Faculty Internationalization Efforts Have Transformative Impact

November 25, 2008

Three years ago, Rollins College embarked on an unparalleled effort to internationalize. Professors at Rollins are given opportunities to travel all over the world to see other countries and experience other cultures. The President's Internationalization Initiative strives to enable every faculty member to have an international experience at least once every three years.

"To truly provide a global education for students, you must first internationalize the faculty," said Rollins President Lewis Duncan.

The first international trip of this initiative was to China in May 2006. Since then, a total of 128 faculty and teaching staff (about two-thirds of those eligible) have used the $3,600 grants to conduct individual research projects or to travel internationally with faculty-led groups to destinations including China, Ecuador and Tanzania.

Many faculty report "transformative" effects on their research and their lives. And internationalization has impacted the students in many ways including a 53 percent increase in the number of students who study abroad, according to Jennifer Campbell, Rollins' director of study abroad programs.

Rollins received national recognition for its unprecedented efforts to educate students for global citizenship and responsible leadership. To learn more about Rollins' internationalization efforts, read the feature story in The Chronicle of Higher Education and check out the faculty features below.

	Rollins China Center Promotes Cross-Cultural Learning
	Assistant Professor of History Julian Chambliss traveled to China
	Assistant Professor of Critical Media and Cultural Studies Denise Cummings leads service-learning trip to the Galapagos Islands.
	Professor of Philosophy & Religion Hoyt Edge is inspired by Bali
	Assistant Professor of Art Dana Hargrove traveled to South Africa
	Professor of Political Science Thomas Lairson is currently in Shanghai with a group of Rollins students
	Professor of Anthropology Robert Moore traveled to Morocco
	Assistant Professor of Anthropology Rachel Newcomb traveled to China
	Professor of Graduate Studies in Counseling Kathryn Norsworthy has traveled to South and Southeast Asia for more than a decade

Do you have an interesting perspective about Rollins' internationalization efforts that you would like to share? Please forward your written story and/or photos to Stephanie Duesing and we can include them on this Web feature.