Becoming a global university requires more than student exchanges and recruitment of foreign colleagues, say faculty who are enthusiastically involved in internationalizing WSU.
“President (Elson S.) Floyd has articulated strong support for making WSU a true global university,” said Lance LeLoup, vice provost of international programs. “There is really no field today that isn’t global in scope nursing, business, engineering they all have critical international components.”
The role of international programs is much more academic today, said Andrew Appleton, director of the WSU global studies program and associate professor of political science. He encourages faculty to add international content, courses and certificate programs to their curricula; lead groups of students in overseas study programs; apply for scholarships to work in other countries; and get involved in WSU committees working to internationalize the university.
Getting faculty on board
One of these committees is a joint task force recently created through the Faculty Senate. Four subcommittees are charged with the goal of producing a comprehensive report by March 2008.
One subcommittee, chaired by Mushtaq Memon, associate professor in veterinary medicine, is working on issues of faculty status.
“We would like to see annual review, tenure and promotion criteria reflect international scholarship, research and teaching,” LeLoup said. “We would like to see job ads for faculty include international experience and competencies.”
“Many faculty have wanted to be involved,” Appleton said, “but it hasn’t always been supported by their units. It’s expensive to travel overseas, and there are language requirements, foreign contacts to maintain, library resources to establish ”
One man’s example
Memon has long been involved in international work and believes that it can help promote understanding and peace in the world.
As coordinator of WSU’s international veterinary education program, he has asked his college to offer a certificate in global veterinary medicine by 2008. It would “provide evidence to multinational corporations that the veterinarian has the intercultural competence to provide scientific advice and decisions compatible with the demands of a global marketplace,” he said.
The program would be one of only a handful in the nation to offer organized international course work and field studies for veterinary students.
“Many international programs are limited to liberal arts, business and politics,” Memon said. “From a national security point of view and with the interdependence of nations we can’t ignore the sciences.”
Participation welcome
Though details will continue to be hashed out over the coming years, Appleton invites the university community to join in as WSU begins taking small steps toward a global future. “We have potential not just to be changing,” he said, “but to make a great leap here. This could be a very different university within five years.”
How faculty can internationalize
Introduce international content into your courses, including research from around the world.
If you can’t adapt courses, add a new international course.
Create an international certificate or other option in your degree or program.
Apply for grants to internationalize curricula. They’re available in the fall through international programs (ONLINE @ www.ip.wsu.edu).
Develop a faculty-led program to another country. International programs provides support for these programs and can advise you on how to get started.
Apply for scholarships, such as the Fulbright, or grants. Get information from the Office of Grant and Research Development (ONLINE @ www.ogrd.wsu.edu).
Get involved in a committee, such as Appleton’s global studies minor advisory committee or the Faculty Senate international programs task force.
Use sabbatical time to live abroad and collaborate with faculty from other universities. WSU has international partners in countries such as Africa, Japan, France, Belgium and Italy.
Get out of the U.S., network and make contacts. Attend an international conference in your area of specialty. Present a paper. You will meet people with similar interests and, if they like your work, you may get an invitation to come back.
When working in another country, keep your eyes and ears open for contacts and opportunities that might be of use to other faculty.
From Andrew Appleton and Lance Le Loup
