header

Annual Report

MACALESTER COLLEGE
INTERNATIONAL CENTER

Summary Report of Activities and Programs
May 25, 2001 - June 7, 2002
Final Report Prepared: June 10, 2002
Contact: Michael Monahan
(monahan@macalester.edu)

I. International Center Mission, Programs and Staff

II. The Study Abroad Program

III. The International Student Program

IV. International Week

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:

• Study Abroad Program
• International Student Program
• Faculty Development International Seminar
• Faculty Exchange Program
• Visiting International Faculty Program
• International Week

The International Center professional staff includes the following individuals and positions:

• Aaron Colhapp, International Student Program Coordinator
• Marilyn Cragoe, Administrative Assistant
• Tjede Merlini, Graduate Intern
• Michael Monahan, Director
• Paula Paul-Wagner, Assistant Director
• Katherine Yngve, Study Abroad Coordinator

During this academic year 4.8 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.

The International Center (IC) is delighted with the appointment, in February 2002, of Paula Paul-Wagner as Assistant Director, a new position at the IC. Paula comes to Macalester with five years of successful professional experience as the Director of International Programs at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her previous work also includes study abroad and international student advising as Assistant Director in the Office of International Programs at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Among Paula’s responsibilities in the IC are financial management, general office management, study abroad assistance, and international faculty and staff program assistance. Among many other specific tasks in her job description, Paula will collect and analyze financial data for study abroad; help manage the Center’s special events and services such as International Week and international visitors; coordinate student employment; coordinate study abroad statistics; and assist the director with the administration of the Faculty Exchange Program, the Visiting International Faculty Program, and the Faculty Development International Seminars.

Ms. Paul-Wagner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Journalism and a Master’s degree in Higher Education from South Dakota State University. In addition to her career accomplishments in the US, she has lived, worked and studied in the United Kingdom and Japan.

Members of the Search Committee included Michael Monahan (Director of the IC), Katherine Yngve (Study Abroad Coordinator), Andrew Latham (Assistant Professor, Political Science), and Dan Balik (Associate Provost and Director of Institutional Research). Finalist candidates also met with other IC staff, representatives from Human Resources, Ahmed Samatar (Dean of International Studies and Programming), and students.

TOP

II. The Study Abroad Program

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.
This year Michael Monahan, Director of the International Center, undertook the following on-site study abroad program development and evaluations:

• Costa Rica: University of Costa Rica and Associated Colleges of the Midwest Program
• Costa Rica: National University of Costa Rica and the Institute for Study Abroad Program
• Cuba: University of Havana and the Institute for Study Abroad Program
• Malaysia: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang
• Malaysia: National University of Malaysia (UKM) in Kuala Lumpur
• Syria: Damascus University and the US-Arab Partnership Program
• Thailand: Khon Kaen University and the Council on International Educational Exchange

In addition, Katherine Yngve, IC Study Abroad Coordinator, undertook one on-site program evaluation:

• Ecuador: Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID) Program in Quito

Financial Management and Cost Control. This year International Center staff continued its extensive review and revision of the estimated comprehensive cost of participation (study abroad program cost sheets) on which Macalester financial aid packages are based and, in addition, worked with the Business Office to re-configure the financial coding and budgetary tracking system for off-campus programs. This latter task continues into the summer of 2002 with the aim of streamlining the International Center and Study Abroad Program financial system.

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 and other financial support off-campus study. The results were very good again this year, with Macalester students selected for prestigious national scholarships and program-specific support, including the following:

• Two National Security Education Program/Boren Scholarship for Egypt and Morocco
• Two Freeman Scholarships for Japan
• Two Gilman International Scholarships for Japan
• Three Bridging Scholarships for Japan
• Five School for International Training (SIT) Scholarships for Cameroon, China, Cuba, Morocco, and South Africa
• Four Institute for the Education of Students (IES) Scholarships for France, Italy, and Japan (2)
• Three Council on International Educational Exchange Scholarships for Belgium, Hungary, and Japan
• Three Institute for Study Abroad (ISA) Butler University Scholarships for Argentina (2) and Cuba
• One Syracuse University Scholarship for Spain

Orientation. The federally-supported project regarding pre-departure orientation for study abroad participants concluded successfully, despite challenges with software, and resulted in the creation of an on-line logistical and procedural sourcebook and a Macalester orientation curriculum for maximizing study abroad learning, intercultural adaptation and critical thinking on global competence.

In addition, a re-entry handbook for all Macalester off-campus study participants was developed, and the great majority of its materials was added to the new International Center website. Two showcase events highlighting the integration of students’ study abroad projects with further research and honors theses were held on campus this year, one sponsored by the International Center and one by the Lilly Project on Work and Vocation. International Center staff and Lilly project staff have agreed to continue to collaborate on highlighting the connection between avocation (study abroad) and vocation (research and career).

Coordination of Procedures. As part of a larger structural review and re-design of International Center administrative procedures, IC staff (especially Katherine Yngve and Paula Paul-Wagner) worked closely with Macalester accounting staff to revise and clarify billing procedures for off-campus study. The new process allows the study away billing to take place in the regular June and December College billing cycle, rather than posting Macalester tuition to each account and then later making adjustments as program invoices arrive. The new process is expected to reduce by 50% or more the number of financial transactions that have to be requested and verified by International Center staff.

Similarly, Katherine Yngve, Study Abroad Coordinator, worked with senior admissions staff to standardize study abroad data collection and distribution, so that various Macalester offices can report the same statistics and participation rates to educational and private sector sources that request comparative information from the College (e.g. Institute of International Education; US News & World Report).

C. Study Away Statistics

For academic year 2001-2002, Macalester study away enrollments reached 265 student participants, with durations as indicated below. Of these, 256 (97%) studied outside of the United States while 9 students (3%) studied elsewhere within the United States. Participation by duration shows:

Summer 2001	28
Fall 2001 Semester	65
Spring 2002 Semester	147
January 2002	22

Approximately 79% of all study away students during academic year 2001-2002 chose Macalester-recommended programs or sponsors, and 81% of all participants studied away for a semester or longer. Some 29% of all Macalester participants selected programs with a significant field-based component, while 23% directly enrolled at foreign universities. Using the national statistical methodology recommended by the Institute of International Education (IIE) for comparative purposes in determining levels of study abroad across U.S. colleges and universities (the number of study abroad participants divided by the number of students who received degrees in May 2002), Macalester College study abroad participation rate was 65.9% (256/388) for 2001-2002.

A full statistical report of off-campus study, including details on country of destination and academic major, is available from the International Center.

D. Program Sponsor Meetings

The International Center again hosted a significant number of study away review meetings with representatives from selected sponsoring organizations and universities. As part of our continued effort toward quality control and toward creating better matches between the Macalester curriculum, students’ educational goals, and specific study abroad offerings, meetings were held at Macalester this year with representatives from the following program sponsors:

• Australia: Curtin University, Macquarie University, University of Melbourne
• Austria: Antioch College
• Cameroon: Dickinson College
• Denmark: Denmark International Studies (DiS)
• England: Bristol University, British American Drama Academy (BADA), Grinnell
• College, York University
• Egypt: American University of Cairo (AUC)
• France: Euro-American Center for International Education
• France: Institute for American Universities
• France: Internships in Francophone Europe (IFE)
• Greece: College Year in Athens
• Mexico: Augsburg College
• Northern Ireland: University of Ulster
• Scotland: Glasgow School of Art
• Singapore: National University of Singapore
• Spain: Universitas Castellae
• Thailand: Payap University
• USA: American University Washington Semester, Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA)
• Worldwide: Institute for Study Abroad (ISA), Butler University
• Worldwide: Institute for International Education of Students (IES)
• Worldwide: College Semester Abroad Programs, School for International Training (SIT)
• Worldwide: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
• Worldwide: Boston University
• Worldwide: Syracuse University
• Worldwide: Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA)
• Worldwide: Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID)

In addition, Katherine Yngve, Study Abroad Coordinator, attended the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) conference in San Antonio, Texas in May 2002 and met with representatives of these study abroad sponsors:

• Australia: Australian National University, James Cook University, AustraLearn
• England: University of Sussex, Kings College London, University College London
• Ireland: University College Cork
• France: Center for Universities Abroad/Paris (CUPA)
• Netherlands: Center for European Studies in Maastricht
• Scotland: University of Saint Andrews, University of Edinburgh, Glasgow University
• South Africa: University of Cape Town
• Tasmania:University of Tasmania
• USA: Swarthmore College
• Worldwide: Lexia International

TOP

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 (ISO) 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. Again we integrated the “Drop Off” field exercise into this year’s orientation as an experiential learning tool to acclimate students to the Twin Cities.

Participating students were asked to evaluate the international student orientation this year. Fifty-four students return the evaluation questionnaire, with 75 percent of responses rating the program at the highest level on a scale of 1 – 5 (1 being the highest). The mean score was 1.35. Full results of this evaluation are available from the International Center.

International Student Organizations. A goal this year was to enhance communication and effectiveness in programming among Macalester student cultural organizations. A special focus was put on Sunday News, a new student organization that focuses on substantive presentations and discussion sessions on lesser-known international issues. This year, Sunday News replaced the Macalester International Organization (MIO) as the co-sponsor of International Week (see below). Sunday News also helped sponsor conferences on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Sudan; Guatemala; women and music; and biweekly discussion groups on current issues. The office worked with MIO this year and plans to continue to do so.

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. Twelve 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. Educational excursions included Minneapolis visits to the Walker Art Center, the Minnesota Orchestra, and community service activities.

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 173 international students and 130 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 Laughter on the 23rd Floor, a barbecue and a soccer game.

Immigration Advising. This continues to be a critical service provided by the International Center. This year nearly 100 international students were advised and had applications processed for work/internship opportunities. In addition, Aaron Colhapp, International Student Program Coordinator, conducted two workshops on the topic of work authorization.

C. International Student Statistics

Enrollment. Macalester’s enrollment of international students – including foreign students, dual citizens, and permanent residents – during this academic year (2001-2002) included 326 students from 88 countries (17.9% of the total College enrollment). International students on nonimmigrant visas this year comprised 13.7% of the total number of students attending Macalester College (249 out of 1822).

Region of Citizenship. The distribution of international students by region of citizenship remained highly diverse, as follows:

Europe	31% (101 out of 326)
Asia	26% (77 out of 326)
Latin America and Caribbean	23% (76 out of 326)
Africa	10% (35 out of 326)
Middle East	7% (24 out of 326)
North America	3% (8 out of 326)
Oceania	2% (5 out of 326)

Academics . The distribution of majors among Macalester’s international students is currently as follows:

Economics	80	Environmental Studies	6
Computer Science	43	Spanish	6
Biology	37	French	5
International Studies	36	Classics	4
Political Science	24	Dramatic Arts and Dance	4
Chemistry	22	Geography	4
Psychology	22	Asian Studies	3
Mathematics	20	Music	3
Communication Studies	15	Neuroscience	3
Art (Studio)	14	Pre-Med	3
History	13	German Studies	4
Engineering	10	Linguistics	4
Sociology	9	Pre-Law	4
Physics	8	Religious Studies	4
English	7	Education	1
Philosophy	7	Geology	1
Anthropology	6	Russian/Central/East European Studies	1

 

D. International Student Program Institutional Visits

This year Aaron Colhapp, International Student Program Coordinator, hosted meetings at Macalester for representatives from the following institutions:

• Swedish American Foundation
• Japan Association of Foreign Student Affairs
• Institute of International Education Fulbright Program
• United World Colleges

TOP

IV. International Week

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 “The Arts, Identity and Internationalism”. This consisted of a four?day program in which students and faculty examined and discussed how we view the spectrum from low art to high art, marginal to mainstream. Three different perspectives were given one for visual arts, music and dramatic arts. Accompanying the panels were exhibits and performances. The week culminated with the International Dinner. Cumulatively, about 300 members of the Macalester College community attended the week’s activities.

TOP

V. The Faculty Development International Seminar

This year Michael Monahan, Director of the International Center, working closely with Ahmed Samatar, Dean of International Studies and Programming and with the guidance of the Advisory Committee on International Studies and Internationalism, coordinated Macalester’s fifth Faculty Development International Seminar. This year’s seminar took place in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January, 2002 and engaged a total of 13 Macalester faculty and staff in an intensive study of “Malaysia: Crossroads of Diversity in Southeast Asia”. The full seminar outline is available from the International Center. Macalester participants in the seminar included:

• Elizabeth Cogswell, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Development Office
• Karl Egge, F.R. Bigelow Professor, Economics
• Jeffrey Evans, Adjunct Professor, Economics
• Roxane Gudeman, Adjunct Professor, Psychology
• Ellen Guyer, Dean of Academic Programs
• David Lanegran, John S. Holl Professor, Geography
• Michael Monahan*, Director, International Center
• Carleton Macy, Professor, Music
• Karen Nakamura, Assistant Professor, Anthropology/Asian Studies
• Wayne Roberts, Professor, Mathematics and Computer Science
• Ahmed Samatar*, James Wallace Professor and Dean, International Studies and Programming
• Clay Steinman, Professor and Chair, Communication Studies
• Robert Warde, Associate Professor, English

*Seminar coordinators

TOP

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 sent three Macalester faculty members to Japan in January 2002. The selected Macalester participants were:

• Paula Cooey, Religious Studies
• Gitta Hammarberg, Russian
• Duchess Harris, Political Science

The program also brought 3 Miyagi faculty members to Macalester in March 2002. These included:

• Dr. Kouichi Takase, Educational Psychology/Language and Hearing Disorders
• Dr. Masaharu Yasue, Information and Knowledge Science Education
• Dr. Junichi Maeda, Exercise Science

TOP

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 continued to host the following professors:

• Dr. Amparo Menéndez-Carrión of Uruguay (International Studies/Latin American Studies)
• Dr. Nicolai Petrov of Russia (International Studies/Russian Studies)
• Dr. Marie Thorsten of the U.S. (International Studies/Asian Studies)

The Academic Year closing reception for the VIFs was held in conjunction with the new International Center Opening Reception on May 10, 2002.

TOP

VIII. International Center Staff: Selected Professional Activities and Professional Development Highlights

Aaron Colhapp , International Student Program Coordinator, was served a second year as Chair of Minnesota International Educators, a group that focuses on international student issues. Aaron chaired meetings, presented on F-1 regulations, led discussion on campus policies related to increased scrutiny of international students, and was interviewed on MPR and WCCO Radio regarding federal regulations in the wake of September 11. As professional development, Aaron attended the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) national conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Marilyn Cragoe, Administrative Assistant, was particularly active this year with the Host Family Program that matched 66 new Macalester international students with 60 families in the Twin Cities. Marilyn also coordinated the welcome reception, the international potluck and culture night, and the international student graduation reception. In addition, this year Marilyn served on the International Mentor Selection Committee and was elected Secretary of the Minnesota International Educators organization.

Tjede Merlini completed a one-year appointment as IC Graduate Intern in partial fulfillment of her Master of Arts degree at the School for International Training in Vermont. Among many other projects, Tjede advised students on off-campus program options, successfully re-designed the International Center and International Studies and Programming websites, and worked on her thesis involving faculty international development.

Michael Monahan, Director, co-coordinated (with Ahmed Samatar) the Faculty Development International Seminar in Malaysia, and undertook study abroad program development and evaluation projects in Thailand, Singapore, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Syria. He completed his second year 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. Michael was also nominated to serve on the Advisory Council of the Forum on Education Abroad and was appointed to the Academic Advisory Council of the Institute for American Universities in France. As professional development this year, he audited Professor Gunderson’s senior seminar on Kant in the Macalester Philosophy Department.

Paula Paul-Wagner, Assistant Director, began work at Macalester in this new IC position in February 2002. As professional development she attended the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) national conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Katherine Yngve, Study Abroad Coordinator, bookended her professional development this year by taking two courses at the University of Minnesota: a summer 2001 workshop on "Leadership in Intercultural Context", and a late spring 2002 seminar on "Maximizing Study Abroad” based on a research project of the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition. Katherine was elected as SECUSSA (Study Abroad) Representative to the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) Education and Training Committee; to serve as a member of the Workgroup on Professional Development through Distance Education Technology; and was a presenter and co-coordinator of a workshop on "Gender, Globalization and Popular Culture: Stereotyping in Whole World Education" at the NAFSA national conference in San Antonio. She furthered her interest in technology and higher education by attending a 3-college symposium entitled, "Academic Integrity: Technological Change and Intellectual Property”. Katherine also undertook an on-site study abroad program evaluation in Ecuador and was involved in assessing the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA) proposal for a new Environmental Policy Program which will focus on the Mississippi Watershed.

TOP