Center for Global Programs & Services

Objectives:

• Establish a campus internationalization committee, consisting of faculty and staff from across campus, that meets regularly to advocate for the development of international initiatives in the curriculum and co-curriculum, facilitate cross-campus collaboration and partnership, and increase intercultural awareness on campus.
• Incorporate aspects of internationalization in key University documents and annual reports, including strategic plans and mission statements at the college, school, and unit level, and assign oversight of activities to a departmental administrator.
• Restructure the organization of the main units that provide global programming and support services at UD (IGS and OISS) as a combined Center for Global Programs and Services to centralize support services, streamline processes, add efficiency in staffing and financial resources, and serve as a repository of global activities in Study Abroad, International Student & Scholar Services, UD World Scholars Program, and Global Outreach & Partnerships. [Update: On 2/15/2021, OISS and IGS were merged to form a new Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) in an effort to streamline staff, resources and expertise, and strengthen support for global engagement and campus internationalization efforts.]
• Examine current policies and practices, such as tenure, promotion, and annual review guidelines, to ensure that international work and engagement among faculty and academic staff is encouraged, recognized and supported.
• Enhance institutional funding and budget allocations to support the development of campus-wide international activities and initiatives, and encourage the development of international co-curricular programming across all colleges, schools, and units on campus.
• Continue to assess, benchmark, and report on UD’s campus internationalization efforts, and leverage UD’s strengths in international education, research, mobility, and outreach to significantly improve its global ranking without diminishing the importance of local engagement and community service.
• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of international activities and adopt a holistic communications strategy in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Marketing to increase UD’s visibility globally.
• Create a joint position in the Research Office and IGS to advance UD’s international research priorities, increase international involvement among faculty, pursue external grant opportunities, and coordinate and track the network of research collaborations globally.
• Ensure that internationalization at UD is an inclusive process and recognized by all members of the campus community in addressing access and equity issues when developing and integrating intercultural learning outcomes for all students.

Objectives:

• Embed global learning outcomes into UD’s curriculum through an intentional and systematic effort across colleges and academic departments to ensure that domestic and international students receive an intercultural or international experience on campus, locally, and overseas through curriculum development.
  • Set goals for all students to undertake at least one class that engages them on international issues and improves global competence.
• Seek support for University leadership and partner with faculty and academic units (such as the Center for Global and Area Studies) to develop globalized general education requirements, international majors, minors and certificates, and other institution-wide curricular initiatives.
• Build on the current development of e-learning, instructional and communication technologies to develop innovative and affordable academic programs and certificates that combine virtual learning with face-to-face delivery on campus and overseas.
• Continue to partner with campus and local community stakeholders to create opportunities for cross-cultural interactions and engagement of domestic and international students through global programming, service learning, and community collaborations.
• Build on the existing programming by the Career Center, Institute for Global Studies, Office for International Students and Scholars, and Development and Alumni Relations to strengthen internship and employability options for students in the U.S. and globally through programmatic integration, intentional career counseling and support, and strategic departmental, alumni and employer partnerships.
  • Continue to tailor career-readiness programs to help international students leverage their skills and navigate the U.S. work culture, understand employment benefits related to visa options, develop a successful U.S. job search strategy.
• Create more opportunities for graduate students to study or conduct research abroad in order to increase their cultural competence and marketability in a more global economy.
• Join the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) network to connect UD students and faculty with cohorts across the globe for building global experiences into programs of study and enhancing intercultural interaction and engagement through collaborative projects and discussions as part of the coursework.
• Leverage the English Language Institute’s use of pedagogical and cross-cultural approaches in English classes as part of the pathways program to create a more inclusive and supportive classroom experience for all students on campus.
• Work with the Faculty Senate Committee on International Studies to incentivize innovative curriculum internationalization projects and convene regular work groups on curriculum internationalization.
• Embed international perspectives into First-Year Seminars and other early and transitional learning experiences.
• Increase the number of international visiting scholars, researchers, and professors to UD, and support faculty fellowship opportunities such Fulbright and other prestigious international awards.

Objectives:

• Work with colleges and departments to identify compatible programs and course equivalencies, and ensure that study abroad is integrated more broadly into the curriculum as an expected part of the academic experience.
  • Integrate mobility into the curriculum and make internationalization available for all, especially those who do not travel, by ensuring that students are working in multicultural groups, contributing their perspectives, and engaging across cultures and experiences inside and outside of the classroom.
• Seek strategic partnerships with third-party providers to expand short-term faculty-led program offerings within a structure that offers in-country support and resources to both UD students and faculty.
• Increase short-term mobility programs, combining online instruction with an in-country experience, to remain more accessible and inclusive to all students, so they continue to benefit from work placement, study, or experiential learning abroad.
• Increase the annual enrollment of students in semester study abroad programs, which has been traditionally low at UD compared to peer institutions.
  • Implement a new semester study abroad fee structure that is aligned with the actual cost of participation to encourage non-resident students to participate in semester study abroad programs; the proposed tuition model would see all students (DE residents and non-residents) be charged resident tuition, which in turn will be credited to their program fee (the fee will cover costs associated with the host institution’s or program provider’s tuition, room and board, health insurance, and the IGS administrative fee). [Update: A proposal to implement this new semester abroad tuition model and fee structure has been developed by IGS and submitted to the Faculty Senate for review and approval.]
• Seek new funds for study abroad scholarships and identify cost-effective ways through third-party providers to further engage UD students in education abroad opportunities.
• Develop opportunities and resources to enable graduate students to participate in study abroad programs, engage in international research initiatives, and present at conferences overseas.
• Ensure equitable access to and increase participation in short-term and semester study abroad programs through the use of Information and Communication technologies and intentional outreach, student advising, and scholarship programs, including the Delaware Diplomats Program.
• Continue to explore new, virtual global learning program models in collaboration with both existing and new partners and provider organizations. While international higher education will not become entirely virtual, finding the right balance between physical and virtual interaction will be a key challenge as UD moves forward.
• Continue to work with faculty and academic departments to increase virtual internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in alignment with the academic course surrounding the work experience.
• Strengthen the collaboration with the Career Center to provide employment and mentorship opportunities to students through partner organizations, employer contacts, and the global alumni network.
• Continue to increase undergraduate student enrollment in the World Scholars Program and work with academic units and colleges to expand the number of majors eligible for participation in the program.
• Continue to prioritize the safety of students and faculty by weighing in the ethical risks of offering study abroad programming amid the uncertainty around health and safety protocol, travel and housing restrictions, and possible lockdowns internationally.

Objectives:

• Continue to strengthen international student enrollment strategies by working collaboratively with key campus partners and using data-driven insight on student flows and academic preference to meet the University’s ambitious goals of significantly increasing the number of international undergraduate students.
  • Allocate adequate resources and staffing to the Office of Admissions to ensure a more active role in strengthening UD’s position and brand awareness in existing and emerging recruitment markets.
  • Streamline recruitment efforts across university units to fully utilize the network of recruitment agencies, in-country representatives, and partners abroad.
  • Build on the current pre-departure orientation model to encourage participation and representation from academic departments and expand program offering to other sending countries beyond China.
  • Increase 2+2 enrollments by collaborating with faculty and colleges to expand on current academic partnerships internationally and locally.
  • Increase enrollment of sponsored students by identifying sponsorship opportunities in target regions and countries, in alignment with the university’s overall international student recruitment strategic plan.
  • Ensure that the university has well-established health protocol for international students and communicate these details to prospective students.
  • Adopt mindful and responsible measures of student recruitment to increase enrollment but avoid the commodification of international student mobility.
• Continue to support the international student experience by incorporating or reinvesting resources toward orientation, transition, acculturation programs, initiatives, and services that support student success in the curricular and co-curricular settings.
  • Ensure collaboration among OISS, student affairs, academic departments, and other units on campus to implement culturally-sensitive programming and interventions that support international students’ academic, social and cultural adjustment, especially during times of high stress.
  • Continue to promote inclusive classrooms that are characterized by teaching and learning through meaningful intercultural engagement, and aligning formal and informal curriculum to foster interactions across cultures.
  • Build intercultural competence among faculty, staff and students, aimed at understanding the experience of international students and improving views of campus services for that community.
  • Regularly assess the experience of international students, through assessment tools developed in-house and/or by external providers (i-graduate, GradSERU, etc.), to ensure quality in the assistance provided in both academic and non-academic settings.
• Remain informed and responsive to changes in complex immigration and employment-based regulations in order to support students, staff, faculty, and host departments in an advisory and advocacy capacity.
  • OISS will continue to host regular workshops, in additional to one-on-one advising sessions, to help international students maintain their visa status, remain in compliance with federal regulations, and overcome any insecurity and vulnerability that are often associated with noncitizenship status during their program of study and after graduation.
• Develop a dedicated International First Year Experience class (UNIV101) to build tradition and a sense of belonging among incoming international students at UD and serve as a platform of engagement with other student communities on campus. [Update: In February 2021, initial conversations between OISS and University Studies began to create a new UNIV101 course dedicated to new degree-seeking international students.]
  • Focus on the transition to college in the U.S., accessing the wide array of academic and nonacademic university resources, navigating U.S. cultural norms, values, and traditions, and supporting student personal development and leadership.
  • Serve as a bridge between orientation programming and the classroom environment to assist with the acculturation process, connect students with social opportunities and peer-mentoring groups, build a foundation for a successful academic career, and gain a better understanding of pertinent laws, rights, and protocol in the U.S.
• Ensure the academic success and persistence of students at every entry point:
  • Pre-matriculated or conditionally admitted immigrants and refugees through ELI’s Academic Transitions pathways program, designed, not only to develop language and academic skills, but also to address gaps for students with interrupted education;
  • Newly admitted international freshmen with borderline language proficiency through Accelerate-UD, providing a scaffolded academic experience, inclusive of high touch advising and undergraduate peer mentoring;
  • First semester international graduate students through a newly approved graduate communications course, supporting them in meeting the rigors of reading and writing genres within their disciplines.
• Utilize the OISS International Student Advisory Board and iBuddy Mentors to advise campus administrators on current issues and opportunities to improve the student experience, and integrate these practices into the University’s enrollment management strategies.

Objectives:

• Develop clear expectations and guidelines for developing university partnerships that support the strategic priorities of UD, and strengthen collaboration between campus units and the Center for Global Programs & Services, which is responsible for maintaining the University’s portfolio of international agreements.
• Introduce a database management system to maintain an up-to-date inventory of international agreements and to ensure efficiency in the approval routing process by key university units including the Center for Global Programs & Services, Office of General Counsel, and the Office of the Provost. [Update: In January 2021, CGPS began the implementation of Jaggaer, a database system to manage and track international contracts and agreements at UD. Staff training is ongoing and a full implementation of the software is expected by the end of Spring 2021.]
• Offer training, workshops and resources for faculty and staff to learn about best practices for developing and maintaining international partnerships and collaboration globally.
• Provide funding to support faculty, staff, and students when representing UD and collaborating with partner institutions abroad.
• Encourage the campus to work collaboratively with the Center for Global Programs & Services when hosting international delegations on campus to ensure well-planned, coordinated, and purposeful visits as part of the University’s global engagement efforts.
• Work with Risk Management, Public Safety, Office of General Counsel, Student Health, and other campus stakeholders on campus to assess risks associated with international expansion initiatives and ensure that policies, practices, and procedures are up-to-date in addressing safety and security issues from a programmatic, business, legal, and financial standpoint.
  • Create a Global Risk Manager position to provide guidance to faculty, staff, and students on all matters related to international travel safety and security, and coordinate emergency response and crisis management for the University’s global programs and initiatives.