013. This was an outstanding opportunity to deepen the under-standing of China, share best practices, and build partnerships with Chinese schools and universities.

The program is sponsored and hosted by Hanban/Confucius Insti-tute Headquarters, Beijing. The program included school visits, cultural activities and educational workshops. Over 400 US leaders from K-12 and higher education institutions participated in the week-long program. The delegation members visited Chinese K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions, met with Chinese educators,

observed classes, interacted with students, established partner-ships with Chinese educational institutions, networked with

U.S. colleagues, attend presentations on best practices, gathered resources to build and support Chinese language and culture programs, experienced China firsthand, and marveled at the rich Chines culture, tasty cuisine, and modern and ancient cities. The organization of the program was immaculate. In Beijing the group stayed at the famous Beijing Hotel. Beside visits to Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters and universities, the group had an opportunity to visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Confucius, and other attrac-tions. After two days in Beijing the delegation was split into several smaller groups of about 30 delegates and each went to a different regional province for a three day trip. Sulincevski was in the group that visited Shandong province which is considered a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shandong’s Mount Tai is the most revered mountain of Taoism and one of the world’s sites with the longest history of continuous religious worship. The Buddhist temples in the mountains to the south of the provincial capital of Jinan were once among the foremost Buddhist sites in China. The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius, and was later established as the center of Confucianism. Shandong province has emerged as one of the most populous (95,793,065 inhabitants at the 2010 Census) and most affluent provinces in the People’s Republic of China. The group visited University of Jinan, Shandong Univer-sity, and several historical sites including the Confucius Temple, Confucius Family Mansion, and Confucius Cemetery. The group took the bullet train to and from Shandong province. This program repeats every year and it is strongly recommended to all CCID members. More information can be found at: http://profes-sionals.collegeboard.com/k-12/awards/chinese/bridge.

St. Louis Community College represented at the 2013 Chinese Bridge Delegationby Chris Sulincevski

St. Louis Community

College

u Chris Sulincevski was part of the delegation group that visited Shandong University

NMC’s association with schools in the UK does not end with hours completed in the skies of northern Michigan. During the past two years, NMC has taken groups of students and instructors to the University of Hertfordshire to complete a UK aviation expe-rience course which includes a wing design project, glider flying and tours of Airbus and Rolls Royce aviation companies. The part-nership has had great success providing students and faculty from both institutions an understanding of the global aviation industry as well as overseas flight opportunities. This spring, NMC plans to take advantage of a South African partnership with the University of Witwatersrand (UW) and the Blue Crane Development Agency by sending a combined group of aviation and nursing students to Johannesburg, Somerset East, and Cape Town. While there, they will be working to advance a partnership with UW (currently, NMC offers their students an online aviation course) and develop another with their department of nursing.

More developing countries are in need of pilots and looking to procure them from the United States, or send their own students here for training. To aid this future expansion at NMC, the college has hired a former international student to head the avia-tion partnership programs. It is often said that, “The sky’s the limit”…at NMC, we truly believe it.

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE continued from page 25

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