Western to develop strategies for internationalization as part of national cohort

Western Washington University, along with 10 other colleges and universities, has been named to the American Council on Education’s 11th Internationalization Laboratory Cohort.

Over the next 20 months, Western will develop strategies for campus internationalization by forming leadership teams to work on strategic planning and student outcomes, attending community meetings in Washington, undergoing site visits and peer reviews and participating in monthly phone calls with the laboratory director.

At Western, Vicki Hamblin, executive director of the Center for International Studies, will supervise this effort. The Internationalization Lab will bring coordination and intentionality to Western’s international commitments, drawing from a network of resources, such as the One World team that is currently working on models for internationalizing the curriculum, as well as other efforts that are already underway.

"The opportunity to participate in the ACE Internationalization Lab comes at a very good time for Western, as more faculty, students, and staff are engaged in research, study, or service-learning experiences which involve global destinations and global issues," Hamblin said. "This fall, both President [Bruce] Shepard and Provost [Brent] Carbajal have underscored publicly the need for Western to focus on internationalization as part of the fabric of the university’s mission and vision statements. I couldn’t agree more."

Since 2002, 79 institutions have participated in the program. This year’s cohort met for the first time on Aug. 29 in Washington D.C.

"The 11th cohort is the largest to date and is made up of a great group of individuals representing many different types of institutions,” said Barbara Hill, senior associate in ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement. “What we’ve found over the years is that even though their campuses may be different, the colleges and universities in the lab share similar challenges and are able to learn a great deal though collaboration.”

Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.