Internationalization of Harper College
Research has shown that international education is a critical contributor to workforce development and thereby enhances growth and productivity, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation (Brecht &Watson, 2001; H. de Wit, 2002; Knight, 2004; Government Accountability Office, 2007). It increases a student’s skills and employability, producing graduates with the appropriate skills and knowledge to function effectively in a global workplace.
Faculty are the linchpin in any effort to internationalize curricula, as they are the conduit through which students become globally informed. In order to graduate globally competent students, faculty will increasingly need to be globally-minded themselves. But efforts at internationalizing community college faculty face a variety of barriers from restrictive institutional tenure and promotion procedures to individual attitudes toward global learning.
So how can you get involved?
Presentations by Harper College faculty at International Education conferences:
“The Power of International Education to Transform the College Experience.”
Keynote address to Faculty In-Service Day on International Education
Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, April 13, 2017.
Presenter: Richard F. Johnson
As educators, we are charged with preparing students to function in an interdependent, highly diverse, and fast-changing world, one that is increasingly marked by volatile differences. We know global learning fosters compassion, empathy, and cultural sensitivity. In the present climate of global violence and political unrest, the world could use a whole lot more of all of these qualities. This presentation is partly inspirational, partly affirmation, and partly practical, with something for everyone.
“Archimedes’ Screw: First Steps in Campus Internationalization.”
Workshop for Faculty In-Service Day on International Education
Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, April 13, 2017.
Presenter: Richard F. Johnson
Legend has it that the ancient Greek polymath Archimedes conceived of his screwpump invention while on a “study abroad” trip to Egypt. The machine was designed to move water from a low-lying area to higher ground. In this presentation, Archimedes’ Screw is used as a metaphor for comprehensive internationalization, specifically in terms of using existing resources to move an agenda to the next level. The presentation begins with a theoretical frame and moves to concrete examples and tools for engaging colleagues across campus.
“Beyond the classroom: Integrating Service Learning and Study Abroad.”
Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the International Educators of Illinois (IEI)
Kendall College, Chicago, IL, April 7, 2017
Presenter: Richard F. Johnson; Katherine Pisco, Unearth the World
Global Service Learning (GSL) is often described as a cross between study abroad and overseas volunteer service, and yet it can be so much more than that. Intentionally designed, GSL programs are a dynamic way to engage our students in meaningful learning and growth in an international setting. They afford students the opportunity to serve another person, another community. Through service, students acquire linguistic and intercultural skills highly prized in the global workforce. Most importantly, global service learning fosters compassion, empathy, and cultural-sensitivity. This session offered an exploration of GSL through a unique collaboration between Harper College and Unearth the World, social enterprise devoted to planning transformative international exchange opportunities. In this presentation, we discussed the concepts of intentional design, integrative learning and life-long learning through GSL.
“Faculty SIOs: Portrait of the Artist as a Quasi-Administrator.”
Community Colleges for International Development (CCID)
Houston, TX, February 19, 2017
Presenters: Richard F. Johnson; Katherine Schuster, Oakton Community College; Sandra Martins, College of DuPage
The position of the Senior International Officer (SIO) emerged in the 1990s when “internationalizing the academy” first gained traction on US campuses. Although their official titles may vary from one campus to another, the role of SIO at most institutions is largely the same: an individual at some level of institutional leadership who leads campus-wide global initiatives and directs the internationalization of the institution’s programs and activities. But who occupies these positions and what is their standing within their institutions? What are their relations to the administration, to the faculty? How do they strike the balance between the various “factions” on their campuses? When a faculty person takes on the role of SIO, they walk a fine line between their academic peers and their administrative supervisors.
In this session, faculty SIOs from several Illinois community colleges discussed the challenges and the advantages of being a quasi-administrator. Audience members learned how they leverage their liminal statuses to make strategic campus alliances, secure funding for programs, cultivate functional partnerships, create enticing programs, and generally advance a comprehensive campus internationalization agenda. The audience also participated in an interactive heuristic activity to foster interest in and support for faculty SIOs.
“Beyond Words: Teaching Languages with Geospatial Technology”
Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL)
Tinley Park, IL, October 21, 2016
Presenters: Kimberly Jaeger, World Languages and Mukila Maitha, Geography
Maps and pictures have always played a crucial role in the language classroom; geospatial technology is vastly expanding our ability to create, manipulate, interpret, and interact with maps and pictures. This session introduced geospatial technology (Google Earth, ArcGIS, and apps) and offered ways to incorporate it in core language teaching practices. Using these tools will increases students’ communication skills in the target language while building key 21st century technological and analytical skills. Virtual field trips that incorporate multimedia, story mapping, and study abroad projects are a few applications learned about in this presentation.
“Assess This!: Measuring the Impact of Global Learning at Community Colleges”
American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), Global Learning in College conference
Denver, CO, October 6, 2016
Presenters: Richard F. Johnson and Nellie Khalil, Biology
Our poster presented how the Office of International Education at Harper College has addressed this deficit by developing, adopting, mapping, and assessing five Global Learning Outcomes through an open, inclusive, and interdisciplinary process.
“Engaging the World through Service Learning in Peru”
Community Colleges for International Development (CCID), Latin American and Caribbean Forum
San Antonio, TX, July 16, 2016
Presenter: Richard F. Johnson
In collaboration with Unearth the World, Harper College offers students the opportunity to participate in a service project through the Light and Leadership Initiative in the Huaycán community outside Lima, Peru. Service learners work with women, children, and teens through workshops and classes teaching English, math, sciences, and art. Through intentional service-learning programs such as LLI, students acquire linguistic and intercultural skills highly prized in the global workforce. This poster covered the genesis of our collaboration, the vision and design of Service Learning opportunities, the mission and goals of LLI, and the difference between “service learning” and “volunteering.”
“So Hwaet? The Value of International Education (according to a medievalist)”
Community Colleges for International Development (CCID), Latin American and Caribbean Forum
San Antonio, TX, July 17, 2016
Presenter: Richard F. Johnson
International Educators all come to the important work of global education by various paths. We know global learning builds linguistic and intercultural skills highly prized in the global workforce. We believe global learning fosters compassion, empathy, and cultural sensitivity. In the present climate of global violence and political unrest, the world could use a whole lot more of all of these qualities. This talk offered an affirmation and celebration of the vital work we do.
“Building Bridges and Lighting Fires: Transforming Global Education Leadership in the Community College”
Annual Meeting of the International Educators of Illinois (IEI)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, March 23, 2016
Presenter: Richard F. Johnson; Sandra Martens, College of DuPage; Lauren Nehlsen, Elgin Community College
As community colleges are charged with preparing students to participate effectively in a global workforce, global education leaders are challenged to develop coherent global education curricular programs for students to function in an interdependent, highly diverse, and fast-changing world that is increasingly marked by volatile differences. The session offered internationalization strategies from several northern Illinois community colleges. Presented by international education leaders at three community colleges, this session focused on innovative faculty development initiatives, global studies certificates and graduation distinctions, and study abroad-experiential learning programs.
“Multimodal Mobility: Faculty Development in the Digital Age”
Community Colleges for International Development (CCID)
Orlando, FL, February 1, 2016
Presenters: Richard F. Johnson; Judi Nitsch, English; and Mukila Maitha, Geography
The innovative use of educational technologies affords faculty opportunities to design media-enhanced, interactive, more inclusive and engaging learning environments. This presentation focused on a series of faculty development workshops featuring multimodal representations of content offered through Office of International Education at Harper College. This presentation featured the use of ArcGIS Story Mapping, Curated Photo Slideshows, and directed blogging. The implication for educators is to incorporate multimodal content to cater more effectively to the learning styles of an increasingly diverse student body while advancing a comprehensive campus internationalization agenda. Participants in this session gained tools to design their own ArcGIS Story Map and Curated Photo Slideshows; to galvanize faculty engagement in internationalization efforts on their own campuses using multimodal approaches; and to propose innovative steps in the areas of faculty development and curriculum infusion to move their college’s internationalization agenda to the next level.
"Worlding US: Taking Community College Faculty Overseass"
Community Colleges for International Development (CCID)
Las Vegas, NV, February 22, 2015
Presenters: Richard F. Johnson; Patricia Hamlen, Anthropology; and Mukila Maitha, Geography
This session proposed innovative steps in the areas of faculty development and curriculum infusion to move an internationalization agenda forward. This presentation demonstrated how Harper College galvanized faculty support for internationalization through engaging curriculum infusion workshops and an innovative Faculty International Field Seminar entitled “Teaching Africa Today.”
"Faculty: can't motivate them, can't internationalize without them!"
Community Colleges for International Development (CCID)
Newport Beach, CA, February 23, 2014
Presenters: Richard F. Johnson, and Sandra Martens, College of DuPage
The internationalization of a college campus begins with a shared vision of its future and of its constituents (from administration, faculty, staff, and students) as a global resource in its community. This session focused on one of those areas, namely faculty, through the lens of professional development and curriculum infusion. The presentation began with an “ice-breaker” activity which is designed to get everyone out of their chairs and mingling while making a vital point about internationalization (namely, that we think we know more than we do). The activity segued into the first topic of our presentation, “What to do with faculty who are uninspired by traditional incentives?” This segment highlighted creative ways to galvanize faculty support through workshops, financial incentives, and overseas professional development programs. The second segment of the presentation, “You want me to do what, now?” showcased creative ways to encourage global curriculum infusion, such as creating a faculty toolkit, using intentional campus programming tied to specific courses and faculty, graduation and transfer incentives, and short-term faculty-led tied to campus-wide regional focus.
"So, you've got an Internationalization Plan; now what? Next Steps in Internationalization"
Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA)
Washington, DC, February 18, 2014
Presenters: Richard F. Johnson; Jill Izumikawa, International Student Office; Sandra Martens, College of DuPage
Do you feel the internationalization efforts at your institution have peaked? This session focused on innovative steps several institutions have taken to overcome institutional inertia, and share your experiences.
