Committee on International Partnerships
Draft Recommendations
Submitted June 18, 2009
Mission: (1) Assess the current status of the University’s exiting international programs
and partnerships. (2) Make recommendations to further develop these programs and
partnerships and create new ones to provide opportunities for UML students to become
globally competent and bring more international students to campus. (3) Review the
administrative and organizational capacity of the University to support growth of
international programs and partnerships.
This committee should address the following questions:
1. How can we provide opportunities for students to have meaningful and substantive
international learning experiences, including traditional study abroad as well as
experiential learning?
2. How can we establish partnerships among our faculty and students with those from
universities around the globe, across disciplines, in scholarship, research, economic
development projects, and public diplomacy?
3. How can we better reach out to immigrant groups in the area to meet their higher
education needs?
4. How can we involve our international alumni in these efforts?
5. What external funding opportunities are available to make these programs selfsustaining?
Assessment:
1 Strengths: A strong group of enthusiastic and active faculty and staff have developed
various international programs and partnerships.
2 Weaknesses: Most existing international programs and partnerships are formed by
individuals. There is a lack of adequate administrative infrastructure to coordinate
these activities and support new initiatives.
3 Opportunities:
1) International Student Enrollment: Current enrollments of international students
were reviewed and found to be low. Increasing these enrollments can increase
revenue as well as enhance globalization of the campus.
2) Study Abroad Programs: (a) The Lowell region has a long history of welcoming
immigrants from all over the world, which makes it an ideal place for developing
international collaborations. (b) UML is well positioned to offer a range of study
abroad experiences synergistically interwoven with other dimensions of broad-based
international initiatives
3) International Partnerships: A large number of the committee members are already
engaged in international partnerships and strongly feel that with a strategic
approach, an enormous number of beneficial partnerships can be sustained and
scaled up. The committee has initiated a process for creating a data base of existing
partnerships.
4) Online and Hybrid Programs: (a) Build on current connections in China, India,
Ireland, Italy, Turkey, and other countries; extend “on campus” collaboration to
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online. (b) Expand online offerings: more degree programs, esp. professional
Master’s. Leverage strengths in Science, Engineering, Management, and
interdisciplinary. (c) Offer Blended programs
5) Fundraising: Committee members believe that in this global economy, the climate is
right for reaching out to individual alumni as well as friends and corporations in
order to seek support for international programs; a strategic approach is needed.
Overarching approach
 Six subcommittees were formed. They are International Students, Study Abroad
Programs, International Partnerships, Online and Blended Programs, Fundraising,
and Infrastructure. The full committee met three times and subcommittees met several
more times during the period from February to June 2009.
Critical Elements for Success: The committee members quickly came to the consensus that
the success of international partnerships depends on the following three elements:
 Global and innovative thinking
 Faculty Passion
 Infrastructure
Review of Transformations Report: Several committee members pointed out that a
relevant report had been prepared by the previous administration in July 2006.. The
committee reviewed this report and recommended that it be used to guide the current
strategic planning as well. Many recommendations here are very similar to those in the
earlier report.
Recommendations
1 Increase International Student Enrollment
1) Aggressively recruit international students by creating programs and marketing
 “2 + 3” and “4 + 1” year BS/MS program; transfer articulation agreements with
universities
 Scholarships to subsidize Tuition/Fees for international students
 Create International Student Recruitment staff position
 Establish a local recruiter in China, India, and other countries that have a large
number of students interested in studying in the US
 Increase international visibility through websites
 Analyze how students have been recruited and by whom
2) Improve Infrastructure for addressing needs of international students using
customer service approach:
 Help international students adjust to Lowell and Massachusetts
 Create ESL summer program for new international students, or coordinate with
Middlesex CC.
 Create good all-round atmosphere for international students on campus
2. Develop and Increase Study Abroad Programs
1) Establish key international collaborations with universities in countries that have
connections to local immigrant communities, which have been identified for
strategic purposes
2) Develop study abroad programs at those locations
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3) Continue to work with private study abroad providers for other destinations
4) Engage alumni and area residents, particularly those with ties to certain locations,
to finance study abroad opportunities
5) Standardize a system for awarding of academic credit for study abroad coursework.
3. Increasing Partnerships
1) Share information
 Increase visibility of Campus International Activities with a dynamic inventory
and e-newsletter
 Annual forum to present summaries of international activities
 Develop guidelines on how to locate funding institutions and international
partners and for visiting international scholars and UML faculty abroad
2) Provide support and keep track of funding sources of international activities
3) Recognize international academic work carried out by faculty and staff
4) Create innovative programs
 International Institute for Faculty (summer)
 International College for Students (summer)
 Joint degrees between international academic institutions
 Build on strengths: Assistive Technology Programs etc
4. Increase Online and Hybrid Programs
1) Develop “workable” models of online programs with international partners.
2) Develop “3+1+1” and “3+2” programs
3) Develop 3-year online education in home country; 1-2 year at UML campus
4) Develop 1 year plus Master’s degree programs (esp. MBA)
5) Split a semester into online session (3 months) and face-to-face session (1 month)
with Faculty to foreign institutes
6) Identify New Funding: Example: Department of Education: $2 million for Business
and International Education Program,
5. Enhance Fundraising
1) Reach out to alumni as well as individuals within the Lowell communities for
scholarships, summer employment, housing for international students and study
abroad students
2) Partner with Fortune 500 companies, multi-national corporations, and government
agencies on specific programs they promote and support:
 Industry examples (Mobile Exxon: Diversity and International Initiatives;
“Educating Women and Girls”; Africa Health Initiative, Community Summer
Jobs Program; ConocoPhillips (2008 Corporate contributions :50% Education &
Youth; WalMart)
 Government (Peace Corps; US Embassy in Iraq; NSF)
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