2016-2021 AMP Implementation Updates (February 2018)
- Charge to the Committee
- Overview
- Features of the New Practice/Policy
- Future Semesters and Assessment
CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE
The Academic Master Plan has two strategies aimed at providing a 21st century global education for students, faculty and staff:
Strategy 1: Expand opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to study abroad through exchanges, short and long-term programs, and service learning. [Benchmark: Increase number of students and faculty participating in MC-sponsored international opportunity by 200% by 2021; Increase number of courses globalized through GHI to 60 by 2021.]
Strategy 2: Establish new global partnerships for entrepreneurial, educational, and/or community outreach purposes. [Benchmark: Increase in the number of global partnerships/ contracts/ memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to 20 by 2021.]
OVERVIEW
It is increasingly important for students, faculty and staff at Montgomery College to understand their place, role and impact in a global environment. Montgomery College has students representing 160 countries, creating a diverse student body accompanied by a diverse college workforce. However, we are, too often, isolated in our thinking and fail to comprehend how our actions impact those elsewhere. Green says that focusing on global citizenship emphasizes why internationalization is core to a quality education and that it allows us to consider our responsibilities to our communities, our institutions and society.
FEATURES OF THE NEW PRACTICE/POLICY
Montgomery College has been involved in providing its students, faculty and staff with global opportunities for some time. Study abroad programs, international visits, and memoranda of understanding focusing on cultural immersion and exchanges have always dotted the Montgomery College landscape. The strategies and related benchmarks in the Academic Master Plan serve to emphasize this important aspect of college life.
The first strategy of the Academic Master Plan initiative on globalization is captured in two specific areas of Montgomery College: the Global Humanities Institute and the Study Abroad program.
Global Humanities Institute
The GHI was created in 2012 with the support of a challenge grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities. The NEH initiative was designed to “engage the power of the humanities to promote understanding and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives within the United States and abroad.”
Aspects of the GHI impacting student success include course development focusing on globalization and scholarships.
Through the GHI, curricula in a variety of disciplines have been globalized. Through stand-alone course revisions and learning community fellowships, 43 courses have undergone redesign to include a global component. In addition, the GHI has developed three courses that adopt a global perspective:
- GLHU101: Introduction to Global Humanities
- HIND129: Elementary Hindi I and Elementary Hindi II
The Global Humanities Justice Fund is an endowment by faculty in the GHI to support the passion of students. Three scholarships of $500 each are awarded to students who have complete the Introduction to Global Humanities course.
Global Classrooms connects Montgomery College students with students in classes around the world. Connections have been made with university classes in India, China and El Salvador.
GHI is not only focused on students but also faculty and their professional development. STEAM events invite STEM and Humanities faculty to gather and talk about global issues to improve teaching and learning. The STEAM events have had 132 participants the past three years. Humanities Days, celebrating humanities through events at all three campuses, has had 136 participants the past two years. A new initiative, the Sabbaticals Abroad program, goes beyond fellowships and seminars. The first sabbatical will allow a philosophy professor to do a short-term residency at Xi’an University in Xi’an, China, during the fall 2017 semester.
A Center for Global Education is in its infancy and serves as a collegewide, multi-program international effort.
Study Abroad
Montgomery College offers opportunities for students, staff and faculty to participate in study abroad programs to gain a better understanding of the global perspective. Short-term and long-term study abroad options exist.
Short-term options are connected to courses, giving faculty an opportunity to include study abroad in their courses. Some Montgomery College courses that have incorporated study abroad into the curriculum include ANTH 201: Intro to Sociocultural Anthropology; ARTT 127: Art Appreciation; ARTT 200 Art History: Ancient to 1400; BSAD 101: Intro to Business; CHEM109: Chemistry and Society; CHEM 135: General Chemistry for Engineers; ENGL 102: Critical Reading, Writing, and Research; ENGL 200: Special Topics in Literature; GNDS 101: Introduction to Gender Studies; HIST 114: The World in the 20 Century; HIST 116: World History to AD 1500; HIST 117: World History 1500 to the Present, and SOCY 240: Sociology of Age and Aging.
Short-term programs in Academic Year 2017-18 include London (winter term), Japan (spring period) and Italy (summer period).
A long-term foreign program study course, STBR 200, is an orientation and goal-setting course for students who will be studying abroad and earning credits at non-U.S. institutions. Students set goals and select courses for the international school based on their discipline of study. Transferability of those courses back to MC is also examined.
There will be about 80 students participating in study abroad opportunities this academic year.
Study Abroad also provides professional development opportunities for faculty and staff to give presentations at national conferences. An average of six faculty and staff have presented at each of the past three Maryland Community College International Education Consortium conferences.
The second strategy of the Academic Master Plan initiative on globalization focuses on expanding global partnerships. Montgomery College has been active in this area since implementation of the AMP.
The Korean Teacher Exchange Program is a partnership between Montgomery College, Montgomery County Public Schools and Daejeon, South Korea, Metropolitan Office of Education. DMOE has sent two cohorts totally nearly 40 teachers to Montgomery County to receive pedagogical training and to shadow MCPS teachers. A third cohort is expected in 2018.
Other partnerships developed through Memoranda of Understanding include:
- Wolverhampton University, England
- Hanbat National University, South Korea
- US-Asia Links, Maryland
- Educare Management Company, Dubai
- Xi’an University, China
FUTURE SEMESTERS AND ASSESSMENT
Work will continue within the Global Humanities Institute, Study Abroad and international partnerships in upcoming semesters. Assessment of GHI and Study Abroad will include examining student success in courses impacted by global efforts. International partnerships will be assessed in value of partnerships, including additional revenue opportunities and exchanges involving faculty and students.
REFERENCES:
Inside Higher Ed article - What are we talking about and why does it matter?new window
Study Abroad and International Education
Global Humanities Institute