History

1986: Harper College is a founding member of the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP), which provides leadership in international education and cultural diversity throughout Illinois and contiguous states. ICISP is open to all Illinois public and private two-year colleges, and by invitation to four year colleges and universities in Illinois, as well as two and four year institutions and consortia in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The Consortium offers cost-effective programs for both students and faculty, and essential administrative services to members.

1995: Harper College appoints faculty coordinator for International Studies and Programs (ISP) and creates a college-wide programmatic committee to assist in the creation and coordination of campus activities.

2000-2010: Although most study abroad and international cultural travel experiences were eliminated duirng these challenging years, there were many advances in on-campus programming. The most impactful of these programs included 5 symposia:

• “The Syrians: Who Are They and Are They Next?” March, 2005.
• “Peace, Patriotism, and Dissent: Democracy in the Balance.” October, 2004.
• “Immigration and Patriot Acts: Documenting the Undocumented.” April, 2004.
• “USA PATRIOT Act in Perspective: Threat or Protection?” October 2003.
• “The Middle East through Arab Eyes.” April 2003.

2010: faculty coordinator tasked with implementing a review of the status of internationalization at the college and developing a comprehensive plan for the internationalization of the campus.  Review results in report “A Multi-Year Phased Strategy for the Internationalization of Harper College,” which serves as the college’s first Strategic Plan for International Education 2010-2015.

2011: In a unique collaboration, the Office of International Education and the International Student Office annually host the Develop Your World: International Education Summit on the campus of Harper College.  Since 2011, scholars, faculty, and administrators from colleges and universities in Illinois and Wisconsin have come together to discuss best practices in and the future of international education on our campuses. Within the context of comprehensive and holistic internationalization, combining study abroad, international students, and curriculum internationalization, each Summit focuses on a theme. Past conferences have covered the themes of Faculty Development; Comprehensive internationalization; Language Study and Internationalization; and Teaching Global Sustainability.  Conference speakers have included Dr. John Hudzik, Dr. Hilary Kahn, Dr. Chris Cartwright, Dr. Lance Askildson, and Anuradha Mittal.

2013: Harper College implements the Distinction in International Perspectives. To achieve the Distinction, students complete 12 hours of interdisciplinary academic studies through courses designated as having substantial global content, as well as a Portfolio and Capstone project.

2014: International Studies and Programs committee becomes a Shared Governance committee, which formalizes its place and role in the college.  The committee is comprised of 15 faculty and administrators and meets monthly to carry out its mission of promoting global awareness at the college. 

2015: Office of International Education is created to provide essential and coordinating services for study abroad, internationalization of the curricula; promote and advance faculty development through international scholarship and research/study opportunities; coordinate campus event-planning; oversee curriculum development and articulation; and seek out international development opportunities and partnerships locally and internationally. Office of International Education maintains a website (http://dept.harpercollege.edu/international/) and publishes a newsletter, Going Global!, twice each year.

Faculty coordinator assigned as Director of the Office of International Education.

SG International Studies and Programs committee adopts second Strategic Plan 2015-2020. The centerpiece of the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan is the Global Regional Focus, which is a 3-year cycle of interdisciplinary programs and area studies centered around a particular region of the world. Every year, most activities, including programming, study abroad, and faculty development, are intentionally coordinated around themes and topics associated with the Global Regional Focus. 

 

Visiting International Scholars:

1999: Dr. Yi-Qing Liu of the English Department of Beijing University

2001: Prof. Dumisani Moyo of the University of Zimbabwe and Mr. Ignatius Mabasa, poet and story-teller, also of Zimbabwe

2005: Prof. Ederson Zanetti of University of Parana in Brazil

2007: Dr. Mohamed Aafif, Professor of History at Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco (Direct Access to the Muslim World Fulbright Visiting Specialist)

2015: Prof. Jimrex Byamugisha of Makerere University in Uganda

Education Abroad:

Through the Office of International Education, the college offers short-term programs taught by Harper College faculty as full-credit classes throughout the year. Faculty-led programs have included courses such as BIO 150, ENG 102, LIT 115, HUM 101, HUM 107, ART 105, ART 280, SOC 205, GEG 103, among others.

Countries visited include England, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, Greece, Turkey, China, Japan, Costa Rica, Argentina, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. A full listing of current faculty-led offerings can be found on the website: http://dept.harpercollege.edu/international/studyabroad/sbshortterm.html

In 2017, the Office of International Education will offer its first CE study abroad opportunity. Dr. Helmut Publ, Anthropology, will lead a program to the Mayan sites in the Yucatan, Mexico.

The college also offers a range of semester-long study abroad opportunities through the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP).