How are universities responding to two recent paradigm shifts impacting global education? First, there is a generational change between millennials and the new cohort known as K or Z. While our current traditional undergraduates may be more anxious, skeptical, and know only smartphones, they also crave connection and are makers, creators, and inventors. (“Think millennials have it tough? For 'Generation K', life is even harsher.” The Guardian, March 19, 2016) The second shift is the increased fluidity between global and local interactions and groups. As classrooms continue to diversify with international and first-generation students, the university community – students, faculty, and staff – must obtain and demonstrate intercultural agility, curiosity, and empathy to navigate the complexities of the contemporary world. This session addresses how the University of St. Thomas has implemented into its administrative structure an innovative partnership between faculty from diverse disciplines and education abroad professionals to address the new realities of global and local engagement that respond to the world’s most pressing needs.
2. UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS PRESENTERS
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Camille George, AVP, Global & Local Engagement and
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Elise Amel, Director, Office of Sustainability Initiatives
and Professor, Psychology
Sarah E. Spencer, Director, Office of Study Abroad
7. VISION
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Responding to the needs of the 21st century: Students need to demonstrate
intercultural agility, curiosity and empathy to navigate the complexities of
the contemporary world.
Our vision is to promote a wide-range of experiential learning experiences
to all stakeholders.
GALE Vision:
The Center for Global and Local Engagement at the University of St. Thomas facilitates
learning programs that promote intercultural agility and ethical community engagement.
The Center gives all students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to advance the
common good through study away experiences and transformational community
partnerships that address social, environmental, and economic issues important for our
region and world.
8. MISSION
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GALE Mission
The Center for Global and Local Engagement provides a University-wide structure to
support ethical and sustainable partnerships, programs, and policies that enable the
University to advance the common good through traditional and innovative approaches
to study abroad and community engagement.
Responding to our Strategic Plan- St. Thomas 2020: Living our Mission, Expanding Our
Horizon
From a global perspective, coordination with study abroad experiences
From a local perspective, emphasize the ‘glocal’ and the need to introduce intercultural
learning in our diverse metropolis
9. STRUCTURE
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Structure: Faculty & staff for programmatic efforts: Study Abroad,
Community Engagement, Sustainability Initiatives, Social Impact.
Directors are both staff and faculty
Directors meet once a month
Shared resources: Centralized administration (event planning,
calendar coordination), assessment and budget support.
10. AGREEMENTS & ASSESSMENT
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Two areas of expertise that are often overlooked
Develop a more coordinated approach to agreements
with external partner organizations
Develop consistent policies
Develop an assessment strategy to refine our
programs
11. OFFICES WORKING TOGETHER
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Office of Sustainability Initiatives
Office of Community Engagement
Office of Study Abroad
Social Innovation ‘Collaboratory’
15. CASE: PSYCHOLOGY OF SUSTAINABILITY ABROAD
•Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Freiburg, Köln, Lüneburg,
Magdeburg, Göhrde
•Explore how behavior affects the environment and how the
environment affects behavior
•Understand social, cognitive and developmental aspects of real
social problems
•Upper-level credit toward majors/minors in Psychology,
Environmental Studies & Environmental Science
21. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (OCE)
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OCE Mission
Inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, the Office of
Community Engagement accompanies global and local
partner organizations by supporting the design,
implementation, and evaluation of courses that use
collaborative strategies of engagement to advance the
common good.
ENGAGE, EXAMINE, EMPOWER
22. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
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Analyzed past Service
Learning Courses in light of the
world’s most pressing needs
Identified theme based
initiatives
Guiding Principles
Best Practices
23. OCE - GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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Do no harm & maximize the common good
Recognize the Scholarship of Engagement (community partners are co-
educators)
Critical Service-Learning (attends to dynamics of privilege and power)
Radically Inclusive (inspired by Catholic Social Teaching where diverse
worldviews and faith traditions are respected)
Collaborative Strategies of Engagement (wide framework from charity to
justice)
Project-based Approach (partner organizations define deliverables)
All staff are educators to extend learning and serve the mission of
education
24. OCE BEST PRACTICES
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Adopted six best practices
Reciprocity (partner articulates a real need)
Student Orientation (every student trained for engagement across lines
of difference)
Quality Reflection (the experience is not graded; student learning is
evaluated)
Common Good (work promoting the net social & environmental
conditions necessary for human thriving)
Student Evaluation (connection between academic content and
experiences)
Program Assessment/Community Voice (partner’s voice in assessing
success)
26. OFFICE OF STUDY ABROAD
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Stabilization
Assessment & Finance
Commonalities
Community engagement – global or local
Intercultural learning/agility
Program management
Short-term – course-based, faculty-directed
Language of experiential learning
Welcome to Engaging Generation Z: Integrating Global and Local Vision, Structure, and Innovation
Thank you joining us this morning – wasn’t sure how we would compete with the Washington Update session
Inspired by the conference theme, Partnering with Faculty, thrilled to be joined by my colleagues and friends,
Camille George, AVP, Global & Local Engagement & Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Elise Amel, Director of Sustainability Initiatives & Professor of Psychology
Missing fourth colleague, Kim Vrudny, Director of C/E who is attending her professional Theology conference
We are excited to share our structure and projects and how we have considered integrating global and local activities
Alternative narrative –
3 veteran study abroad faculty directors
1 education abroad professional
70+ years of experience
One university
Found new energy to Reinvent Student Learning
How many of you have heard about Generation Z
First heard about it from my creative agency Marketing Director friend while priming my kitchen walls over a year ago.
Don’t know if it’s a global phenomenal to make sense of generational trends, but it sounds like we have moved on from the millennials
Provide a 2 minute overview, recommend you check out this website
Selected six areas that are relevant:
Identity – More open – gender and sexual identity - than previous, identities are blended, global perspective,, world is smaller; views are bigger.
Technology – The first true digital natives. Communicate constantly, attention span is 8 seconds; and they want personalized content across all devices (Terra Dotta)
Family Life - Families are diverse and different than the traditional structure. Their Support systems help them make big decisions so need to engage all.
Social Issues – Believe marriage equality is a fundamental right. Care about human rights, impact on planet; support sustainability and renewable energy; watched international news.
Careers – Fiercely entrepreneurial and future focused. Want Job-oriented challenges that need to be woven into the fabric of educational experiences (internships, project-based learning)
Education – Learning is increasingly self-directed and digital. Application in real time. Value teaching that is not just what to think, but how to think and how to make an impact.
Privacy & Safety – They and their parents take an active role in securing safety & privacy. Want the campus to be comfortable and safe.
Berlin Conference – Jamie Casap from Google – This generation is Global and Innovative
Camille George
Topics:
energy
water
urban wetlands
urban agriculture
waste
transportation
Community engagement/environmental justice
During spring 2016 pilot we had 150 students working on 14 projects with 13 faculty in 12 classes across 10 disciplines!
Fall 2016 partners
Needs assessment, best practices, precedents
Data collection & analysis
Building designs, models, prototypes, maps, plans, programs
Cost/benefit analysis
Communication, outreach, education
Policy recommendations
Where does this leave the Office of Study Abroad?
Camille’s leadership – Stabilized and championed these units after years of transition
equity reviews for salaries -
As she mentioned, hiring specific skills in assessment
Period of reflection – what do we have in common?
Commitment to community engagement – whether that is local or global – value that the classroom is not four walls
Intercultural learning – what are the skills, tools and knowledge to navigate different cultures
Program management
Logistics need to be attended do – is the bus showing up on time?
We talk about faculty-led,- we all have common baseline for faculty-facilitated coursework – support, training and collaboration
Share a common language and passion of experiential learning.
How has the Office of Study Abroad benefited form this adventure?
First, we acquired three strategic goals over the summer:
Camille Kool-Aid – get a vision, brand it, tell the story of what it takes and let it happen…
Increase semester participation
We have a strong J-term tradition
The provost is very much behind it
GALE created nine vision posters and hosted a debut party in early May
2) Global Semesters – 2020
- university’s strategic plan for 2020,
50% of semester outside of Europe -26% now – mostly semester at sea & Bond University in Australia
Third - Inclusive global study – reach on campus parody for diverse student study abroad participation
8% now – 17% current on-campus
Other initiatives:
Classrooms without Borders – each theme featured a study abroad program
Faculty who teach community-engagement courses
Participating in a Faculty Learning Community on Intercultural Learning & Education Abroad, co-leading
Study Abroad & Community Engagement staff attended the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement conference
Elise is reviewing our partner programs for Curriculum integration potential for Environmental Studies & Science
Targeted outreach to the Sustainability Living and Learning Community
Ultimately, as last year’s CIEE conference theme called for, we are looking to reinvent Study Abroad for this new generation.
As professionals, we are loving the journey…