Global Awareness Dialogue Project

Paula M. SmithPenn State Abington

Global Awareness Dialogue Project

A lecture series designed to engage faculty in the exchange of ideas about contemporary global

issues in education, with an emphasis on the educational

systems that our international and immigrant students originate from.

Background

Create a faculty development program to increase global awareness as it relates to our growing international student body

Increase in international students from 9 to 70+ in 5 years

Countries other than the United States represented in 2013: Brazil, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau (China), Pakistan, Panama, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of Singapore, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

Structure

4 sessions over 2 semesters, 3 hours each

Areas covered:

Fall: East Asia (mainly China), Africa,

Spring: Middle East, South Asia (mainly India)

Primary topic: Educational systems

Sub-topics: Issues challenging students and faculty, globalizing the curriculum, technology, and gender

Internal and external speakers

Student panel representing various regions

Regional dinner

Lessons Learned from Student Panel

Faculty frequently speak too fast, difficult to follow

They don’t understand cursive writing

Discomfort approaching faculty about problems they were experiencing

Pressure from families or home communities to do well in school

Feelings of isolation and loneliness, difficulty making social connections

Some students were educated in their home countries without textbooks, papers to write, or libraries.

Comments fromFaculty Participants

“[I have] an appreciation for the childhood experiences that some students may have experienced (e.g., violence/differences in schooling)…A sense of parental/cultural pressures for students to major in the sciences when in fact that may not be their passion.” (Africa session)

Comments fromProgram Assessment

“The sessions reminded me of things I thought I knew, however people from different cultures are different, so I have to be sensitive about things I say in class to students, even in jest.”

“The sessions served as a validation check rather than learning something new.”

“The sessions need to be brought to a larger audience. The faculty that could benefit most from the sessions are not in the room.”

“It is important to know who our students are, their college readiness, generational differences... understand where they are coming from.”

Outcomes

Penn State Abington Bilingual Support Network

Signage for faculty/staff to publicly identify themselves as speakers of another language besides English or English only speakers who are willing to facilitate intercultural communications

Compiling a list of faculty/staff members who can be contacted in case of a translation emergency

Greater awareness of our student body

Awareness of how domestic diversity and international diversity intersect and require similar support systems

Penn State Abington Bilingual Student Support

Network

Thank you!

The Global Awareness Dialog Project was sponsored by the Chancellor’s Office through the

Penn State Abington Vision Fund.

This project represents the collaborative efforts of the Abington College Office of Global Programs, Abington College Library, and the International

Centers of the University of Pennsylvania.

Paula M. Smith pms20@psu.edu