Minutes 10/11/2005

A special board meeting and strategic conversation were scheduled to be held at 4:00 p.m. in the the Governing Board Room at the District Support Services Center in Tempe, Arizona, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice having been duly given.

PRESENT

GOVERNING BOARD
Don Campbell, President
Scott Crowley, Secretary (via teleconference)
Ed Contreras, Member (via teleconference)
Linda Rosenthal, Member

ABSENT: Jerry Walker, Member

ADMINISTRATION
Rufus Glasper
Anna Solley
Maria Harper-Marinick
Pete Kushibab
Larry Christiansen
Al Crusoe
Ken Atwater
Debbie Thompson
Mary Kay Kickels
Karen Mills for Linda Thor
John Neibling for Art DeCabooter
Jean Ann Abel
Maria Hesse
Jose Leyba
ABSENT: Ron Bleed
ABSENT: Steve Helfgot
ABSENT: Homero Lopez
ABSENT: Gene Giovannini

Attendance: Approximately 105, not including facilitators, camera staff, and campus staff.

SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
President Campbell called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. He announced that Governing Board Members Scott Crowley and Ed Contreras were present via teleconferencing. President Campbell introduced the following action items for approval:

I.A.1. Approval of GateWay Early College High School Annual
Financial Report for fiscal year 2004-2005

MOTION NO. 9334

Mrs. Rosenthal moved for approval of the GateWay Early College High School Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2004-2005. Motion approved 4-0 (Mr. Walker was not present for the meeting.)

I.A.2. Approval of Teacher Preparation Charter High School Annual
Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2004-2005

MOTION NO. 9335

Mrs. Rosenthal moved for approval of the Teacher Preparation Charter High School Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2004-2005. Motion approved 4-0 (Mr. Walker was not present for the meeting.).

MOTION NO. 9336

Mrs. Rosenthal moved for adjournment of the Special Meeting of the Governing Board. Motion approved 4-0 (Mr. Walker was not present for the meeting.).

STRATEGIC CONVERSATION (4:05 p.m. through 7:00 p.m.)

Acting Vice Chancellor Maria Harper-Marinick welcomed everyone present to the evening’s strategic conversation on globalization and international education. She then acknowledged the members of the Governing Board that were present and introduced members of the Chancellor’s Executive Council, as well as members of the International Education Office at the Maricopa Community Colleges. She offered her gratitude to the members of the planning committee for designing a conversation intended to be rich in content and promoting thought provoking dialogue. The planning committee consisted of the following members:

José Velasco, Director, International & Intercultural Education
Shereen Lerner, Faculty, Mesa Community College
Carmela Arnoldt, Faculty, Glendale Community College
Ken Bus, International Education, Glendale Community College
Marlene Forney, Librarian, Mesa Community College
Kurt Hill, Faculty & Division Chair, Paradise Valley Community College
John Jensen, Faculty, Rio Salado Community College
Bertha Landrum, International Education, District Office
Ida Mansourian, International Education, Mesa Community College
Jonelle Moore, Faculty, Mesa Community College
Lisa Nutt, International Education, District Office
Naomi Story, District Office
Therese Tendick, International Education, Scottsdale Community College
Bryan Tippett, Vice President, Academic Affairs, Estrella Mountain Community College
Maureen Zimmerman, District Director for Academic Affairs Support Programs & Services

She offered special appreciation to Shereen Lerner for authoring the white paper that had been distributed in advance of the conversation for review. Dr. Harper-Marinick commented that our colleges have done and continue to do an excellent job in the area of international education. She further commented that great opportunities are offered to our students and faculty to travel and study abroad. She posed the following questions for the audience to consider:

1. What does global education really mean for students, faculty, and staff?
2. How does Maricopa as a system develop a holistic approach to building a global education program with the District?

As expressed in the white paper, she emphasized the thought that deeper and more urgent dialogues and actions among faculty and administrators need to occur so that we can instill a stronger and more viable global education and learning at Maricopa. Bold decisions in planning and development need to be made to recast a cohesive, integrated, and systemic focus in global learning so that students, administrators, staff, and faculty can participate actively and productively in a global society.

Dr. Harper-Marinick then introduced Dr. Jose Velasco, Director of International & Intercultural Education of the Maricopa Community College District, who was responsible for bringing the evening’s activities together.

Dr. Velasco offered the following remarks:

“Why are we addressing this topic of Global Education here today. It is a topic also being addressed at many universities and colleges across this country.

Once the world’s unchallenged industrial superpower, the United States now faces strong competition from nations and economies whose social systems, cultures, and business strategies are very different than our own. As a nation, as a society, we should not be caught napping, but should instead—rise to the challenge by developing the educational infrastructure that will prepare our students from early ages through adulthood, to understand the world around us, and to have the cultural and linguistic skills to compete in the global marketplace.

Stakeholders in this state are already preparing. At the state government level – the Arizona Dept. of Commerce—recognizing the linkage between trade and economic development and the creation of jobs---has an active commercial presence in Latin America, Asia, and Europe. (Statewide offices in those countries.)

Six major trade events are scheduled within the next few months in Japan, China, Mexico, Czech Republic, Chile, and Europe. Speaking of Chile, the Governor has begun an Inter-American initiative and has identified Chile as a strategic partner for Arizona. Academic, business, and governmental delegations have already met with their Chilean counterparts to establish partnerships in key areas. Later this month, another delegation will be traveling to Chile, led by Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup and Phoenix area governmental, business, and academic representatives.

The Arizona Town Hall, in their most recent meeting this past summer, focused the entire agenda on Arizona’s Competitiveness in the Global Economy. Individual citizens from all corners of the state, professionals, students, ranchers, legislators, teachers, --representing a cross section of this state join together to discuss and
recommend action items on this important topic.

Recommendations:
“In order to increase understanding of other peoples, languages, and cultures, Arizona’s educational institutions should enhance global studies programs at all instructional levels and promote student and faculty exchange opportunities abroad.”
The Maricopa Community Colleges should be a full partner in our county and state’s efforts to make Arizona competitive---it is not only in our best interest---it IS our interest, commitment, and obligation—and now it is part of our mission. As the largest higher educational institution in this state, we must not just, play our part, but lead the way.

There is much to do. Today we are here, thanks to our Board of Governors’ request to bring this issue to the forefront—bring our Maricopa College Community together—and, yes, together, begin a dialogue---a “Strategic Conversation” on what active role we will play.

Although much remains to be done, we have also a good foundation to build upon. Over the past years, approximately 200 faculty have participated in District-sponsored programs in Australia, China, Mexico, the Netherlands, and other countries.

Opportunities for students through Study Abroad have also been provided. Study Abroad, traditionally left to the Junior year of a college education, is now a standard offering at community colleges. Here we have committed faculty who take it upon themselves to impart global learning experiences for their students. Last year we had 15 study abroad programs. This year, as you will see in the flyer in your packet, the District is offering 26 different global experiences for our students. Our faculty sponsoring these programs are to be commended for their dedication.

Fully understanding that not all students can have this opportunity—our primary focus is on Faculty Development programs in which we provide opportunities for our faculty to expand their awareness of the world and to bring these experiences back to our students.

This year we are going a step further. In order to encourage the globalization of the curriculum, the District Office of International and Intercultural Education is sponsoring a four-week Faculty Curriculum Development program in Chile. This program is unique in that we will be selecting teams of faculty working within the same disciplines or across disciplines, within the same college or across colleges, to foster collaboration among faculty—by working together to enhance global awareness for their students. There is a “Call for proposals” in your packet.

Other programs being developed involve the East-West Center out of the University of Hawaii. The East-West Center is the top Asian Studies center in the world. This past summer our office negotiated a program in which top scholars from that Center will be providing workshops and directing field studies in Asia for Maricopa faculty.
We have also linked with the Arizona University Latin American Studies Consortium to provide similar programs in the Latin American area. A two-week faculty development program is being developed in the Czech Republic this summer as well.
Our vision is to have a global presence for Maricopa—eventually covering all of the major regions of the world: Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East. . .with the ultimate goal of providing opportunities for our faculty to better prepare our students for the future.

We are in a key position to take the leadership as the largest educational institution in this state—to create effective strategies for meeting the challenges of a new era of global competition.

As was written in the White Paper prepared for this “Strategic Conversation.”
“Making global education a priority for MCCCD puts us at the forefront of building a global citizenry and developing global competencies in our workforce. . . .We ask that bold decisions in planning and development be made to recast a cohesive, integrated, and systemic focus in global learning, so that our students, administration, staff, and faculty can participate actively and productively in a global society.” Thank you. (A copy of these comments are available as a separate document in this meeting folder.)

Dr. Velasco proceeded to introduce members of the Community Panel that had been invited to offer remarks. They included:

Dr. Angel Cabrera, President of the Thunderbird-Garvin School of International Management

Gail Howard, Policy Advisor to the Governor For International Affairs

Dave Stangis, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Intel Corporation

Kevin O’Connell, Board Member of the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission and International Business Owner

The following bios were read regarding these panel participants:

Dr. Angel Cabrera
As president of Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management, Dr. Ángel Cabrera guides a truly global learning network, with operations in the United States, France, the Czech Republic, Russia, Mexico, Central and South America and China. The 59-year-old school is regarded to be the world’s leading institution in the education of global business managers.

Since coming to Thunderbird, Cabrera has been the driving force behind initiatives to expand the school’s global reach, offer a wider range of educational offerings, more deeply engage the school’s 35,000+ worldwide alumni and enrich the learning experience of the school’s MBA candidates.

Prior to joining Thunderbird, Cabrera was the youngest dean in the history of the Instituto de Empresa, one of Europe’s leading business schools, where he began as a professor of Organizational Behavior. He gained notice, in the media and with other educators, as an advocate of the adoption of a professional code of conduct by MBA graduates

Cabrera is a graduate of Universidad Politécnica of Madrid and of the Georgia Institute of Technology, which he attended as a Fulbright Scholar. As a professor, he conducted original research and published extensively in the areas of strategic human resource management, knowledge management and higher education.

In 2002, the World Economic Forum named Cabrera as a Global Leader for Tomorrow and in 2005 named him, from a pool of 8,000 candidates, one of just 238 Young Global Leader. In 2004, Cabrera was named by BusinessWeek as one of Europe’s most talented leaders.

Gail Lewis Howard
Ms. Howard is the Policy Advisor for International Affairs and Transportation for Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. In that capacity she advises the Governor on transportation and international trade strategy and policy and acts as the liaison to the state Department of Transportation, as well as crafting a multi-agency trade strategy involving the departments of Transportation, Commerce and Tourism. She also works on border infrastructure issues and is the Governor’s key liaison to the CANAMEX corridor, as well as serving on the board of the Arizona-Mexico Commission.

Prior to accepting her current position, Gail spent 10 years as Director of Economic Development and Constituent Outreach at Arizona State University, acting as the university’s primary liaison to the business and economic development communities. Before joining ASU, Ms. Howard was Assistant to the Mayor of Phoenix, overseeing economic development and downtown redevelopment work, and an economic advisor to Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt.

Ms. Howard serves on numerous organizations, including as a board member for the International Economic Development Council, the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission, and the Arizona-Mexico Commission. She is active with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Arizona Association for Economic Development, and the Association for University Research Parks.

Ms. Howard has done consulting work on economic development policy and practice throughout the United States and in Mexico, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia. She has taught courses for the International Economic Development Council in technology-led economic development and general economic development management and practice.

Ms. Howard has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California in journalism and international relations and a master’s degree from Columbia University in international affairs. She is married to a Phoenix attorney/businessman and has two sons, Matt, 13, and Andy, 6.

David P. Stangis – Director, Corporate Responsibility, Intel Corporation

Mr. Stangis is Intel Corporation’s Director of Corporate Responsibility. In this role, he works with key Intel business units (EHS, Legal, govt. affairs, Human Resources, etc) to coordinate strategy in line with external CSR/Sustainability drivers. He manages Intel’s relationship with the social investment universe and coordinates public affairs and external engagement in the areas of Corporate Responsibility.

Mr. Stangis is also responsible for the production of Intel’s Global Corporate Citizenship Report and monitors and responds to emerging issues that may affect the company’s reputation. He is a member of Intel’s Ethics and Compliance Oversight Committee and facilitates the Company’s Corporate Responsibility Management Review Committee and Sustainability Council.

Prior to his current assignment, he served as Intel's EHS External Affairs Manager and produced Intel’s Environmental, Health and Safety performance report. Mr. Stangis has been with Intel since 1996 and held a range of EHS and policy positions prior to Intel. He has spoken or lectured on the subjects of Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Environmental, Health and Safety at many universities and conferences.

Mr. Stangis received his MBA from the University of Michigan, a Master of Science (MS) from Wayne State University. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and a Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

Kevin Kurtis O’Connell
Kevin O’Connell has been an internationalist throughout his life. He grew up living in Colombia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and the United Sates. After graduating from Arizona State University with degrees in Political Science and History, he helped develop and manage Arizona’s economic and political policies with Mexico while working with the Arizona-Mexico Commission.

From there, Kevin went on to receive his MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management. After graduation, during the height of the Internet boom, Kevin worked for Quepasa.com, a bilingual Hispanic Internet portal. After this experience, he spent two years with the Arizona Department of Commerce, promoting Arizona globally as an ideal location for high technology investment and trade.

Kevin is the founder and President of Earth 2U Communications, an international business development, marketing, and government relations firm focusing on the markets in Central and Eastern Europe North and South America. He has also recently co-founded G.O. Global Trade & Investments, Inc., a company that is importing Hungarian wines into the U.S., as well as preparing for other trade investments in Eastern Europe.

He is an active member of the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission, serving on the Board of Directors; Co-Chairing the Economic Relations Committee, and immediate past Chair the Prague Committee. Kevin speaks fluent English and Spanish, and is learning Czech.

The Program was then handed over to Shereen Lerner, Faculty Member at Mesa Community College, who had the responsibility of the facilitating the evening’s activities. Ms. Lerner expressed her own personal interest and concern about this topic. She explained that she would ask each panelist to provide a two-minute opening comment on why the topic of international education and globalization was important and how the Maricopa Community College District could step into the dialogue.

Dr. Cabrera stated that it is stated that the world is a flat book but in reality the world is not flat but rather full of differences. Not everyone speaks English or drinks coke. In fact, people are constantly reasserting their differences. Arizona is a boarder state that has attracted people from all over the world. It is expected that everyone should speak English but it was his opinion that it is more important for diversity to flourish.

Ms. Howard stated that she was very passionate about this issue. She recounted about a session that had been held with the Department of Commerce regarding an international agenda for the Arizona. She stated that the following ideas had resulted out of this session:

Arizona is not experiencing an economic crisis. In fact, it is experiencing an economic boom and unemployment is very low. The question, then, is does the state improve globalization without a crisis? There is an enormous opportunity to encourage this economic agenda for Arizona. Leaders have never tried to promote globalization. The new reality is that there is a need to bring organizations together and prepare Arizona for globalization.

Arizona needs to become competitive for global business and encourage international education. Arizona’s community colleges should abroad and bring back experiences but also tell the world about Arizona.

Mr. Stangis spoke about Intel’s presence in Arizona and around the world and that was the reason why they had been involved in the global debate. They need a competent and diverse workforce because other countries have different needs and all these needs must be met.

Mr. O’Connell explained that growing up he was exposed to a very transient lifestyle because his father’s profession in computers took them to different countries. He mother, he explained, was Nicaraguan As a result he was exposed to many different cultures. He stated that this country provides representatives from every country, religion, and ethnicity, and the question arises as to how can this be made to work? It is important to recognize this treasure and push it to the next level. Phoenix has had a lot of growth and this includes many different values are represented. Arizona has a lot of assets and people are one of those. He offered up the quote from Socrates: “I am not an Athenian, nor a Greek, but a citizen of the world.”

The panelists were then asked to answer the following questions:

Dr. Cabrera:
1. Why is it important for our community that students make connections with the world around them?

Dr. Cabrera’s response included the following points:

· Being able to work globally is a skill. When you go to a foreign country, you have to learn how to make connections. Business is about connections. To have an economy that is successful, you have to be plugged in. The companies that succeed are better connected. They take advantage of globablization.
· Learn by doing and build connections
· The role of democracy as you look at the world population you think that people need to vote, go to school, but very few people around the world are able to do this. Guarantees around the world are not there as they are here in the United States.
· Stated he is a “capitalist pig.” Business is the bet invention of humankind because it promotes competition. Business is a force of good. We have to support change in development. Increasing performance raises the bar for everyone on the food chain.

Ms. Howard:
2. Where should the Maricopa Community College District focus its energies and resources to have the greatest impact on globalization?

Ms. Howard’s response included the following points:

· Higher education is about students and research opportunity. What students learn in the classroom can provide a good foundation but this must be put into practice. They should take advantage of education abroad in order to assimilate different information and be able to react.
· Community college students do not have the money to study abroad, therefore, community colleges should provide personal experiences and discuss. Community colleges should partner with local companies and provide internships for students that can possibly provide international learning opportunities.
· People should be encouraged to get involved in community initiatives that will provide diverse experiences.

Mr. Stangis:
3. What international knowledge and skills will the workforce of this county and state need for the future?

Mr. Stangis’ comments included the following points:

· Since he received his MBA twelve years ago, there has been a shifting of skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today’s workforce.
· Community colleges do a great job of teaching methods and instruction of ideals but there is a gap on real life experiences. There is a change in the expectations of business towards multiculturalism or topics of interest.
· Global citizens’ expectations differ around the world. Competencies are different with respect to culture and communication. There is a need to be able to debate, negotiate, listen, and challenge appropriately.
· The U.S. economy revolved around people’s needs and what is fair. This is not true in other countries. There are different words for principles such as values, ethics. How can you talk about values without violating different principles? A person should solidify their own principles and then interview the company to see if the company’s principles agree with these beliefs. Differences of diversity dissolve outside of the United States.

Mr. O’Connell:
4. What global issues are going to have an impact on this country and state in coming years?

Mr. O’Connell’s comments included the following points:

· Globalization is a very complicated word. Being interconnected is being driven by international competition. Disasters around the world affect us here. Resources are reallocated. In an economic sense, we cannot escape what is happening around the world. Outsourcing is happening and is very emotional. Companies are going to invest where they are going to get their best return. What benefits us somewhere else benefits us here. There is a tradeoff.

The following questions were discussed during the breakout sessions at the various table groups:

1. What are the characteristics of a globally competent graduate of the MCCCD?

2. What role can the Maricopa Community Colleges play in addressing the global issues confronting our county and state?

3. What can MCCCD do to foster a comprehensive approach to global education within the community colleges?

4. What are the challenges/barriers to the role of MCCCD in globalization?

Responses to these questions are attached to these minutes.

Members of the Academic Panel were introduced and asked to respond to certain point in their introduction and comments. They were:

James Rogers, Student, Mesa CC: Study abroad in Xalapa. Why he decided to go on this Study Abroad program at this particular time and the impact that this experience had on his views.

Jan Downey, Faculty Paradise Valley CC: What does it mean to be a globally competent learner and why is it important for our community that students make the connections with the world around them?

Oriol (Uri) Vidal, Student, Glendale CC: In your experience, how well informed are American students about the outside world?

Lara Collins, Faculty South Mountain CC: How can faculty be encouraged to get involved with globalization of the curriculum?

The following points were made by these panelists:

· James Rogers stated that prior to his visit to Mexico, he had thought of them not being very efficient and had stereotyped his thoughts. When he was preparing for his travels, he packed water, toilet paper, and other toiletries, only to find out from his host that these things were readily available at the Osco down the street. He learned not to draw conclusions from you read or hear but rather on the experiences of others.

· Ms. Downey stated that students come into the classroom with their own experiences. Many are born and raised in the Arizona and have never traveled. Others are foreign-born and some have been on missions through their churches. Too many have poor understanding of geography and current events, connection of economics and politics with other places and are unaware they have the potential to interact with people of different cultures each day on the campus and at work. She told the story of someone who shared a wonderful story of experiences in Vietnam and when they were done, one student asked a question that totally expressed they were unaware of the significance. Learning outcomes have shrunk to intention rather than extension. Awareness has to be expanded so that students become globally competent. Some students are very closed to wanting to understand about others. They are and sometimes remain ethnocentric. The first step to counteracting fear and ignorance is awareness brought by invididuals who can model appreciation and first hand experiences. We need to reach students with a barrage of information in a variety of methods.

· Uri Vidal’s comments included the following remarks in response to the question of how well informed American students were about the outside world:

“This is my fourth semester studying in American community colleges, one semester in CA, the other three in AZ. By now I have an idea of how well informed American students are about the rest of the world.

My girlfriend is an American, from Northern California, we’ve been together for 6 years now… so we’ve had time to interact and analyze how our cultures differ, and how Americans are different from, in this case, Europeans.
When I met her, my girlfriend once told me that there are two types of Americans, those who travel abroad and those who don’t, and that unfortunately the number of the ones who do travel abroad is not big enough. I have never checked the statistics, but what I do know is that traveling is always a positive experience in the sense that it allows you to compare how other societies organize themselves and compare with how your country is approaching similar problem they might have.

My experience agrees with what my girlfriend had told me: my perception is that American students don’t travel as much as European students, and even if they were to travel around a little, the USA is a very big and you can travel a lot without ever having been outside of your country. [As an example, in Europe you drive 500-1,000 miles and you’re probably in another country, surrounded by people who have a different culture and who speak a different language. The awareness that diversity is so close (that it only takes 3 hours to drive from Barcelona to be in France) is very present.]

à So in that respect, in order to increase this awareness of diversity, it would be a good idea to encourage the exchange of students in educational programs, both having more international students here and more American students abroad; or when these programs already exist, making them more extensive.

In the handouts I was given for this meeting I read the word USA-centrism, or if curriculum promotes a USA-centric point of view. Well, my feeling is that there is some degree of that, but I’m not sure if it’s the curriculum, at least at a college level. I’ll talk about languages in a minute and also about humanities, but concerning USA-centrism, I have taken classes about World Religions, about Mythology (Mesopotamian, Greek and Roman), and some philosophy classes in which the focus was not the United States but other cultures and religions, both ancient and contemporary, and from my point of view these classes do help Americans be more prepared in a globalized environment. But still, I have the feeling that overall American students don’t know much about what happens in the rest of the world, and maybe we have to look at other causes, like high school curricula and the media, for what I perceive to be a lack of knowledge about the rest of the world.

Languages
I grew up in an officially Catalan-Spanish bilingual area (Catalan is my native language). I spoke 4 languages at a fairly competent level when I finished high school, and I had even taken one mandatory year of Latin. As a point of reference, I was 10 when I started studying French and English at school, and nowadays most schools in Catalonia start teaching foreign languages even earlier.

My understanding is that at some public schools student can complete high school without having taken a single foreign language class.
In a way this situation makes sense because when Americans travel abroad, people tend to understand English, pretty much everywhere in the world, but on the other hand Americans don’t get the benefits of learning other languages. Languages open the door to a better understanding among cultures, and being able to master foreign languages has already become today a key issue in our increasingly globalized world.

In short, I would have to say no, American students, overall, are not well-prepared in this field.

Humanities: Language barriers are a fairly evident factor, but I want to talk about a factor that might not be that evident: the study of humanities. Asking around, I’ve come to the conclusion that most high school students never took an introductory philosophy class in high school, for instance, and I’m convinced that certain humanities classes could better prepare American students for a more open-minded view of the world, and therefore for a deeper appreciation of other cultures: philosophy, universal literature, and, in the broader sense of the term, maybe some social science classes like an introduction to anthropology… If what we’re talking about is being informed about the rest of the world, the inclusion of some humanities classes in high school curricula would go in this direction of a better global understanding and, therefore, a better preparation to face the outside world.

I understand that to have a technologically well-prepared society is crucial, but focusing too much on it might leave out some aspects about the views of the rest of the world, about how other societies approach our same problems.

[Religion]
I wanted to mention one last thing: I've taken several philosophy classes in the US, currently I'm taking a Civil Rights class and a US Constitution class, I even took a mythology class. These are all classes in which there is a great deal of discussion involved, so you get to see what the other students’ views are. At the discussions in these classes I always found a certain level of religious narrow-mindedness, even of religious fanaticism. Of course, I know public schools have to stay out of religion in this country according to the Establishment Clause in the US Constitution, but if I ask my self “ how well prepared are American students to face the rest of the world?” I would need to add that too.

[I come from a Christian family.]

Where I’m going with this is that many moral values which appear on the bible or on other Sacred Books of other religious could be defended in and off themselves. The more you defend them on religious grounds, the more difficult will be to break down cultural and religious barriers. It’s clear that the political context, especially since 9/11, has put on the table religion as an important barrier between civilizations, and religious rigidity will not probably go in the direction of forming global citizens. Classes like World Religions, for instance, are a step in the good direction, because American students (and also international students like myself) get to learn about how other great religions have understood the world.

So, to sum up:
YES, American students tend to know far less about other countries than students from other countries know about the USA. BUT the exchange of students might help get American students interested and more integrated with the rest of the world, acquiring these broader views I was talking about.

In an increasingly globalized world, diversity and its perception within the US is going to increase; at the same time, globalization will also give Americans to work abroad, and here both the knowledge of other languages and a broader and more flexible cultural approach to other peoples from all over the world might be the key to success.”

· Lara Collins greeted the audience in fifteen different languages. She stated that everyone was intercultural. She asked them to think about how being intercultural could make our lives better and also help our students. She stated that we live in a global village and that this is something that has already happened. The world is very interconnected. She stated that her degrees are in intercultural communication and has been teaching in this field for over 25 years and her research has been in this area for as many years. She has traveled abroad doing several cultural exchanges in China, Mexico, and Canada. She told the following story and subsequent conclusion:

Closing comments were made by Shereen Lerner.

ADJOURNMENT The meeting concluded at 7:00 p.m.

________________
Scott Crowley
Governing Board Secretary

Summary of Breakout Group Sessions
Strategic Conversation on Globalization/International Education
October 11, 2005

Question 1: What are the characteristics of a globally competent graduate of the MCCCD?

After a 25-minute discussion regarding these characteristics, the following list was reflected in the feedback forms:
· Basic Geography
· Appreciating that different cultures do think differently
· Understanding of different religions/cultures, economic and political systems
· Historical perspectives/context
· Recognize America is not the center of the world
· Language (speaking more than one/English)
· Literature (international publications, authors)
· Reading news from other cultures/countries
· Exposure to students from other cultures/countries
· Open-mindedness/flexibility
· Critical thinking skills
· America’s place in history
· Cultural awareness/tolerance
· Travel experiences (study abroad)
· Debating/negotiation
· Philosophy
· Respect for others/ non-judgmental
· What is the perception of others (of the U.S.)?
· Curiosity/love of learning
· Global current events
· Culturally sensitive (ability to work with differing values, religion, etc. without the need/desire to change the people from the different culture/country)
· Knowledge of location of natural resources
· Intercultural Communication
· Problem solving
· Technologically competent
· Civic engagement
· Social responsibility
· Collaboration/team-building/networking
· Communication skills including reading, writing, listening and public speaking
· Research capability

Upon review of this list three (3) themes emerge: cross-cultural awareness, critical analysis skills, and inter-connectedness.

Question 2: What role can the Maricopa Community Colleges play in addressing the global issues confronting our county and state?

The following list was reflected in the feedback forms:

· Integrate/promote multiculturalism throughout all levels of the organization (staff, faculty and students) and learning process
· Provide/sponsor more exchanges/study abroad programs/internships (for staff, faculty and students)
· Opportunities for cross-cultural/global citizenship certification; course articulation
· Produce a globally competent workforce
· Have a globally competent workforce (staff and faculty)
· Introduce and debate issues of interest
· Better connection with business, community and elected officials
· Outreach oversees/recruitment

Question 3: What can MCCCD do to foster a comprehensive approach to global education within the community colleges?

The following list was reflected in the feedback forms:

· Provide faculty opportunities for exchange, curriculum development and grant opportunities
· Get business and industry to buy into study abroad experiences/provide internships
· Let American students go abroad to teach English
· Support/integrate learning communities
· Support employee and student exchange/travel/study abroad
· Host international student panels/use international students as a resource
· Provide more study abroad scholarships
· Work with MCLI on lectures/bring more international speakers/pre-departure briefings
· Set standards for submitting and evaluating proposals
· Encourage/embrace innovation
· Practice what we preach in our mission, vision and values statement
· Collaborate with communities and local education agencies to develop programs/activities/curriculum that promote global awareness and sensitivity
· Create a taskforce to address globalization issues
· Create incentives for administrators/staff/faculty to participate in international opportunities
· Host Summer Institutes/short-term experiences
· Open internationalization across the curriculum, not just languages and humanities
· Take systemic approach (apply to all colleges’ missions)
· Require a Global Awareness course in each program, like IBS 109 or IBS 101
· Support Model U.N.
· Work more with Peace Corps
· Continue funding/support for student Global Leadership Retreat
· Adopt mandatory language requirement/intercultural courses as part of a degree/program

Question 4: What are the challenges/barriers to the role of MCCCD in globalization?

The following list was reflected in the feedback forms:

· Time
· Money
· High school preparation and university requirements drive what we do
· No foreign language requirements
· Low enrollments in humanities courses
· Limited array of countries currently available for exchange opportunities
· Demands on students’ time/money force them to take the minimum number of mandated courses
· Lack of sufficient staff/support/systems
· Lack of cohesive understanding among decision makers at the individual colleges for the district- wide initiatives
· Lack of clear vision on international education/globalization/diversity
· Resistance to change/inflexible policy(ies)
· Intolerance of diversity/close-mindedness