Internationalizing the Campus Committee (ICC)
Report for AY 2010 -11
What is Internationalization?
“The process of integrating an international/intercultural dimension into the teaching, research,
and service functions of the institution” (Knight, 1994)
Introduction
At the 2009 President’s Retreat, the Internationalizing the Campus Committee (ICC) was
formed. The goal of the ICC in AY 2009-10 was to do a comprehensive audit to determine what
the university was doing to internationalize the campus. ICC used resources developed by the
American Council on Education (ACE) to research different aspects of internationalization on
campus. ICC developed a final report with 16 recommendations covering each major area of
internationalization. The report was presented at the 2010 President’s Retreat, and the
committee was charged with implementing the report’s recommendations in 2010 -11.
The ICC members for AY 2010 -11 were:

Mary Beth Kenkel, PhD, CoPLA, Chairperson

Clifford Bragdon, PhD, Strategic Initiatives

Judith Brooke, ISSS/Enrollment Management

Sam Doss, PhD, CoB

Ali Faisal, Advancement

William Gabrenya, PhD, CoPLA

Carey Gleason, Development and Community Relations

Korhan Oyman, PhD, CoA

Hamid Rassoul, PhD, CoS

Muzaffar Shaikh, PhD, CoE

Wes Sumner, Marketing & Communications

Jennifer Zych, Committee Staff Assistant
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During the 2010 – 11 AY, ICC had three subcommittees working on specific
recommendations. The subcommittees were: Communication Strategies, Development
Strategies, and Academic Strategies. The activities and accomplishments of the subcommittees
are described below.
Communication Strategies Subcommittee
The Communication Strategies subcommittee focused on these recommendations from the
ICC’s 2010 report.
 Recruiting materials and other depictions of the university should highlight the
international nature of Florida Tech and its emphasis on students’ developing global
competence.
 Creative methods should be used to inform the campus and broader community about the
university’s international efforts, activities, and opportunities.
 Florida Tech should make a name for itself as an “international” university
To address these recommendations, the Communications Strategies Subcommittee
accomplished the following:

Creation and dissemination of an internationalization PowerPoint presentation for
university faculty and staff

Revitalization of the ICC Web site, with the addition of audio clips spotlighting
international students

Launch of monthly internationalization segments on the weekly “Inside Florida Tech”
program for WFIT-FM

Addition of a monthly internationalization news feature to the Campus Observer
newsletter

Creation of nine “international minute” interviews with international students for WFITFM

Preparation of a significant feature story on international activities in the Winter 2011
edition of Florida Tech Today magazine
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
Creation of internationalization talking points for university officials
These Communication Strategies for promoting and showcasing internationalization at
Florida Tech will continue in the next year through the activities of the marketing and
communications departments.
Development Strategies Subcommittee
The Development Strategies focused on this recommendation from the ICC’s 2010 report:
 Florida Tech should establish an international center - a meeting space to conduct cultural
training, welcome external groups, and house international student organizations and
administrative offices.
To address this recommendation, the Development Strategies Subcommittee prepared a
concept paper for establishing a Center for Global Engagement. The concept paper identifies
the rationale, need, option for the Center, and establishes a campaign structure and checklist and
timeline to raise the necessary funding for a full scale initiative. The name, Center for Global
Engagement, describes the goal of internationalization, such that all students, both domestic and
international, would be a part of the center in efforts to expand all students’ global knowledge,
understanding, and skills.
The long term vision for the Center for Global Engagement is that it would include a:

Welcome center and lobby and reception area

Multipurpose meeting room for seminars/workshops/special events

International student lounge

Conference room

3-4 professional staff offices

Glassed in workspaces for international student organization offices

Equipment room, filing & storage room and bathroom facilities.
It is estimated that the costs for this 12,000 sq. ft center would be $2.4 million (12,000 sf. @
$200 per sf., plus additional maintenance costs of $8.00 per sf.).
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Since the fundraising for the Center may take several years, the ICC proposes a short-term
option for establishing the Center. The first step toward this goal is establishing an office where
the Center for Global Engagement can have a presence. Such an office will provide, for the first
time, a physical location identifying internationalization clearinghouse themes including
sustainable student services, recruitment, retention, fundraising, international alumni interface
and integrating national and international student related subject areas (i.e., master calendar of
campus events and off-campus community events, community and campus support groups, etc.).
Domestic and international students will have opportunities through this office to blend, share
and collaborate “globally”. Therefore, until the Center is built, the ICC is recommending that
along with other student life offices in Evans or in another appropriate and convenient location, a
single office be dedicated to support international initiatives and activities, and serve as a shared
space for the nine current international students organizations, including the International
Student Services Organization (ISSO), currently one of the largest organizations on campus with
over 100 members; the African Student Association (ASA), the Caribbean Student Association,
the Indian Students Association- Sanskriti, the Latin American Student Association, the Muslim
Student Association, the Saudi Student House, the Spanish Club, and the Taiwanese Student
Association.
The Development Strategies Subcommittee also supported and facilitated the following
international development activities during 2010 -11:

Explored further global opportunities including:
o Autism initiative for the Middle East (i.e., Dubai, UAE)
o Chinese agreement with Florida Tech for collaborative academic programs

Collaborated with local cultural leaders and hosted events
o Brevard Indian Medical and Dental Association (BIMDA)
o Indian Fest: rehearsals and sponsor party
o 5th Annual International Festival - development of ongoing partnerships with the
following organizations: Greek-American Association of Brevard; Space Coast
Vikings; Panama Suenos y Tradiciones; Melbourne Regional Chamber of
Commerce; Florida’s Space Coast Filipino-American Charitable and Educational
Foundation; L'Ahavat Tzion; Scot's American Society of Brevard; Space Coast
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Asian Pacific American Heritage Association (SCAPAHA); University Park
Elementary; Viera High School.

Establish a repository of Florida Tech international initiatives and activities:
o Technology Innovation Center of the Americas (President Sebastian Pinera of
Chile and President Barack Obama of US); Florida Tech is included as an initial
partner
o Korean Urban Regeneration Institute (KURI) and the Republic of Korea and the
Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and the Yellow Sea Free
Economic Zone (YSFEZ), City of Bucheon and Dr. Ro Choon Hee (MOU)
o Dominican Republic Academic Degree Collaborations/Exchange and High
Technology Research Parks with President Leonel Fernandez (Dominican
Republic) Meeting on campus
o Chinese Ambassador from the International Green Energy Council (IGEC) Scott
Parker to Chinese government entities, universities and aviation groups,(Hainan
Airlines and Grand China Airlines)
o SeaAway Family of Companies devoted to a global based maritime integration of
seaports worldwide for enhanced international economic development
o Utilization of the Florida Tech Research Park and the Office of Strategic
Initiatives for facilitating global economic development opportunities and
partnerships, acting as a gateway for Florida Tech.

Continued efforts building alumni relations:
o Start programs and activities that could engage both domestic and international
students with Alumni house so they experience alumni before they become one.
o Organize events for International Students with International faculty and staff and
invite local community to build Florida Tech affinity.
o Establishing International chapters that could engage international alumni and
keep the relationship live.
o Build both local and International alumni community that advocate and support
Florida Tech mission, recruit new students and become lifelong friend and
donors.
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Academic Strategies Subcommittee
The Academic Strategies Subcommittee focused on these recommendations from the ICC’s
2010 report:
 All students, including those who do not have the time or resources to study abroad, need
the knowledge and skills for global citizenship
 Undergraduate and graduate education at Florida Tech should incorporate the acquisition
of global competence and should specify and measure the desired knowledge, skills, and
attitudes that are expected for a student to be globally competent.
◦
Explore the possibility of requiring all students to take a global perspectives
course or the equivalent (foreign language, area studies, comparative religions
course, etc.) as a part of the general education curriculum.
◦
Develop more globally oriented courses, such as international music, history of
science, and new foreign languages.

Faculty need to become better educated about, and support, internationalization and be
involved in it through research, teaching abroad, or integrating international material into
their courses.

Greater faculty participation in international activities creates global presence
To address these recommendations, the Academic Strategies Subcommittee accomplished the
following:

Encouraged the Department of Humanities and Communication’s plans for adding
additional electives and broadening the core curriculum.
o New elective in World Music was developed and approved
o Civilization II course will become optional in a menu structure that will include
courses involving global learning material.
o
A minor in International Studies is under development.
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o ICC distributed the global learning priorities scale (KSA) from the American
Council on Education to all of the colleges.
o ICC developed a first draft of the Global Learning Outcomes expected of all
Florida Tech students.
Based on the initial set of 82 responders to the rating scales, the following are the most
highly endorsed global learning outcomes. In these tables, Mean indicates the average ranking of
the item (max value = 5) and Top 3 indicates the percentage of respondents who ranked the item
in their top 3 items (max value = 100%).
Knowledge:
Item
Mean
Top 3
A. Demonstrates knowledge of global issues, processes, trends and
2.66
51%
2.46
56%
Item
Mean
Top 3
K. Uses knowledge, diverse cultural frames of reference, and alternate
3.00
58%
2.54
52%
Mean
Top 3
systems
E. Understands his/her culture in global and comparative context
Skills:
perspectives to think critically and solve problems
L. Adapts his/her behavior to interact effectively with those who are
different
Attitudes:
Item
T. Is willing to learn from others who are culturally different from him/her 2.52
57%
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S. Accepts cultural differences and tolerates cultural ambiguity
2.49
51%
Based on these findings, the ICC recommends that all Florida Tech students be required to
demonstrate competency in the following KSAs. The ICC will work with the academic
departments to develop courses and/or other curricular experiences through which students
can acquire these competencies.

Demonstrates knowledge of global issues, processes, trends and systems (K)

Understands his/her culture in global and comparative context (K)

Uses knowledge, diverse cultural frames of reference, and alternate perspectives to think
critically and solve problems (S)

Adapts his/her behavior to interact effectively with those who are different (S)

Is willing to learn from others who are culturally different from him/her (A)

Accepts cultural differences and tolerates cultural ambiguity (A)
Changes involving international education (IE) can be encouraged by ICC in several ways:
(1) changes to the University-wide core curriculum, either in its requirements or their
implementation; (2) changes in all colleges and departments that facilitate IE; (3) encouraging or
developing co-curricular activities; (4) encouraging the introduction of new majors, minors, or
certificates; and (5) capacity-building activities.
Changes to the social science/humanities/communication part of the University-wide core
curriculum would primarily require course development and staffing within the Humanities and
Communication department, but should be undertaken in consultation with the ICC and
stakeholders as well as the relevant University processes, such as the Undergraduate Curriculum
Committee.
Facilitation of IE at the colleges and department level may be more difficult to encourage and
guide by the ICC. However, the ICC could encourage change in several ways, including
communicating the successes of similar units at other universities to Florida Tech units (e.g., by
summarizing NAFSA and ACE reports and targeting to appropriate units), advocating for
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structural changes that would open up opportunities for IE (e.g., increasing flexibility in
requirements); identifying change agents in units and providing them with information and
resources (e.g., sending key individuals to a NAFSA conference); and promoting IE on campus
through high-profile activities (e.g., a speaker series). Colleges could be encouraged to develop
their own global learning certificates if they find that the University-wide opportunities do not
meet their needs. Presumably, such certificates would require the development of one or more
new discipline-related courses alongside the inclusion of existing courses in other departments.
Co-curricular IE activities and programs should also be encouraged, such as the design of a
compelling colloquium series, and information about international service learning opportunities.
While the ISSS actively provides co-curricular activities and the University’s study abroad office
operates a small study abroad program, additional co-curricular programs can be encouraged.
Several obstacles to study abroad could be ameliorated through funding supplements, relaxed
curricular demands (e.g., easing sequencing problems in some departments), and more active
advocacy for study abroad. Programs beyond Oxford will be needed if study abroad is to expand
significantly.
Several capacity-building activities would facilitate academic change. These include giving
faculty release time to develop courses, bringing in content experts as consultants, and acquiring
teaching resource materials. While budget exigencies limit the options for capacity building at
this time, one low-cost approach would be to capture and communicate IE best practices in a
manner that would engage the faculty.
ICC 2011 Recommendations
To further the work of internationalization at the Florida Institute of Technology, the ICC
makes the following two recommendations:
1) Establish an office to house the Center for Global Engagement
a) Until the comprehensive Center for Global Engagement change is built, the ICC is
recommending that along with other student life offices in Evans or other suitable and
convenient space, a single office be dedicated to support international exchange
initiatives and activities, and serve as a shared space for the nine current international
students organizations.
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2) Establish Global Learning Outcomes for all Florida Tech students
a) The ICC recommends that all Florida Tech students be required to demonstrate
competency in global learning KSAs. The ICC will work with campus academic
committees to accomplish this and with academic departments to develop courses and/or
other curricular experiences through which students can acquire these competencies.
ICC Goals for 2011 – 2012
The ICC has outlined the following goals for next academic year:

Promote Global Learning Outcomes
o Through changes/additions to the University-wide core curriculum
o Through changes/additions in required curriculum for majors/departments,
including innovative departmental level study-abroad.
o Through encouraging/developing co-curricular activities
o Through encouraging the introduction of new majors, minors, or certificates
o Through capacity-building activities (such as dissemination of best practices,
faculty release/incentives for incorporating global KSAs.)

Provide opportunities for faculty and staff to further develop their own global and
cultural learning and provide resources for them to build international education capacity

Dedicate and open the office, Center for Global Engagement, in an accessible location,
thereby creating a physical presence for international students to interact with each other
and domestic students and creating a global milieu of opportunity and support at Florida
Tech.

Assist with the capital campaign for the comprehensive Center for Global Engagement
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