Strategic Initiatives:
Maryland in the World—Engaging the College of Education in the Global Community
Vision:
The College of Education will be nationally and internationally known for its commitment and success in internationalization of its graduate and undergraduate courses (in particular its educator preparation programs), its research and scholarship, and its work in leadership and policy. Enhanced by our location and our strong base of faculty accomplishment in world-class education and scholarship, the College will systematically develop expanded and new program initiatives in international outreach, global perspectives and experiences for students, support for international scholarship and for participation of faculty in the global community of scholars, and diversification of our own student, faculty and staff community. In no other time has the importance of global competence and intercultural understanding been greater. Students at all levels need to be more cognizant of the world outside their own communities and outside of the U.S.; and they need to be equipped to solve problems of a global nature, with international players, if they are going to cope successfully with an increasingly interconnected future. There is no way to achieve this goal if their teachers and educational leaders are not themselves informed and comfortable with international points of view. The importance of preparing our future teachers, counselors, policy professionals, and educational researchers with experiences and understandings that reflect the international context is tremendous. This College will become a leader in the field. The College established in fall 2008 the Office of International Initiatives to help build an infrastructure which can support the vision of leadership in global education and internationalization of our College community and its programs. This Office will be advised by a committee of faculty, from across College departments, which will help to enhance international dimensions of education research and practice.
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Goal I:
The College will increase the participation of students in study, research, internship, and especially in learning experiences abroad. Specifically, we will:
- Explore alternatives for international student teaching and field experiences, and for student exchanges;
- Develop a variety of initiatives to support graduate student international involvement:
- Support graduate student travel for professional development and research abroad;
- Support graduate students applying for Fulbright awards and other international fellowships;
- Explore foundation and alumni funding to support scholarships for students to study abroad or to enhance technology-supported international communication and collaboration;
- Encourage international topics for theses and dissertations, especially including the use of existing test or survey data sets and the archives of international organizations ;
- Create awards for graduate students who internationalize instruction and/or make substantive contributions to the internationalization of programs or research.
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Goal II:
The College will develop and support faculty initiatives aimed at internationalization of our work. Specifically:
- Institutionalize the GATE Fellows program, which has facilitated faculty development, curriculum development, and College community internationalization goals and explore its expansion to areas other than teacher education courses;
- Provide information and support for international faculty exchange, Fulbright and similar awards for international teaching and research (short term as well as long term);
- Provide additional support for faculty international travel for conference paper presentation and participation, research, and professional development and for technology-supported collaboration;
- Identify and support professional development on campus or in the region that promotes international perspectives, e.g., studying other languages and culture, campus cultural events, engaging in study groups that analyze research in international settings, integrating visiting scholars from abroad more adequately in the research and teaching programs of the College;
- Broaden participation in intercultural events and committees;
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Goal III:
The College will enhance internationalization of the curriculum, educational leadership, and policy; increase numbers and support for international scholars; and initiate important international projects. Specifically:
- Increase internationalization of the teacher preparation curriculum, e.g. course modifications to include modules, readings on international conditions and problems, and research study topics with international dimensions (such as those of the GATE Fellows with the support of the Longview Foundation);
- Work with the College’s Curriculum Committee to review existing course syllabi and make recommendations about their international content and ways to increase such coverage;
- Explore developing a global education certification program or minor which includes courses from across departments in the College;
- Coordinate, identify, support, and provide recognition for international/visiting scholars:
- Clarify policies and procedures (in a handbook) for inviting and supporting visiting scholars ;
- Develop a roster and other ways of assisting visiting scholars to bring their expertise and perspectives into classes and other events open to students and faculty;
- Develop proposals for graduate programs for international teachers and other educators, including on-campus, on-site in country short and long-term, mixed-mode, and on-line delivery options ;
- Develop professional development opportunities for local teachers and educators to enhance international perspectives for themselves and their students;
- Collaborate with other academic departments at UMD in the internationalization of their curriculum by providing advice and feedback to their various international initiatives.
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Goal IV:
The College will actively promote research on international issues by its faculty. Specifically:
- Work to create research centers and institutes to convene scholars on specific themes and to help identify financial resources;
- Work to provide adequate financial support to attend professional conferences and final-stage proposal development meetings;
- Identify and support existing model programs that advance cross-cultural/transnational university partnerships and collaborations;
- Work toward providing released time to support faculty involvement in the development and conduct of transnational research initiatives, as needed.
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Goal V:
The College will expand outreach to and collaboration with official and informal international communities in the Washington, D.C., area and expand the visibility of the College as a globally engaged institution. Specifically:
- Continue to host statewide colloquia – as initiated in 2008 under the Longview Foundation grant – on internationalizing teacher education, the school curriculum, leadership, and policy;
- Extend invitations to other campuses and organizations in the D.C. area to collaborate on the internationalization of education programs;
- The College will take advantage of our fortunate location in the Washington, D.C. area to establish partnerships with national and international organizations and agencies to help provide additional opportunities to enhance the goal of internationalizing our College, our graduate and undergraduate courses, and our work across the professions.
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