April 3, 2009
Task force focuses on furthering University’s international efforts
A task force appointed by the provost is leading Purdue's efforts to promote internationalization across the University's learning, discovery and engagement missions.
Provost Randy Woodson appointed the 18-member task force this past fall to review the University's current international efforts, facilitate discussion on internationalization based on the input gathered for the "New Synergies" strategic plan, and assist the colleges, schools, departments and research units to refine their strategic plans for further internationalization.
"What we seek is comprehensive internationalization," says Andrew Gillespie, co-chair of the task force and associate dean of International Programs. "If you look at the task force members, you will see that there are representatives from the research office, business services, student services, and development. This goes way beyond faculty and students; it is campus-wide."
Purdue has joined the American Council on Education's Internationalization Laboratory as part of the process. The lab is a learning community of higher education institutions that provides a forum for faculty and administrators to share ideas and help each other further their internationalization goals.
As part of a seven-member cohort, Purdue will work with ACE over a 12-16 month period. The task force will serve as the leadership team for the Internationalization Laboratory.
So far, the task force has reviewed and revised metrics established by the strategic plan globalization tiger team for its white paper. The updated metrics will be used to assist the colleges in implementing activities to meet the strategic plan's internationalization goals.
In addition, the task force held a workshop in March to gather campus input. Gillespie expects future workshops to be scheduled in the fall.
The group also is working on the creation of an inventory of linkages to show faculty research collaborations abroad.
"This office has a good record of the academic kind of linkages — degree programs, memorandums of understanding, exchange agreements — but no one on campus has a record of the research and engagement linkages that have been created by professors," Gillespie says. "We will be creating that kind of inventory and will make it Web based and accessible to the general Purdue community. That way, if someone is going to Korea they will know with which institutions we have agreements or collaborations. It's helpful when anybody travels overseas to know what is going on in that country."
The task force is also creating a database to track faculty travel and activities abroad. Gillespie says the information will help in seeking faculty assistance for work with alumni living overseas, developing student programs and recruiting graduate students.
Other task force activities include benchmarking Purdue's internationalization efforts against peer institutions, developing a Global Purdue marketing and branding initiative, and developing country-specific strategy committees.
The task force will report on its progress and offer recommendations for future initiatives during a report to the provost in December.
"The timeline ends in December in terms of the task force, but the process will be ongoing for a number of years," Gillespie says.
Members of the Internationalization Task Force:
* Andrew Gillespie, task force co-chair, associate dean of international programs.
* Brian Harley, task force co-chair, associate dean of international programs and director of study abroad.
* Kwei Tang, associate dean in Krannert School of Management and the Allison and Nancy Schleicher Chair of Management.
* Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer, director of International Programs in Agriculture.
* Abdelfattah Nour, professor of basic medical sciences.
* Liping Cai, associate dean for diversity and international programs in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences and professor of hospitality and tourism management.
* Stephen David, assistant dean of international programs in the College of Education.
* Adriela Fernandez, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Liberal Arts.
* Harshvardhan, associate dean for graduate education and international programs in the College of Science and professor of earth and atmospheric sciences.
* Val Watts, associate dean for research in the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences and associate professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology.
* Rabi Mohtar, director of the Global Engineering Program and professor of agricultural and biological engineering.
* Donald Buskirk, associate professor of industrial technology and member of the University Senate Faculty Affairs Committee.
* Phillip Pope, associate dean, Graduate School.
* Pankaj Sharma, associate director for operations and international affairs, Discovery Park.
* Cheryl Altinkemer, associate vice president of advancement.
* Lucia Anderson, director of business managers.
* Sandra Monroe, assistant vice president for student services.
* John Grutzner, professor of chemistry and member of the University Senate Educational Policy Committee.