Date of Award

2009-05-01

Degree Name

PhD Leadership Studies

Dissertation Committee

Athena I. Perrakis, PhD; Catherine Hands, PhD; Johanna S. Hunsaker, PhD

Keywords

administration, campus internationalization, colleges, cultural sensitivity, higher education, policy, Leadership studies, qualitative, personal development, study abroad programming, universities

Abstract

As U.S. colleges and universities prepare students to enter an ever-increasing global society, the pressure on higher education institutions to graduate globally competent and culturally sensitive students is growing. To respond to this demand, many colleges and universities are participating in campus internationalization initiatives that are broad-based efforts that create diversity on campus and expose students and faculty to a more global perspective. The presence of campus internationalization initiatives is relatively new, therefore there is little research regarding best practices in the area of campus internationalization. The practice of internationalization initiatives continues to grow and higher-level administrators such as presidents, provosts and directors of international offices on campus are beginning to incorporate elements of internationalization initiatives into their strategic plans. It is important that these officials have some sense of what has and has not worked and what factors in the larger collegiate environment facilitate and inhibit successful implementation of internationalization efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine how one campus moved from developing a policy of internationalization to a successful and integrated practice. The specific unit of focus was study abroad programs as these programs have historically been the primary way undergraduate students become exposed to the world during their collegiate years. If we assume that the goal of higher education is to increase the personal development of individuals to become educated and competent citizens of society, it makes sense to analyze study abroad programs based on the documented positive impact they have on college student development. This study consisted of an in-depth analysis of one university using qualitative interviews, on-site observation, and document analysis. Information gathered from this study contributed to the development of a Stage-Factor Model for comprehensive campus internationalization that may be explored at other universities. The reader of this particular case study can begin to formulate what a longstanding campus internationalization initiative looks like and develop strategies to adapt the initiative to other academic settings.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Leadership Studies

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