A Case Study of International Affairs
and Relations Organizations in the
United States
Robert Waters
Visiting Fulbright Scholar
Chiang Mai University
26-01-2011
• The world awaiting our students requires
that they understand international issues.
More than ever before, international
leadership is the responsibility of a topranked research university.
-- President CD Mote, Jr., University of
Maryland
Higher Education in the United States
A Large, Diverse and, Decentralized System of Education
• 4,409 Colleges and Universities in the U.S in (1,851 in 1949-50, and
3,056 in 1980-81)
• 2,719 4-year, 1,690 2- year
• Public 4 year- 652
• Public 2 year- 1,024
• Private 4 year, non-profit 1,537
• Private 2 year, non-profit 92
• Private 4 year for-profit 530
• Private 2 year for-profit 574
*2008-2009
Higher Education in the United States
• 19,681,000 students involved in postsecondary education in 2010.
• 14,609,000 in public colleges and universities
• 5,072,000 in private colleges and universities
• In 1869-1870 - 52,000
• In 1939-40 - 1,494,000
• Total expenditures of public institutions in
2006-2007 -238,828,801,000 USD
A Diverse “System” of Education
• Public/Private
• Each of the 50 states has a unique set of institutions
• Range from small liberal arts colleges of several hundred students
to large publics with 40,000-50,000 students, with many different
missions.
• Many colleges and universities are relatively “open admission”
institutions with either minimal/flexible or no admissions standards
• No national exam for University although most students take a
standardized assessment test- the SAT or ACT- especially important
for schools with rigorous standards
• Graduation/success rates vary significantly
• Most colleges and universities are highly dependent on tuition or
state subsidies to stay in business
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Largest Institutions in the United
States
University of Phoenix online campus
Arizona State University
Ohio State University main campus
University of Florida
University of Texas at Austin
Texas A&M University at College Station
Michigan State University
Pennsylvania State University at University Park
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
University of Central Florida
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
University of Wisconsin at Madison
Purdue University at West Lafayette
Indiana University at Bloomington
University of California at Los Angeles
University of South Florida
Miami Dade College
New York University
University of Washington
Florida State University
University of California at Berkeley
301,323
57,636
48,888
47,408
47,289
44,813
43,131
43,057
41,992
41,057
40,951
39,307
38,761
38,555
37,482
37,430
36,125
36,075
36,057
35,459
34,604
34,305
Top Country of Origin for International Students
in the United States 2007-08
Rank
Place of origin
1
India
94,563
2
China
81,127
3
South Korea
69,124
4
Japan
33,974
5
Canada
29,051
6
Taiwan
29,001
7
Mexico
14,837
8
Turkey
12,030
9
Saudi Arabia
9,873
10
Thailand
9,004
U.S. Colleges With the Most
International Students, 2009-10
Baccalaureate institutions
International students International percentage
Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY)
Brigham Young University, Hawaii campus
Mount Holyoke College
Utah Valley State College
Brigham Young University, Idaho campus
Calvin College
Middlebury College
University of Hawaii at Hilo
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Willamette University
Smith College
Macalester College
1,084
973
511
456
388
350
332
317
284
270
263
262
10.3%
38.1%
22.3%
1.6%
2.8%
8.6%
13.5%
8.0%
14.1%
10.0%
8.4%
13.2%
U.S. Colleges With the Most International
Students, 2009-2010
Doctoral institutions
International students International percentage
University of Southern California
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
New York University
Purdue University, main campus
Columbia University
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
University of California at Los Angeles
Michigan State University
University of Texas at Austin
Boston University
University of Florida
University at Buffalo (SUNY)
Harvard University
Indiana University at Bloomington
Ohio State University, main campus
7,987
7,287
7,276
6,903
6,833
6,095
5,685
5,358
5,265
5,172
4,920
4,911
4,867
4,819
4,796
22.9%
16.7%
16.8%
16.8%
28.2%
14.6%
14.3%
11.3%
10.3%
16.4%
9.7%
17.0%
18.4%
11.4%
8.7%
Institute of International Education “Open
Doors” Report
The Open Doors data suggest that the makeup of the
international student body the United States is shifting.
If current enrollment trends hold, the number of
foreign undergraduates, which includes students
studying for associate or bachelor's degrees, is poised
to surpass the number of those pursuing graduate
degrees. In 2008-9, there were 269,874 international
undergraduate students and 283,329 graduate
students. Until 2001-2, foreign undergraduates at
American colleges outnumbered their graduate-school
counterparts.
U.S. Institutions Hosting the Most
International Scholars 2009-2010
Harvard University
University of California - Berkeley
Columbia University
Stanford University
University of California- Davis
University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - San Diego
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Pennsylvania
Yale University
Ohio State University - Main Campus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
University of Southern California
University of Washington
University of Maryland - College Park (23)
4,203
2,950
2,708
2,662
2,583
2,573
2,375
2,244
2,146
2,065
1,899
1,882
1,787
1,747
1,744
1,483
Higher Education in the United StatesStructure
There are no national universities in the United States
Most colleges and universities in the United States are
independent, organizationally decentralized, and operate in a
relatively autonomous fashion.
• Private institutions under the direction of a Board of
Trustees
• Public institutions often as part of a system under the
direction of a Board of Regents
While there are government subsidies given to some
universities for limited purposes and to students for financial
aid, most colleges and universities are responsible for
generating their own funding through tuition, grants and
fundraising.
Higher Education in the United StatesGovernance
Boards of Trustees/Boards of Regents
Are legally in charge of the university. They hold the
formal legal authority through which colleges and
universities operate. They,
1. Hire the president
2. Approve the budget
3. Manage endowments
4. Overseeing overall the educational program
5. Are responsible for long- range planning
Higher Education in the United StatesGovernance
• An important aspect of Higher Education in
the United States is that Boards of Trustees
and Regents are legally in charge- they have
formal control but they delegate much of that
responsibility to a campus President and his or
her administration.
• President hires a team of administrators
to run all administrative aspects of the
university
Higher Education in the United StatesGovernance
However, the faculty generally remain in charge of most
critical academic matters at U.S. colleges and
universities. The faculty “owns”, decides:
• What body of work constitutes a degree program and what
set of courses qualify for degrees.
• Academic programs requirements and curriculum.
• Which classes are taught, when, and by whom. The have
almost complete academic freedom to determine course
content, syllabi and grading.
• Requirements for the major and graduation.
• Which faculty are given tenure track positions and who
should be given tenure and promoted.
Higher Education in the United StatesGovernance
This authority in the academic arena begins with an
individual faculty member and rises to the;
• Departmental level
• School or College (Faculty) level
• The Dean (s)
• Chief Senior Affairs Officer and Staff
• Board of Regent (academic committees)
• Accrediting bodies
In most cases great deference is given to faculty
input, advice and judgment at each level.
Higher Education in the United States
Faculty in the United States are also strongly rooted in
their disciplines. They are;
• Generally educated in Ph.D. programs in specific
disciplines.
• Rewarded by faculty in the discipline.
• Accustomed to strong working relationships with
faculty within but not outside of the discipline
• Judged by national and international disciplinary
standards.
• Dependent on judgments and review from peers in
terms of publications and research grants .
Higher Education in the United
States
• Many researchers note that faculty allegiances
to their disciplines and professional
organizations and colleagues are much
stronger than their ties to the universities in
which they work.
• Departments and perhaps even colleges are
more closely allied with others in the field
than with those in central administration.
Which Brings Us to Internationalization
How does an institution in the United States
structure a strong, vibrant, international affairs
organization?
• The President/administration may be in charge of
administrative activities but faculty and academic offices
have the authority to often act as independent agents
and engage in their own set of activities.
• This creates a “tension” between 1) central and
decentralized aspects of governance and 2) the need to
establish a university level policy towards international
affairs versus relationships and specializations rooted in
specific academic disciplines
Organization of International Affairs
In some areas responsibility seems very
clear:
• Central administration might keep track of MOU’s ,
host large visiting delegations, apply for huge crossdisciplinary research grants, administer study abroad
programs, Fulbright programs, etc.
• Faculty/academic departments have strong
ownership of academic programs, curriculum and
content.
Organization of International Affairs
However, in some areas there may be
organizational tension and confusion. For
instance;
• Who “owns” alumni for recruiting, publicity and
fundraising purposes? Central administration or
college and academic departments?
• Who determines which visiting faculty and scholars
are invited to campus?
• Can departments and colleges/schools create their
own binding set of MOU’s and commitments with
the permission of central administration?
Organization of International Affairs
• Ideally International Affairs offices should be
organized to maximize the effectiveness of the
work done at the center while giving enough
freedom and support for those at the local level
to thrive.
• There should be a good and constant flow of
information through meetings and document
sharing so that all parties are aware of what each
is doing.
• Let’s look at three cases.
Harvard University
• Traditionally known historically as a very
decentralized institution. ETOB- Each Tub on
its Own Bottom. Each college/school
responsible for supporting itself.
• Provost’s Office was only established in 1992.
seeks “to foster collaboration across the
University and manage changes in policies and
practices that affect the academic life of the
university as a whole.”
Harvard University
International Affairs Structure
• Associate Provost at the university level. Small staff,
coordinating role, centered around large policies, and
relationships affecting worldwide programs of great
impact.
• Area studies in international arena and responsibility
for academic programs distributed throughout the
university.
• International Office handles administrative matters and
logistics involved in international matters for students,
faculty and staff visiting or traveling abroad.
Harvard University
Slow to develop campus wide policies
• The first university-wide policy regarding the establishment of Harvard
sites outside the United States was approved in 1997.
• The first policy regarding the governance of research and educational
centers was published in 2002.
• In 2004 the Provost appointed a task force to review university policies
with regard to international activities, especially large projects and sites
outside the United States.
• The university’s first vice provost for international affairs was appointed in
2006.
• In fall 2006, the University Committee on International Projects and Sites
(UCIPS) was created; comparable procedures have been established in
each Harvard School.
From the Harvard University website
Vice Provost for International Affairs
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The vice provost is responsible for developing and overseeing a variety of
university-wide initiatives and policies relating to international research,
education, and collaboration. The vice provost is the principal academic officer
responsible for reviewing proposals to develop inter-Faculty initiatives on
international topics.
In partnership with Deans and professors, the vice provost supports development
efforts for international programs in all of the university’s Schools and serves as an
advocate for such programs within the university.
The vice provost works with the Deans and professors to develop, oversee and, if
warranted, terminate large-scale university activities abroad. These activities
include centers, large projects, and offices outside the United States.
Harvard Centers within or outside the university that serve more than one of its
Schools report to their respective Deans and to the Vice Provost. Together, these
efforts promote best practices across Harvard’s international operations, which
may serve the needs of one or several Schools and, in many cases, provide
international study opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and professional
school students.
Vice Provost for International Affairs
The Office of the Vice Provost of International
Affairs also oversees a website, "Harvard
Worldwide" - that brings together information on
Harvard's international activities in a single place.
• “For the first time, Harvard students, faculty, and
administrators, as well as the general public, can now find
information on these activities quickly and easily. Among
other things, these international activities include courses;
grants for research, travel, and internships abroad; degree,
certificate, and executive education programs; and faculty
research.”
International and Area Studies Centers and
Institutes (Academic Affairs)
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Asia Center
Center for Hellenic Studies
Center for Jewish Studies
Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Committee on African Studies
David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies
Harvard China Fund
Harvard-Yenching Institute
Korea Institute
Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies
Program on U.S.-Japan Relations
Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies
South Asia Initiative
Ukranian Research Institute
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
International Affairs Office
• “The Harvard International Office (HIO) was
established in 1944 to respond to the needs of a
growing number of international students, resulting
from the closing of universities in Europe and Asia. At
the time there were 250 students from overseas who
needed assistance with the settling-in process and
advice in complying with U.S. Government
regulations.”
• “The original mission of the office remains the same,
but the international population has grown to over
7,000 international students and scholars.”
International Affairs Office
Part of the University’s Central Administration and offers
services to international students and scholars at Harvard
College, the graduate and professional schools, as well as
the numerous research centers and affiliated teaching
hospitals. It provides information on;
• immigration issues (work permits, travel),
• financial questions,
• social and cultural differences
• through the years, the office has played an increasingly
important role in advocacy with government agencies
and legislators on issues concerning international
students and scholars.
University of California, Berkeley
• Highest ranked public research university in the
world.
• Long history of welcoming international students and
scholars and of conducting international research
• Not highly centralized but extremely comprehensive.
Academic and administrative support programs
report to the V.P for Research. International
Relations Office provides support for alumni and
alumni clubs and provides a unified web presence.
International and Area Studies at U.C.
Berkeley (IAS)
Comprehensive academic degree program
• IAS comprises nine interdisciplinary area research centers and
institutes. These units support both contemporary and
historical research on every region of the world, facilitating
the work of more than 800 affiliated faculty and visiting
scholars, hundreds of graduate students and thousands of
undergraduates. The Associate Vice-Chancellor for Research
oversees the operations of all IAS Centers and Institutes.
• The Institute of International Studies also oversees six
international studies majors, a graduate program as well as
the campus study abroad office that provides education
abroad opportunities for UC Berkeley students.
International and Area Studies at U.C.
Berkeley (IAS)
Center for African Studies
Institute of East Asian Studies
Institute of European Studies
Institute of International Studies
Center for Latin American Studies
Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Institute of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies
Center for South Asia Studies
Center for Southeast Asia Studies
Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad (BPSA)
The Institute of International StudiesReports to Vice Provost for Research
The Institute of International Studies promotes interdisciplinary research in
international, comparative, and policy studies on the Berkeley campus of the
University of California.
Established in 1955, the Institute focuses today on the following intellectual themes:
• Peace and global security in the 21st century
• Environment, demography, and sustainability
• Globalization, development, and human rights
•Technological change and the transformation of the global economy
The Institute hosts several major research programs, provides support to Berkeley
faculty, awards fellowships to Berkeley graduate students, and offers research training
to undergraduates. The Institute hosts distinguished visiting fellows- both domestic
and from abroad - who participate in Institute programs, colloquia and collaborative
research projects while in residence at Berkeley.
IIS is also engaged in public outreach efforts to help involve the Berkeley community in
discussions about world politics.
International Office
International services are offered through the International
Office which reports as an administrative unit to the Vice
President for Research
“Berkeley International Office’s mission is to enhance the academic
experiences of international students and scholars by providing the highest
levels of knowledge and expertise in advising, immigration services, advocacy,
and programming to the UC Berkeley campus community.
Services
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Advising support for nonimmigrant students, scholars, staff, and faculty
Visa document production for nonimmigrant students and scholars
A wide variety of programs and workshops
Training and support for campus department administrators
Permanent resident petitions for international faculty
International Relations Office
Hosts “Berkeley Around the World” unified campus
website.
The office also serves as a gateway for
• international students and parents
• alumni relations
• internationally themed events and activities
• Berkeley clubs around the world
University of Maryland
• Highly decentralized with most programs and
authority at the local (school/college), especially in
the academic arena
• Central office responsible for administrative services
and programs but also for articulating central
university priorities
• International Affairs Office recently reorganized and
renamed in light of ambitious University Strategic
Plan
University of Maryland
• With nearly 300 established partnerships with universities and
governments worldwide, the University of Maryland (UM) places a high
value on international cooperation. One of the university's goals is to
facilitate an international experience for all UM students, whether via a
study abroad program, an internship opportunity with international
companies, or one of several campus-based programs providing intercultural learning experiences.
More than ten percent of UM students come from outside the U.S.,
placing Maryland, for more than 15 years, among the top 20 U.S.
universities serving international students.
• The Institute for International Programs (IIP), led by Associate Provost for
International Affairs coordinates the university's international
partnerships, provides faculty travel grants, oversees services for
international students and scholars, and sponsors international programs
and events on campus.
The University of Maryland Strategic Plan
Maryland in the World- Engaging the Global Community
Developed by Provost Nariman Farvardin and approved by the University Senate in
2008
Strategic Initiative #2
Vision
The University of Maryland will be the public institution of choice
for students, faculty, and staff committed to engagement in the
global community. Teaching, scholarship, and outreach activities
at the University will reflect the reality of global interdependence.
Students and researchers will be prepared to live, work, and thrive
in the current and future world environment, and the University
will be recognized as a world-class, world-conscious international
leader.
The University of Maryland Strategic Plan
Maryland in the World- Engaging the Global Community
Developed by Provost Nariman Farvardin and approved by the University Senate in
2008
The University will produce informed global citizens and skilled
professionals prepared to engage in a global community in which
the important issues of our time are international ones.
Our students and our researchers will not only understand
international issues but will be comfortable addressing them. An
academically rich and personally rewarding experience abroad
will become a normal part of a student’s university experience,
involving combinations of academic courses, research activities,
and experiential and service-learning projects.
Key Strategies Outlined in the Plan
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.
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.
Key Undergraduate Education Strategies
The University will vigorously recruit and enroll students from
different ethnic groups, national origins, and backgrounds, and
with different life experiences, interests, and financial resources.
Specifically:
The percentage of students from underrepresented
groups (African American, Asian American, Hispanic
American, Native American, and multiracial), currently
33%, will rise to at least 35% of the total enrollment in five
years and 38% in ten years.
The percentage of international students, currently 2.2%,
will rise to at least 5% of total enrollment in five years and
8% in ten years.
Key Academic Strategies
By 2013 at least 25% of academic programs will have definable elements of
global focus, and by 2018 at least 50%.
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.
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.
University of Maryland
• At the University of Maryland we struggle in terms of organization
because the President, Provost, and leaders in International Affairs have
one set of well developed and articulated priorities and our colleges,
deans and faculty have sometimes overlapping but sometimes different
goals, priorities, and relationships.
• There can be many international goals/priorities/acitvities in the center
that those at the local level know nothing about and have no commitment
to- and hundreds of relationships and commitments between faculty and
departments around the world that central administration may have
strong, casual or no knowledge about.
• We’ve recently developed a “hybrid” model through reorganization that
will create an office where central leadership, services, and academic
coordination are married.
University of Maryland
Reorganization of the Office Of (Now Institute For)
International Programs:
• An overriding strategy for enhancing international
program activity was the reorganization of the existing
Office of International Programs. Based on the 2009
report of a high level review committee, a reorganization
plan was developed by the Provost. This plan has now
been largely carried out. Completion of the
reorganization awaits the appointment of a new
Associate Provost for International Programs
THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
(IIP)
• IIP will be the first point of contact at the University of
Maryland for international institutions of higher learning,
government offices and other organizations, and a general
resource for international activities at Maryland.
• IIP will work with the University’s senior leadership in
designing and implementing the international goals as set
out in the Strategic Plan.
• It will coordinate international partnerships and exchanges;
facilitate faculty working groups; provide faculty travel
grants; oversees services for international students and
scholars; manages the list of UM’s international
agreements; and sponsor international programs and
events on campus.
THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS (IIP)
IIP includes and supervises the following units:
• Confucius Institute at Maryland: First in the world, CIM
promotes the study of Chinese language, cultures and
philosophies, and advances the understanding of China
today. It provides non-credit language courses and
conducts a variety of events that are open to the
community at large
• Education Abroad: EA provides international, academicallybased experiences to support our students’ personal,
intellectual, and professional development. EA programs
aim to promote intercultural competence, disciplinary
scholarship and foreign language acquisition while fostering
global citizenship.
THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS (IIP)
• Maryland-China Initiative: MCI is a self-support unit that provides
non-degree training for Chinese professionals in Public
Management, Educational Administration, Infrastructure
Development, Energy and Environmental Management, Consumer
Product Safety, and Public Fitness. MCI’s model is to be expanded
to other countries and regions, at which point MCI will become part
of the “Center for International Executive Training,” a new IIP unit.
• Office of International Services: OIS is the primary service unit for
non-immigrants who teach, conduct research or study at UM. UM
is now home to approximately 3,600 international students and
1,100 visiting international faculty. OIS analyzes and provides the
required documentation for incoming students and personnel, for
both degree- and entrepreneurial programs. It also advises
international students, works with incoming exchange students,
and actively participates in international activities on campus.
THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMS (IIP)
• IIP’s central office will serve as UM’s recognizable entity for
contacts from overseas and for US government offices
charged with visitor services. It will also bring together
Maryland area studies faculty with local and overseas experts
for conferences designed to explore new research and
collaborative opportunities. IIP will also work with deans in
the design, preparation and implementation of joint programs
with leading international universities and foreign
governments, including ongoing work with China, Taiwan,
Thailand, Egypt, Israel, and Argentina
• IIP will work with deans/associate deans on international
matters that affect the University, notably on recruiting
international students, promoting overseas experiences for
our students, and developing a greater pool of applicants for
Fulbright and other grants.
Organization of International Affairs Offices
There is no “best” organizational model in the United
States to support international affairs and relations.
There are alternatives; choice depends on:
• level of campus/system centralization or
decentralization
• institutional mission and campus culture
• scope of responsibility in the region, country and
world
• level of organizational ambition