Transcript Status of International Business in Community Colleges

Status of International Business
in Community Colleges
Presented by:
Bill Motz
Professor
Lansing Community College
First The Facts
• There are 1,100 local community colleges in the
United States.
• There are now over 200,000 international students
at over 500 community colleges around the USA.
• 20% of international students are majoring in
business. It is the most sought after degree.
• Almost half of the nations community colleges are
actively involved in some form of international
education.
Furthermore…..
• All of the regional accrediting associations
have adopted standards or policies to guide
two-year institutions as they move into
international education.
• Many two-year institutions have altered
their mission statements to include foreign
study for students as a means to develop
global perspectives.
WHY ?
• American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB) in their 1984-1985 standards and
guidelines for business school accreditation
encouraged business schools to adopt a systematic
acceptance of the internationalization of their
curriculum.
• Association of Collegiate Business Schools and
Programs (ACBSP) included in their standards, for
two year institutions, that students develop a global
perspective, and the study of the international
environment should be included in the business
curriculum.
Government supported these initiatives with
an international education policy
• To continue to compete successfully in the global
economy and to maintain our roles as a world leader,
the United States needs to ensure that its citizens
develop a broad understanding of the world,
proficiency in other languages, and knowledge of
other cultures…
• A coherent and coordinated international education
strategy(which includes the community college) will
help us meet the twin challenges of preparing our
citizens for a global environment while continuing to
attract and educate future leaders from abroad.
How does the government
support the initiative?
• Encouraging students from other
countries to study in the United States;
• Promoting study abroad by U.S. students;
• Supporting the exchange of teachers,
scholars and citizens at all levels of society;
• Expanding high-quality foreign language
learning and knowledge of other cultures.
International education must be part of the
community college’s mission….. Why?
• Nearly half (44% in 1999) of all Americans begin their
education at a community college- equates to 10.5 million
students.
• As communities across the US have become aware of the
importance of learning how to compete in the global
marketplace, community colleges have become the most
important institutions charged to respond to this challenge.
• Curriculum internationalization helps us stay competitive
in the business education marketplace, meet accreditation
requirements, and provide the business community with a
well prepared labor force.
American Association of
Community Colleges Policy on
International Education
• “To ensure the survival and well-being of
our communities, it is imperative that
community colleges develop a globally and
multi-culturally competent citizenry. In
Meeting this challenge, community colleges
should provide:”
• internationalized curricula
• multicultural activities and programs
The ACC Policy also includes...
• Foreign language
programs
• Cultural and ethnic
studies
• Study abroad
programs
• Faculty and student
exchange programs
• Professional
development
• Technical assistance to
other countries and
their
businesses/industries
• Local/state/national/
and international
forums
• International student
enrollment
The Challenges…..
• 1) Faculty support.
(administration is very
supportive and eager to move forward)
• 2) Marketing the program. In terms of a
terminal degree we have yet to find a job
market for our students, or make the right
connections.
• 3) Student Interest- out of 18,000 students
at LCC fewer than 50 have selected the IB
options. Difficult to run courses without #’s.
“Saber es poder”
• Knowledge is power.
• It is time to define a new set of principles for
international education that responds to the
contemporary challenges of our time, including
distance learning.
• Expanding international education strengthens
democracy, encourages prosperity, and inspires
new intellectual thought and inquiry.
• Global education does a lot for shedding
egocentric and ethnocentric attitudes.
• What happens outside of the US does
indeed affect the price of the automobile,
per-capita income, national security, your
job and perhaps personal freedom
• Global education can help community
college students make this connection.
So what is the status of International
Business in Community Colleges?
• At LCC we have
recognized that the
world is our oyster,
and we are willing
to deal with the
sand, if the end
result is a beautiful
string of pearls.