In the summer of 2019, Rhodes College joined the American Council on Education as a member of the ACE Internationalization Laboratory. The ACE Internationalization Laboratory provides leadership for a systematic and collaborative approach to global education at Rhodes College. Rhodes College is now one of more than 150 institutions that have made a serious commitment to comprehensive internationalization of their campuses and to the promotion of institutional goals that further global education.
Members of the Global Rhodes Internationalization Steering Committee will work as a leadership team to develop a means to assess Rhodes College’s ongoing achievement in its internationalization efforts and propose a strategy for the continued comprehensive internationalization of campus-wide activities.
In accordance with the structure recommended by ACE, the work of the steering committee, which began in August 2019, will be co-directed by Jennifer Sciubba, Associate Professor of International Studies, and Laura Loth, Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures. The steering committee is also comprised of the Dean of Curricular Development, Natalie Person; the Director of Strategic Initiatives, Sherry Turner; and the Director of the Buckman Center for International Programs, Erin Hillis.
A global perspective has long been at the core of our Rhodes Vision, which states; “Rhodes College aspires to graduate students with a life-long passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world.” The Strategic Vision for Rhodes College, 2020-25 provides clear impetus and guidance on this endeavor, underscoring the importance of investing in a “Global Curriculum” by “support[ing] faculty and administrative efforts to develop a global engagement strategy that brings study abroad, international student recruitment, and academic study into alignment and enhanc[ing] our support of international students.”
Working closely over the next 16-20 months, the Global Rhodes Internationalization Steering Committee will assess, plan, and promote the strategies for internationalization that best realize these aspirations. The work of the committee should be inclusive, consider the institution as a whole, and extend to colleagues in as many functional and disciplinary areas as possible. The Steering Committee can, as needed, appoint sub-committees to carry out its work.
To that end, the charge of the Rhodes College Internationalization Steering Committee is to:
- Serve as the leadership team for the ACE Internationalization Laboratory
- Review and assess Rhodes College's current internationalization efforts
- Help frame and sustain a conversation on internationalization within the broad Rhodes community
- Investigate funding sources for programming and course development
- Develop a proposal for further internationalization of the College, to include recommendations for:
- increasing study abroad participation, rigor, faculty engagement, and oversight
- increasing the integration of global education in the curriculum
- integrating global education and community engagement, making connections between local and global community
- increasing student and faculty engagement with and support of international initiatives in Memphis, including organizations that serve Memphis’s international population, international companies, and international nonprofits
- engendering global citizenship, fostering inclusive and/or intercultural competence
- encouraging international research relationships and/or global or non-US research content/reach/collaboration
- fostering international partnerships (in a myriad of capacities)
- creating an organizational model to manage college-wide international initiatives
The Steering Committee's work plan should lead them to the achievement of the following benchmarks:
- In Fall 2019 and Spring 2020, assemble comprehensive information on the international activities, programs, and policies of the College.
- In December 2020, provide (1) an inventory or audit of current international activities and opportunities and (2) an assessment of the university's climate for these activities and with special reference to their effectiveness in light of Rhodes's distinctive context and institutional mission.
- By Summer 2021 , on the basis of the assessment and in collaboration with the established divisions, departments, committees, and especially the on-going strategic planning process, assemble a report that will help the College to more fully achieve the comprehensive internationalization goals expressed in the Rhodes Vision and in our Strategic Plan.
Co-chairs: Dr. Jennifer Sciubba (International Studies & Environmental Studies) & Dr. Laura Loth (Modern Languages)
Steering Committee Members:
Dr. Erin Hillis (International Programs)
Dr. Natalie Person (Academic Affairs, Psychology, & Educational Studies)
Dr. Sherry Turner (Strategic Initiatives)
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