The Global and Community Engagement’s working group’s charge is to grow powerful learning opportunities in global and community-based programs at Michigan Tech, building on traditional study abroad as well as existing (but scattered) community-based courses and programs at Michigan Tech.
During the fall 2019 semester, the Global and Community Engagement team developed a proposal to grow study away, or off-campus experiential programming, The proposal was presented in response to a request from the President to develop a 5-year strategy and budget for study away now that it has been moved from IPS to the Pavlis Honors College. Throughout the semester, the team consulted with a wide-variety of faculty and staff leading programs for students from traditional faculty-led study abroad and community research to alternative spring break to international choir tours. Additionally, the team met with financial aid, general counsel, advisors, and students to understand the motivation and barriers to participating in study away programs. The proposal was submitted to the President in December.
Why encourage global and community learning?
- Help students build transferable skills, such as holistic and interdisciplinary learning and problem solving
- Develop big thinkers about public and global issues students will engage with for the long term (e.g., climate change, democracy, social justice)
- Retention and recruitment: improve numbers and attract more diverse students
Moving Forward
- Grow scholarships and external support for students to study away and engage in community-based learning
- Increase to 300 students studying abroad each year
- Offer a diverse, affordable, and high quality suite of short and long term programs for global and community-engaged learning in the US and abroad connected to general education and majors
- Enable half of Michigan Tech students to complete a global or community-engaged learning experience as part of their degree program. Options will be clearly mapped for any students in any major to participate
- Establish a Center for Global and Community Engagement in Pavlis College to serve
all of Campus
Work with administrators to communicate the value of global learning and community engagement - Support excellence in health, safety, and risk management for study away programming
