Champlain College Receives Heiskell Award

Champlain’s Global Initiatives Programs Earn Top Honors

Andrew Heiskell Award Given for Innovative Approach to International Studies


BURLINGTON, Vt. – Champlain College’s innovative international initiatives have earned the college a prestigious award from The Institute of International Education (IIE).

Champlain College will receive the 2009 IIE Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education on March 19 at a ceremony at the United Nations in New York. The awards, now in their eighth year, were established to promote and honor outstanding initiatives in international higher education among the members of IIE’s association of more than 1,000 institutions.

“By recognizing excellence and innovation, the Institute hopes to promote a comprehensive range of efforts to make college campuses more international,” explained IIE President Dr. Allan E. Goodman. “The award-winning programs represent the best practices in internationalization. We hope these will encourage and inspire other campuses to better prepare their students to be active global citizens.”

Preparing citizens to actively engage in a global society is a widely held precept in education, and most colleges and universities have embraced the idea, according to Elizabeth Beaulieu, dean of the Core Division of Champlain College. Still, fewer than two percent of Americans study abroad (the traditional venue for offering an international experience), and overwhelmingly they choose destinations in Europe.
“Champlain College is dedicated to the goal of providing an international experience for every one of its students and to be honored so early in our efforts is significant. It recognizes our commitment to liberal learning outcomes for the 21st Century,” Beaulieu said.

IIE honored Champlain College in the category of “Internationalizing the Campus,” for advancing international curriculum development and providing innovative services to students through its Institute for Global Engagement headed by Gary Scudder, assistant dean for Global Engagement.

The Institute has developed three successful student and faculty programs designed to make the curriculum at Champlain College more international:
• Global Modules program (four-week, intensive online projects linking more than 3,000 students in 12 countries)
• Faculty Internationalization Initiative offering stipends for summer travel and course development
• A visiting scholar-in-residence program for international faculty.
“We are honored by this award and the recognition of Champlain’s efforts help our students become better global citizens through study abroad, increased opportunities for international dialog between students and hosting international scholars on campus,” said David Finney, president of Champlain College.

Champlain’s Global Modules

Champlain’s Global Modules program allows professors in any subject to inject international components into existing courses with little investment of time, money and effort. Created by Scudder, Global Modules are short, intensive, thematic online discussions between students and faculty members at different international universities.

Global Modules has grown in its first full year to include more than 3,000 students at 14 colleges and universities worldwide. “By 2009-10, we expect that more than 6,000 students a year from across the world will participate in these significant, content-based global education experiences,” Scudder said. In each course, participants include equal numbers of students at two or more universities. Topics, chosen by the professors, are wide-ranging and designed to encourage inquiry and cultural sensitivity.

“One of the great advantages of the Global Module approach is the flexibility it provides in linking seemingly very different classes together for an international and interdisciplinary experience.” Scudder said. “There is an endless choice of topics, readings and approaches that professors can take to enrich the educational experience. And you’re not trading credits or tracking money, so you don’t have the headaches associated with formal study abroad programs.”

Global Modules is so successful at Champlain that this year, Scudder notes, it has been incorporated into the core curriculum at the college and all freshmen and sophomores will take at least one course that includes the Global Modules content.
“Over the years we've discussed terrorism with students from Jordan, peace activism with Austrian students, globalization with Indian students, ecological impact with Kenyan students, the crisis in Lebanon with Australian students and women's issues with Moroccan students,” he said.

"The Heiskell Award is also recognition of the vision and hard work of our international partners. Without the support of the faculty and students at schools like Al Akhawayn University in Morocco, Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, Kenyatta University in Kenya, Corvinus University in Hungary, and the University of Jordan, just to name a few, we wouldn't have a network and our students here at Champlain wouldn't have this amazing experience," Scudder emphasized.

Champlain is also among a small number of American universities that participate in the American University in Cairo’s videoconference Dialogue project.

Scudder travels extensively to build partnerships with international universities, and his main focus is on Africa and the Middle East, “Largely because those regions are either ignored or demonized in the media. This award will continue to help open doors to new collaborations and partnerships with colleges and universities around the world,” he said.

Faculty Internationalization Initiative

The Faculty Internationalization Initiative at Champlain College is aimed at ensuring professors have the resources and support to travel and develop international courses, according to Finney, who provided funding that gave 14 Champlain College professors $6,000 each to go to the Middle East last summer. While there, they gathered information and course materials to develop international core courses for the 2009-2010 school year.

This summer, the program will send another dozen or so faculty members to China and the Middle East to develop course materials for 2010-2011.

Cities of Refuge Writers in Residence / Roger Perry Endowed Chair

Champlain was also cited for a new program to bring international scholars to campus to teach, lead seminars and interact with students and faculty over the course of the academic year.

Pierre Mujomba joined the Champlain College learning community in September 2008 as the institution's first City of Refuge Writer in Residence and the second recipient of the Roger H. Perry endowed chair. The City of Refuge program is a national initiative that offers writers facing persecution in their home countries a sanctuary where they can continue to work. Other Cities of Refuge include Ithaca, New York; Las Vegas; and Pittsburgh.

Mujomba, a playwright of international acclaim, is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which he fled in 2003 after the French-language publication of his best-known work, La Dernière Envelope (English title, The Lost Envelope). The play, which concerns the regime of former DRC president Mobutu Sese Seko, has been translated into English, as has Kalemba's Year without Pay.

During his residence over the 2008-2009 academic year, Mujomba will write plays, visit classes as a guest lecturer and present readings of his work.

Being away from the DRC, he says, allows him to express himself more freely. "In Congo we have the system of censorship," he says. "When I'm writing in Congo, I'm censoring myself. [Here] you're freer to write what you want. You have freedom to write all you can write ... Also, when I'm here, I am not only a Congolese writer. I am an African writer. It is important because when I'm writing, I'm no longer writing for a very small group. I try to write as an African who wants to let people know here what happened in Africa."

Champlain’s Institute for Global Engagement

“On both an educational and personal level, these programs make a world of difference for our students. They’ll never view the world the same way again after experiencing studying abroad, meeting a man like Pierre Mujomba or connecting with students on the other side of the globe through our programs,” Finney added.
Champlain College offers traditional study abroad programs with campuses in Dublin, Ireland, which opened in fall of 2008, and Montreal, Quebec, which opened in 2007. Finney also made a commitment to the incoming Class of 2012 at the freshman orientation in September to pay for passports for all first-year students who earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Champlain College was founded in 1878, and at its core is a bricks and mortar school, offering professionally focused majors. It has 2,000 campus-based undergraduate students on campus and is ranked 12th in the top tier of Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the North by 2009 America’s Best Colleges, published by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more about Champlain College, visit www.champlain.edu.

Heiskell Awards and IIE Overview

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1919, the Institute is the world’s most experienced global higher education and professional exchange organization. IIE has a network of 19 offices worldwide, over 900 college and university members, and more than 5,000 volunteers.
The Andrew Heiskell Awards winning campuses for 2009 are: Champlain College (Co-winner, Internationalizing the Campus), Universidad de Monterrey (Co-Winner, Internationalizing the Campus), Clemson University and the University of Kansas (Study Abroad), Indiana University-Purdue University At Indianapolis (International Exchange Partnerships) and Scottsdale Community College (Study Abroad at the Community College). Honorable Mentions will be awarded to Vanderbilt University, Ohio University, Chaffey College and Salt Lake Community College.
Profiles of this year’s winning programs are available on the “Best Practices” resource of the IIENetwork website, at www.iienetwork.org/?p=BestPractices. This site showcases more than 50 winning programs and honorable mention recipients from the eight years of awards, to serve as a resource and inspiration for the international educational community worldwide.

Representatives from this year’s winning programs will be presented with a plaque and a $1,000 prize at the Heiskell Awards luncheon in New York on March 19, and will take part in panel discussions that day at the 4th Annual IIE Best Practices Conference. The programs will also be featured in the Spring 2009 issue of the IIENetworker magazine and will be highlighted by IIE as the best practices in the field of international education throughout the year.

IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowships and the Gilman Scholarships administered for the U.S. Department of State.
The Institute is a resource for educators and institutions worldwide, publishing IIEPassport: Academic Year Abroad and Short Term Study Abroad and operating www.IIEPassport.org, the search engine for study abroad programs and www.fundingStudyAbroad.org, a free search engine for study abroad funding sources. IIE also conducts policy research and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad. Information on the Institute can be obtained from our Website: http://www.iie.org.

The Awards are named for the late Andrew Heiskell, a longtime member of IIE’s Board of Trustees, a former chairman of Time Inc., a renowned philanthropist, and a passionate supporter of international education, and have been endowed by a gift from Marian Sulzberger Heiskell as a lasting tribute to Mr. Heiskell's legacy.

Iran and Contemporary World Developments Conference

I wanted to take the opportunity to call attention to the 1st Conference on Iran and Contemporary World Developments, which will be held at Imam Khomeini University in Iran on 19-20 August 2009. Here's a link to the conference website: http://navazeni.ir/Conferences/Iran&World09.htm

My colleague Bob Mayer and I will be chairing a panel, so feel free to put in a proposal. Also, please send this information along to anyone who might be interested. Thanks.

Gary

International and Inter-Civilizational Dialogue

In the year 2000 the United Nations, as part of its Year of Dialogue among Civilizations, encouraged all “Member States, regional and international organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations to continue to develop appropriate initiatives at all levels to promote dialogue in all fields with a view to fostering mutual recognition and understanding among and within civilizations.” These are laudable goals, obviously, but how much progress have we made in achieving this “mutual recognition and understanding?” This panel is designed to explore efforts to inspire international and inter-civilizational dialogue, as well as the obstacles that remain. Taking the UN Resolution 55/23 as a guide, we are particularly interested in proposals on efforts to promote “human rights and fundamental freedoms,” celebrate “cultural pluralism and creative human diversity,” explore the changing role of women, or examine the opportunities/threats presented by the increased interrelatedness caused by globalization. These efforts at achieving dialogue may relate to specific programs launched by international, governmental or non-governmental agents, but can also consider educational, cultural or technological projects. Proposals should be sent to the co-chairs: Dr. Gary Scudder (scudder@champlain.edu) and Dr. Robert Mayer (mayer@champlain.edu).

GM with the University of Ghana

We've just begun working with the University of Ghana so it's too early to talk of an actual partnership yet, but the early returns have been very promising. This past semester Akosua Darkwah from the University of Ghana paired with Barb DuBois from Champlain to discuss the complex issues surrounding domestic violence in Africa and the United States. The students examined two articles, Cultural Beliefs and Domestic Violence and The Trials of Measuring the "Success" of Domestic Violence Policies and discussed the situation surrounding domestic violence in their two countries and proposed suggestions for reducing violence against women. We're discussing a visit to the university within the next few months.

Gary Scudder
globalmodules@gmail.com
scudder@champlain.edu

Danube University Krems

We want as many different voices represented in the international dialogue as possible. We're focusing on creating a strong foundation in Africa and the Middle East, two areas that are all too often either ignored or vilified. That said, we also other parts of the world included as well. Obviously, we want European universities and we're trying to get a variety of schools. Last year I visited universities in Sweden, Spain, Austria and Hungary.

One example of a potential Austrian partner is Danube University Krems. It is about an hour outside of Vienna, meaning that you travel around on the great intercity train system and then jump on one of the S lines that head out of town. Danube University Krems is an innovative school that is only around 15 years old and has around 3000 students. This last spring semester Klaus Himpsl, Andreas Raith and Petra Szucsich from Danube University Krems combined with Rob Williams from Champlain to run a Global Module on media, using portions of Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media: The Extension of Man as their common text. The conversation was wonderful.

Our initial local champion at Danube University Krems was Sabine Zauchner. Her interest in the project shows how even in the academic world there are advantages to "networking." I met a professor from Klagenfurt University in Austria when Champlain's Associate Provost Michelle Miller and I presented on the Global Modules at a conference in Hyderabad, India. The Klagenfurt professor then asked me to present at a Learning Communities conference in Klagenfurt, where I met Sabine after my presentation. She then encouraged me to visit her school and now it is paying benefits. After this initial success we are discussing ways to expand our partnership.

Gary Scudder
globalmodules@gmail.com
scudder@champlain.edu

Champlain student visits University of Jordan

This past fall, a senior Champlain College student, Jenica Norrish, from here in Burlington, VT visited Jordan to meet some of the students from the University of Jordan. Her visit was prompted from a series of articles she was writing for the campus newspaper about Global Modules being embedded into the new CORE curriculum at Champlain, with a final piece about her actual experience in Jordan. You can find Jenica's blog here and read about her first trip to the Middle East and about her time meeting some of the students and faculty on the other side of the Global Modules discussion.

Jenica at UJ in front of Big Ben campus clock

Global Modules Partners Spring 2008

After spending the last six (give or take) months visiting, recruiting and contacting universities to pair up with Champlain classes, the list is ready.

Here are international universities represented in the GM pairings for Champlain's Concept of Community class (COR 120) this semester:

Deakin University, Australia

Corvinus University, Hungary

Zayed University, United Arab Emirates

University of Skovde, Sweden

Kabul University, Afghanistan

University of Ghana, Ghana

University of Jordan, Jordan

Kenyatta University, Kenya

Goteborg University, Sweden

University of Alcala, Spain

Nipissing University, Canada

Al Akhawayn University, Morocco

Global Modules YouTube Presentation

A friend of mine taped a presentation that I gave here at Champlain about our Global Modules project and then placed most of it on Youtube in three sections. I’ll apologize in advance for the relatively rough quality of the print, and keep in mind that it was a somewhat informal presentation that I was giving to some of my colleagues at Champlain. That said, I think it does a fairly good job laying out the basic day-to-day structure of running a Global Module. As I’ve often said, sometimes, when viewed from the outside, the pedagogical and technical challenges of running a Global Module can seem daunting. Instead, we have designed the system to be as flexible and user-friendly as possible. It is a student-driven approach designed to add dimensions of international dialogue and critical thinking into the classroom without adding to the faculty workload. I hope this presentation can answer some questions, and I am more than happy to answer others.The one thing that doesn’t get addressed in any detail in this presentation is the bigger dream. Remember, our goal is to create an international network of universities interested in linking select courses together for short, thematic online discussions – to give students the opportunity to talk to their counterparts around the world about issues that have scholarly value and which also are important to them. To do that we need your help. Again, we are not looking for financial support – we are looking for innovative professors from universities around the world who are willing to take part in this approach.

Thanks, as always, and all my best,

Gary
scudder@champlain.edu
globalmodules@gmail.com

Connecting to a Bigger World

I was just reading some old Global Module material and came across a wonderful excerpt from the first GM we ever ran from the 2003 spring semester. My good friend, Dr. Tapti Roy from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, linked our classes together so that we could have our students discuss inequality. We had students in both classes read an article about the Grameen Bank. As many of you know, the Grameen Bank started in Bangladesh and specializes in making micro-loans to the poorest of the poor. One of the stipulations is that the loans are only made to women. During the online discussion between the students in Burlington and Dubai the logic behind this rule was questioned by a couple of the male students here in Burlington. At that point one of the female students in Dubai, who was originally from the subcontinent, wrote an extraordinary first-hand account of what it meant to be a woman in Bangladesh. Now, I could have told my students the same thing but it would have never resonated with them the way it did when the story was told by another student. The students were profoundly moved by her story, and it was at that point that we realized the tremendous potential of the Global Module approach for bringing students together. Here is a brief excerpt of that original posting:


"You had a few doubts about the
philosophy behind the Grameen bank in your first
posting- let me try and give a shot at them. Coming from
a nation that practices such a system, perhaps I may
help you look at things from another perspective. First
your initial question- why women? One thing you need to
understand is the status of women in general in the
rural society of the sub continent. Women are treated,
unfortunately, as second class citizens by the system
and only as ‘tools’ by the immediate society. Once she
is married off, given birth to a son (yes, this kind of
narrow thinking is still prevalent in many the corners
of the sub continent) , she becomes non-existent, at
society’s level known only as so and so’s wife or
mother. In Bangladesh, this is especially so because of
the lack of literacy at the village level and the
orthodox belief in caste hierarchy. In defiance of the
Bangladeshi banking system which treats women as second
class borrowers, the Grameen Bank (I read somewhere on
the net) wanted to establish a 50-50 ratio of women and
men borrowers. The Bank soon discovered I guess that
women are far more effective agents of change because at
least in this rural scenario they are accustomed to
handling many responsibilities at a time- managing the
house, the children, in this case acquiring food,
tending to cattle, managing the fields if any, etc. It
is a different issue that these jobs are considered as
‘a part of her duty’ by the men folk. Hence, economic
empowerment of women has a dramatic impact on
stabilizing the family unit. I know you said that the
men might ‘feel as if they aren’t needed and leave their
families, go out and spend more money, or get into
trouble much more easily.’ But a man’s perception of his
role in society, in these cases, is larger than life. It
is the men, on a customary basis that participate in the
village panchayats (grass-root level governments), it is
the men that traditionally do the labor for the house,
the village and their families. It is the men who make
all the decisions-including the work vs. school decision
regarding the children, mortgaging of property, etc.
. . . But I’m sure, that they too will
eventually realize that if they need the money and their
women can get it easily . . . then why not? So
I’ll beat her a little less today so that she doesn’t
complain tomorrow to those jibbery-jabbery friends of
hers and we can get that loan, and finally that landlord
will be off my back and we can keep that cow. . . The long term
benefit of any society, agreed as you said is for men and women
to stand up as equals. But the long term benefit of an under-developed
society is for the women to first realize and prove that
she is an equal."