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International Students Study Abroad Faculty Annual Report International Studies
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Annual Report June 2003-August 2004 Annual Report June 2002-July 2003 Annual Report May 2001-June 2002 Annual Report June 2000-July 2001
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MACALESTER COLLEGE Summary Report of Activities and Programs I. International Center Mission, Programs and Staff III. The International Student Program V. The Faculty Development International Seminar VI. The Faculty Exchange Program VII. The Visiting International Faculty Program VIII. The International Center Staff
I. International Center Mission, Programs and Staff The mission of the International Center is to strengthen Liberal Arts education by engaging students and faculty in international and intercultural learning. This mission is accomplished primarily through six programs and their related activities and services:
The International Center professional staff includes the following individuals and positions:
During this academic year 3.8 FTE student employees also assisted the International Center, with responsibilities in the areas of mentoring, peer advising, data management, receptionist, administrative assistance, and clerical support. A. Mission Study abroad at Macalester College means both high academic performance and an acute awareness of diversity that is uniquely fostered by international experience. It enhances education in the liberal arts by engaging well-prepared students in rigorous and stimulating learning experiences in a variety of countries outside the United States. Study abroad enables students to encounter foreign cultures through contact with faculty, students, and the general public of the host country, and, in societies where the native language is not English, provides them with useful and consciousness-expanding proficiency in a second language. Through study abroad, and, upon returning home, participation in international courses and out-of-class forums, Macalester students are expected to reflect on and evaluate their learning about foreign countries. They are encouraged to develop a sense of global citizenship and to gain knowledge required for transnational understanding and leadership. The College can realize these purposes of study abroad through thoughtful program development, active monitoring of programs, careful preparation of student participants, able management of financial resources, and purposeful integration of academic experiences abroad with courses and programs on the home campus. We face a time of exceptional promise for Macalester College and its students. Carried out with renewed commitment and vigor, study abroad will help us realize that promise. B. Operationalizing the Study Abroad Program Mission The Study Abroad Program carries out its mission by assisting Macalester students interested in study abroad or study on selected off-campus programs in the United States. It maintains a resource library on programs; provides group and individual advising; conducts cross-cultural, country-specific, and program-specific orientation and re-entry sessions; and helps students select and apply to programs which will build upon and strengthen their study towards a degree at Macalester College. The Study Abroad Program administers or collaborates in a variety of linkages, reciprocal exchanges, and consortia with U.S. and overseas institutions; works with program sponsors to maintain and strengthen the academic, cross-cultural and language acquisition components of study away programs in which Macalester students participate; assists faculty and staff in evaluating student applications to study away; and helps students to integrate off-campus study into the Macalester curriculum and to become life-long international learners. Among the many activities undertaken by the Study Abroad Program during this academic year are the following: Program Evaluation. Selected off-campus programs
were evaluated through curricular review, program representative
meetings at Macalester, and consortia collaboration. Student evaluations
of programs are available for review in the International Center
Library.
In addition, the International Center this year provided support for program reviews by Macalester faculty as follows:
Cost Control. This year IC staff undertook an extensive review and revision of the estimated comprehensive cost of participation (study abroad program cost sheets) on which Macalester financial aid packages are based. Earlier established estimates, it was found, often erred on the high side for such items as airfare, living costs, and personal expenses. New IC procedures are now in place to help ensure accurate and fair estimates, and some previously included budgetary items have been eliminated from the estimates (e.g. personal travel, immunization fees, optional field trips). These revisions, among other factors (such as the choice of program), helped lower the average estimated cost of study away by nearly US$1800 per student. National Scholarships. As a continuation of efforts
started last year, the Study Abroad Coordinator and members of the
Study Away Review Committee worked hard to encourage Macalester
students to apply for external scholarships to support off-campus
study. Program Sponsor Meetings. The International Center again hosted a number of study abroad review meetings with representatives from selected sponsoring organizations and universities. This year emphasis was placed on facilitating meetings between program directors and Macalester faculty in specific programs. Beginning in Spring Semester 2001, program representatives were requested to abandon general recruiting and information sessions on campus and to instead focus on presenting the curricular strengths of their institution or programs to individual faculty members, peer advisors and IC staff. Also, two faculty members from recommended programs gave academic presentations as speakers for the Macalester Environmental Studies program: Professor Bo Lokkegard, of Denmark's International Study (DIS), spoke on "Pollution in the North and Baltic Seas;" and Professor Timothy Carlson, of Internships in Francophone Europe (Paris), spoke on "Agriculture as Ecology: the Socio-Economics of Food in France." Meetings arranged by the International Center with study abroad program representatives this year included the following program sponsors:
C. Study Away Statistics This year study away (US and abroad) enrollments reached a total of 253, as follows:
Of the total, 5 students studied away elsewhere in the United States and 248 studied abroad. Foreign destinations and programs were again very diverse, with Macalester students in 47 different countries on 120 different sponsors' programs. Using the widely recognized Institute of International Education (IIE) method of determining an institution's percentage of study abroad participation (students studying abroad divided by members of the graduating class in a given year), this year Macalester engaged 50.4% of its students on study abroad of a semester or more in length. Adding short-term programs to this count brings the study abroad total to 248 students, or 60.7% of the 2001 graduating class. It should be noted that, given the significant number of international
students enrolled at Macalester (48 students with F-1 visas or about
12% of the class of 2001), using the same IIE method outlined above,
the percentage of Macalester U.S. students studying abroad
is even more impressive at over 68%. III. The International Student Program A. Mission The International Student Program serves the educational and personal development needs of Macalester international students. This involves efforts to integrate international students into all aspects of College life, helping them participate in and contribute to Macalester's high-quality liberal arts education, and assisting them to apply their learning to their own lives and cultural contexts. This also means helping create an intellectually and culturally supportive environment among students, faculty and staff, and assisting the College and the community gain from the presence of students from different countries and cultures. The International Student Program carries out the U.S. government-mandated functions that allow Macalester to issue documents for international students to attend the College. This function includes assisting international students maintain their legal status and access to resources and opportunities allowed by U.S. law. The International Student Program promotes the integration and full functioning of international students through a number of activities and services, including: educational and informational programs on intercultural, academic and practical living matters; forums for interaction with U.S. students; individual counseling and advising on cross-cultural adjustment, communication, U.S. cultures and customs, and the use of community and campus resources; and explanations of the nature, goals and expectations of Macalester as a national and international liberal arts college. Among the goals of the International Student Program for students are: excellence in academic achievement; effectiveness in interpersonal relations across cultures; group and task effectiveness across cultures; retention, graduation and continued involvement with Macalester; successful re-integration and application of the Macalester education in home countries and cultures (or application and further adaptation of this education in the United States). B. Operationalizing the International Student Program Mission Among this year's activities supporting the mission of this program were: Orientation. Emphasis was placed again this year on sustaining a high-quality initial International Student Orientation through careful coordination of efforts between the IC and other Macalester offices. The new student orientation focussed on enhancing interactions between faculty and students, and thoroughly explaining the nature of Macalester's liberal arts education within a comparative context of other countries' educational systems and cultures. A "drop-off" field exercise was integrated into this year's orientation as an experiential learning tool to acclimate students to the Twin Cities. International Student Organizations. A goal this year was to enhance communication and effectiveness in programming among Macalester student cultural organizations. In addition to the Macalester International Organization (MIO), the International Student Program worked with a new organization, Sunday News, whose focus is to sponsor substantive presentations and discussion sessions. Topics this year included the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Burma; Child Trafficking; and Women of Afghanistan. Mentor Program . The international student Mentor Program continued to provide high quality assistance to first-year and transfer international students, including faculty-facilitated discussions on critical issues. Ten returning students (working in pairs) mentored nearly 120 students this year. Advising included: adjustment to studying at a liberal arts college; orientation to the Twin Cities; time management; choosing academic fields of concentration; issues of sex and drugs on U.S. college campuses; and understanding U.S. government regulations that affect international students. Host Family Program. This program, which focuses on international student learning about U.S. cultures through contact with Twin Cities area families, this year involved 141 international students and 96 hosts. Major events during the year included a welcome reception, an international pot luck dinner, and a graduation reception. Other social activities aimed at improving Macalester host family relations included the Macalester theater performance of Top Girls, a barbecue and a soccer game. Immigration Advising. This continues to be a critical service provided by the International Center. This year more than 90 international students were advised and had applications processed for work/internship opportunities. The International Student Program Coordinator conducted two workshops on the topic of work authorization. Twin Cities Arts Program. As part of an innovative initiative, the International Student Program coordinated educational visits for students to the Walker Art Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Wiseman Museum, and also promoted the Macalester College student art show. This Arts Program prepared students for the visits with short lectures on the art that would be viewed, provided guided visits to the galleries, and post-visit forums for discussion of what had been learned. More than 50 students took part in the program. Enrollment of international students -- including foreign students, dual citizens, and permanent residents -- during this academic year included 296 students from 86 countries (16.8% of the total College enrollment). International students on nonimmigrant visas this year comprised 13.2% of the total number of students attending Macalester College (232 out of 1753). The distribution of international students by region of citizenship remained highly diverse, as follows:
The most frequent majors of Macalester international students
are:
D. International Student Program Institutional Visits This year the International Student Program Coordinator hosted meetings at Macalester for representatives from the following institutions:
The International Center, the Macalester International Organization,
and collaborating faculty, staff and students designed and implemented
this year's International Week with a thematic focus on "Media
through an International Lens." This consisted of a four-day
program in which students and faculty examined and discussed the
global implications and repercussions of the media. The week culminated
with a keynote address by Dr. DeeDee Halleck, Professor in the Department
of Communication at the University of California - San Diego, and
the International Week Dinner during which the Internationalism
Award was presented. Cumulatively, some 395 members of the Macalester
College community attended the week's activities. V. The Faculty Development International Seminar This year the Director of the International Center working closely with the Dean of International Studies and Programming and with the guidance of the Advisory Committee on International Studies and Internationalism, began planning for the next Faculty Development International Seminar which will be implemented in January, 2002. This effort included a careful exploration of possible themes, locations, presenters, and host university partners in East and Southeast Asia. On-site explorations and discussions with potential partners were undertaken in four countries, primarily at the following universities:
Following reports on these explorations and discussions with faculty and administrators, a January 2002 seminar, "Malaysia: Crossroads of Diversity in Southeast Asia" was approved, and the consequent call for applications ultimately resulted in a group of 15 Macalester faculty and staff to be engaged in the seminar. The seminar outline is available from the International Center. VI. The Faculty Exchange Program International Center staff again managed the Macalester College-Miyagi University of Education (Sendai, Japan) Faculty Exchange Program that this year brought 4 Miyagi faculty members to Macalester (from the disciplines of Science Education, Educational Psychology/Language and Hearing Disorders, and Education) in September of 2000, and sent three Macalester faculty to Japan (from the disciplines of Music and Education) in January of 2001. Looking ahead to next year, the IC coordinated (and completed by May 2001) the process of successfully selecting exchange participants for next year. The three Macalester faculty members chosen to participate in the January 2002 component of the exchange are professors Gitta Hammarberg (Russian), Paula Cooey (Religious Studies) and Duchess Harris (African American Studies/Political Science). VII. The Visiting International Faculty Program The International Center staff worked collaboratively with International Studies and Programming and other campus offices on the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) Program, which this year hosted the following professors:
The IC Assistant to the Director assisted VIFs with arrangements for housing, phone service and other practical matters. The Academic Year closing reception for the VIFs was held in May at the home of the Director of the International Center. VIII. International Center Staff: Selected Professional Activities and Professional Development Highlights Aaron Colhapp , International Student Program Coordinator, attended the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) national conference in San Diego, California. This year, in St. Louis, Aaron was certified by NAFSA, upon completion of professional development workshops, in the areas of J visas and hiring foreign faculty and staff. He was elected to a second term as Chairman of the Minnesota International Educators Association for the 2001-02 academic year. Aaron's other professional development activity this year was a visit to Middlebury College to observe another high quality liberal arts college international student program office. Marilyn Cragoe, Administrative Assistant, participated in the International Student Orientation in September 2000 by (1) giving a presentation to new international students regarding employment options and (2) conducting separate orientation sessions for students and families participating in the Host Family Program. During the academic year Marilyn attended five meetings of the Minnesota International Educators group, participating in discussions regarding immigration and other international student issues. Janice Dickinson, Assistant to the Director, represented Macalester College on the Butler University NAC site evaluation visits to college and universities in England, Scotland and Ireland June 23-July 6, 2000. Her team visited and evaluated 15 institutions and learned from two other teams about 30 more institutions. She also visited the study away office at University College London. She served as a co-presenter at the MAFAA Winter Conference for financial aid personnel held in the Twin Cities on January 17, 2001. In a session entitled "Oh, Oh the Places They Will Go!" Jan discussed various aspects of Macalester's Study Away Program, including staffing issues, problems, and statistics. Michael Monahan, Director, was elected this year to a 3-year term on the Academic Consortium Board (ACB) of the Council on International Educational Exchange. The 13-member Board is responsible for the evaluation of Council study abroad programs worldwide. He completed two ACB projects this year: the evaluation of Council's program at the University of Alcala in Spain; and the initial development of a Council program at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico. For five days in October of 2000, Michael gave a series of invited guest lectures on international education at Universitas Castellae in Valladolid, Spain. As this year's professional development activity during a July vacation, Michael took an intensive French course during July vacation at the University of Quebec in Montreal. Katherine Yngve, Study Abroad Coordinator,
counts as her most interesting professional development project
this year the Spanish Conversation class she took at Macalester
College under Professor Linda Burdell. This year Katherine also
attended a 3-day workshop on "Assessing Intercultural Learning"
at the School for International Training in Vermont; participated
in a faculty retreat for Minnesota Studies in International Development;
successfully wrote a grant proposal to the Association of International
Educators (NAFSA) Cooperative Grants Program which funded a project
to improve the study abroad orientation for Macalester students;
was named regional representative to NAFSA's Committee on Whole
World Study Abroad; co-presenter at the national NAFSA conference
in San Diego "Technology, Study Abroad and Generation Y; and
attended an Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) conference
on "Classrooms of the Future."
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