Campus Internationalization on a Budget

March 16, 2015

Share this

Robin Matross Helms, associate director of research for ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement, on the three main takeaways from Monday morning’s session on “Global Learning for All: Modest Budgets and Creative Strategies.”

At this morning’s session, three university leaders provided practical advice for how institutions can marshal resources and support for campus internationalization initiatives.

President Nicolette Deville Christensen of Arcadia University (PA); Nasser Paydar, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer of Indiana University-Purdue University; and President Earl Potter of St. Cloud State University (MN) outlined successful tactics they have used, including:

  1. Build relationships with state and local governments and businesses to garner support. Corporations, chambers of commerce, and sister city and state organizations, for example, maintain active relationships abroad, and have a vested interest in producing globally competent graduates. In some cases, they provide direct funding to institutions—in others, it may be possible for to “piggyback” on trade missions and delegations traveling abroad.
  1. Tap into funding available from national governments abroad. Many countries are introducing initiatives to increase student mobility (both incoming and outgoing) and to help institutions develop international partnerships. U.S. institutions should be aware of these policies and position themselves as a destination for students funded by foreign government scholarships, and a source for international students for institutions abroad.
  1. Capitalize on faculty international interests and activity. International faculty maintain connections in their home countries and typically visit regularly. Research collaborations often originate with one-to-one faculty interaction. Institutions should track such activity and when possible build upon these personal connections to encourage additional collaboration – often more cost-effective strategy than trying to establish new institutional relationships from scratch.

The consensus among panelists was that campus internationalization is possible—even in a resource-constrained environment—when there is firm leadership commitment and alignment with key strategic institutional goals.


If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Keep Reading

A Winning Recipe for Successful Internationalization Worldwide

Going forward, the United States needs a broad, coordinated set of well-funded initiatives that support the comprehensive internationalization of U.S. higher education, writes ACE’s Lucia Brajkovic.

October 25, 2017

When the "Cure-All" for Creating a Global Campus Isn't

Higher education leaders too often look to the recruitment of students from abroad as the single cure-all to create an internationalized campus. While that is one of several steps institutions can take, it’s not enough on its own. By only recruiting students from abroad, institutions are missing a vital part of campus internationalization: The experiences and preparation of U.S. students.

November 19, 2013

Pursuing a Diverse Campus in a Post-Fisher World

There’s no need in the wake of the Fisher ruling for colleges and universities to put the brakes on the use of race and ethnicity in admissions decisions, as long as their senior leaders, admissions officers and legal counsels keep certain principles in mind and implement carefully crafted policies, writes Ada Meloy.

October 8, 2013