Making International Education Week 2015 Count Across the U.S. and On Your Campus (November 16 – 20, 2015)

Gary Rhodes
Associate Dean, International Education & Senior International Officer,
College of Extended & International Education
Director, Center for Global Education
California State University at Dominguez Hills

This is the 16th Anniversary of International Education Week in the US. Since November 2000, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State have collaborated to highlight international education issues for one week of the year. For U.S. college and university international educators, this has also been an opportunity to implement various activities to highlight study abroad, international students, and other international initiatives on campus. Some years, there will be a statement by the U.S. President. Most years the U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Secretary of Education will make a statement about the importance of international education. According to the International Education Week 2015 Website:

International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States (https://eca.state.gov/programs-initiatives/international-education-week).

Like most initiatives on our college and university campuses, the manner in which institutions use International Education Week (IEW) to highlight and promote international students, faculty, and staff, programs and initiatives varies widely from campus to campus. You can promote events on your campus by submitting an event on the IEW website at: https://eca.state.gov/programs-initiatives/international-education-week/iew-events-2015. You can use the IEW logos in print materials and on your website (https://eca.state.gov/programs-initiatives/international-education-week).

One of the ways that the impact of IEW can be seen is the way many international education organizations are implementing activities in conjunction with IEW 2015. Following are samples of events highlighted by the Institute of International Education, the Forum on Education Abroad, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Diversity Abroad, and the Fund for Education Abroad.

The Institute of International Education:

The Institute of International Education (IIE) starts the week off by releasing new Open Doors data on the numbers of U.S. Students who study abroad and international students studying in the U.S. They will open the week with a Press Conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC. I’ve been attending this event for many years and if you get a chance, it’s nice to see our field highlighted at an event that is organized as a press conference. IIE also hosts a Generation Study Abroad link, which highlights IEW resources: https://www.iie.org/Programs/Generation-Study-Abroad/International-Education-Week.

Once we get closer to IEW, the IIE Open Doors Website will have additional information about the November 2015 data release (http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors).

The Forum on Education Abroad:

According to Brian Whalen, President & CEO of the Forum on Education Abroad, they will hold the following activities and initiatives that are coinciding with International Education Week:

Announcement of this year’s Undergraduate Research Award Winners. This is the field’s major student award that recognizes outstanding academic achievements by students who study abroad. Awardees are announced during International Education Week and present their study abroad research projects at The Forum’s Annual Conference. https://www.forumea.org/resources/outcomes/undergraduate-research-award
The Forum will announce its 3rd Forum Storytellers Podcast during the week. Forum Storytellers is a project to preserve the stories of education abroad, and share them with colleagues – past, present and future. https://www.forumea.org/forum-storytellers
The Forum will announce a special opportunity for 6 of its member institutions to participate in the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP). The intent is to make QUIP available to institutions that are committed to quality improvement but do not have the financial means to participate in the program. Selected institutions will be charged a nominal fee to participate fully in QUIP. https://www.forumea.org/get-involved/quality-assurance-programs/quip

Diversity Abroad

According to Andrew Gordon, President of Diversity Abroad, on Sunday, November 15th, he will be speaking at the Association of Public Land Grant Universities focused on Changing the Demographics of Internationalization. On Wednesday, November 18th, he will be speaking at the US Department of Education about expanding international education opportunities. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Diversity Abroad staff will be visiting universities in New York. On Friday, Diversity Abroad will partner with Hosteling International for a Study Abroad 101 event at their NYC location. This event will bring in diverse students from area schools to experience life at a hostel, with young people from all over the world. They will also take part in a study abroad 101 session delivered by DA to educate students on what study abroad is and how they can do it. On Thursday of IEW, they are co-sponsoring a virtual conference with the Institute for the International Education of Students: Embark to Excel: A Virtual Conference on Study Abroad & Global Leadership. Registration is available at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3484484658614643458

NAFSA: Association of International Educators

NAFSA will support several events in Washington, D.C., and provide resources that you can share on your campus. They focus on campus internationalization, peace building, global learning, and the economic benefit of international resources in your local area. https://www.nafsa.org/Explore_International_Education/Impact/NAFSA_Events_and_Resources_Supporting_2015_International_Education_Week//?impid=hp:iew_events:box_1:jw_2015_10_28

Live Webcast: the Role of International Education in Peacebuilding - November 16, 2015 | 9:00 a.m. (EST)
NAFSA partners with the United States Institute of Peace and the Alliance for Peacebuilding for a webcast focusing on the role of international education in peacebuilding. This includes a panel discussion of world-class experts available to watch via live webcast. This event is accessible free of charge.
Online Learning Event: NAFSA Global Learning Faculty Conversation: High-Impact Learning Approaches for a Global Civil Society - November 16, 2015 | 3:00 p.m. (EST)
Through high-impact learning approaches, students can become more effective communicators, more engaged citizens, and learn to think critically about the relationships between local and global issues. These skills are all vital to building peace in a world full of conflict. NAFSA partners with the Alliance for Peacebuilding and the United States Institute of Peace to present a Global Learning Faculty Conversation celebrating the peace building capacity of international education.
Webcast: NAFSA Senator Paul Simon Campus Internationalization Presidential Panel - November 17, 2015 | 4:00 p.m. (EST)
Join the 2015 Senator Paul Simon Award Presidential Panel live webcast from Washington, D.C. For the first time ever, you will be able to watch this annual gathering of leaders from Simon Award-winning institutions as they discuss their successes in campus internationalization. You can also follow the conversation on social media through Twitter using the #IEW2015 hashtag. This event is accessible free of charge.
Online Release of the Updated NAFSA International Student Economic Value Tool
The latest information about the economic contributions of international students and their families to the United States will be released during IEW 2015.
Online Publication: Internationalizing the Campus 2015: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities
Obtain the thirteenth edition of the Internationalizing the Campus report. Internationalizing the Campus is a collection of profiles of colleges and universities that received either NAFSA’s 2015 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization or Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award. The report cites exemplary practices, model approaches, and key trends related to international education on outstanding U.S. campuses.

The Fund for Education Abroad

According to Jennifer Calvert, Executive Director of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA):

During International Education Week, the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) celebrates the theme of “International Education: Advancing Access for All.” FEA is a study abroad scholarship provider that helps student groups underrepresented in study abroad and those destined for non-traditional locations study abroad. Since 2010, nearly 100 past FEA scholars have included minorities, first-generation college students, community college students, older students returning to college mid-career, veterans, LGBTQ students, and students with disabilities. FEA is changing the face of study abroad to better reflect the rich diversity of our nation, by awarding deserving U.S. undergraduates in financial need up to $10,000 for an academic year of study abroad.

On Thursday, November 19th during International Education Week, FEA will hold its 5th Anniversary Celebration and Benefit at the historic National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. FEA will honor Marlene Johnson, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA, the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education, with FEA’s Inaugural Fritz Kaufmann Advocacy Award. FEA is grateful to Judy Perl Worldwide Travel and Terra Dotta, LLC for their support of FEA’s 5th Anniversary Celebration, with additional support provided by NAFSA, UNC Charlotte, and AIFS. Tickets for the 5th Anniversary Celebration of FEA can be reserved at: https://fundforeducationabroad.org/events/feas-5th-anniversary-celebration/

Other organizations will also provide information, resources, and programming throughout International Education Week 2015.

Activities on Individual College & University Campuses

Each college and university will provide events on their campuses. With the release of the IIE Open Doors data on study abroad and international students, many campuses will have articles and highlights on their website and in campus newspapers about the data pertaining to their institution (number of international students, amount of study abroad students, and their rankings in comparison with other colleges and universities.

A recent SECUSS-L discussion group question about what campuses are doing to support international education week provided the feedback about the types of activities going on around the U.S. On October 28, 2015, Timothy Lynn Elliott, Director of International Study Programs at Brigham Young University, with the support of his staff, provided a list of some of the activities:

International Education Month - promotion through emailed poster
Celebrate Holiday by throwing chalk colors
Language Lunch - different languages at each table supervised by the language department
Tea Party - teas from around the world while students perform their talents
Reception - speeches by staff & students with an international meal
Study Abroad Photo Exhibit (winners of our annual study abroad photo contest)
Interfaith Dialogue
Peace Corp Event - stories of returning volunteers
Working & Living Abroad after College
Research Beyond Borders
See the World on a Fulbright
Pathways to Permanent Residency
Literature and the Human Condition
International quiz and award prizes
Publicize other events hosted on campus with an international connection as International Education Week events
International Food Fair - foreign students represent their country
Global Jeopardy - trivia questions about international cultures, flags, food, etc.
International film nights
Coffee from around the world
Discussions between foreign language and international/ESL students
International food day - focusing on different areas i.e. Hispanic food day, etc.
Panel discussion moderated by an International Affairs professors with international students, studied abroad students, and international service-learning students
Build a small chalkboard photo booth mural for students to write where they have always dreamed to go and then take pictures with a polaroid for students to take their picture with them
Invite speaker to promote participation from underrepresented demographics
Place signs with Study Abroad and International Student facts on campus in areas of high traffic
Involve college deans by sharing International Week calendar and asking for their input
Student dance with international theme and international folk dance instruction

Why the Growth of International Education Week Provides Support for the Growth of the Importance of International Education in U.S. Higher Education

In 1989, when I first entered the study abroad field, there was no Forum on Education Abroad organization, there was no Diversity Abroad Organization, there was no Fund for Education Abroad organization, NAFSA did not have a Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, and study abroad data was only collected every other year by the Institute of International Education for Open Doors.

One can argue that more could be done during International Education Week. However, the fact that organizations, universities, and colleges across the U.S. shift their focus to international education issues for one week in November each year, with support from both the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of State provides tremendous support for progress being made to increase the numbers of international and study abroad students. Also, the increase of resources, growing infrastructures, and focus on internationalization in campus strategic plans supports a “comprehensive internationalization” model.

In 1989, the role that I currently hold, Senior International Officer, did not exist. The ability to do a Master’s or Doctorate degree that focused on international higher education administration was far from widespread. Although there is more to be done, I like to also think that we as a field have moved forward. As International Education Week 2015 approaches, I hope you get a chance to implement interesting activities across your campus, but when you reflect on how things could be better, also look back sixteen years on your campus, to see how far things have come since the first International Education Week in November 2000.