Goal 1: The University will greatly increase the participation of students in study, research, internship, and especially in service learning experiences abroad.
Strategies A. Students receiving academic credit for foreign study courses will increase from 1,300 in 2007 to at least 2,500 in 2012 and 4,000 in 2017. Currently untracked, student non-credit experiences abroad will annually total at least 1,000 by 2017.
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B. The University will collaborate with the Peace Corps and other service organizations to develop experiential and servicelearning opportunities abroad that complement educational programs and goals and mesh with institutional efforts and scholarly research. These opportunities will attract students who desire serious engagement with the great social, cultural, and scientific issues of our time. Through service-learning, students engage in integrative learning informed by service; help improve the quality of life in communities around the world; and gain skills, knowledge, and attitudes for a lifetime of meaningful global citizenship.
the strategic plan for the university of maryland | may 2008
C. University departments will develop, in-house or in collaboration with institutions abroad, additional summer- and winter-term courses and term- or year-long programs abroad. These programs will be designed to address significant issues, engage students’ interest, and enhance and fit seamlessly into academic majors and minors and General Education themes. The cge will support faculty development and training and necessary faculty travel related to the development of these courses and programs. D. The University will develop additional funding sources to support students who might not otherwise have the resources to participate in international experiences. Foundations and private donors, in addition to other sources, will be especially sought out for such support. No student should be denied such an international experience because of cost.
Goal 2: The University will greatly increase the global focus of its academic programs through curricular development, enrollment of international students, participation of international faculty, and the development of international collaborations.
Strategies A. By 2013 at least 25% of academic programs will have definable elements of global focus, and by 2018 at least 50%. The cge will support curriculum development to assist programs in reaching these goals. B. All academic programs will be encouraged to incorporate an international focus as appropriate to the discipline and program level. Curricula should be adjusted so as to encourage and easily
accommodate study or experiential learning abroad. As appropriate, foreign language study should be supported as a useful adjunct to other program goals. C. The University will develop a Global Studies minor with tracks that take a global perspective across many disciplines. As appropriate, these may expand into major and/or master’s level programs. We will work to greatly enrich these programs by engaging the participation of experts from the D.C. international community in their planning and execution. The cge will work with the Office of Academic Affairs to identify the academic home and leadership for these programs. D. The University will develop and implement a plan to aggressively recruit academically talented students from abroad, as indicated in the recruitment goals set in the Undergraduate Education section of this plan. The assistance of the official and informal D.C. international communities may help in this effort. We will also seek funds to provide scholarship support for these students. E. The University will develop new and expanded exchange programs with top-quality universities abroad for both faculty and students. These programs will be deliberate and well focused, will have specific mechanisms and resources for implementation, and will include research exchanges and opportunities for students to work in local and regional projects across many disciplines. F. The University will develop appropriate housing resources to facilitate short-term visits by international students and faculty members.
Goal 3: We will expand the global reach of University programs through programs on campus and through collaborations abroad where the synergies are compelling, the resources are available, and where high quality can be ensured.
Strategies A. We will expand our focused programs for training international governmental and business executives, and develop additional programs as warranted. B. The University will develop innovative curricular and technical approaches to facilitate educational programs offered in collaboration with universities and research institutes around the world. We will exploit advances in information technology and in human-computer interaction, in particular, in support of effective delivery of such programs.