PIN Faculty Exchange

BY CAROLYN LIGHTER

Participating in the PIN Faculty Exchange Program was an absolutely fabulous way for me to start the year.  It began with the PIN Conference first at Box Hill Institute in Melbourne, Australia, then on to Christchurch Polytechnic in Christchurch, New Zealand.  It was in Christchurch that the Faculty Exchange actually began.  After saying good-bye and thank-you as they left, to Dr. Tom Thomas, his wife Lynn, and Jerry and Norma Wright, a most gracious group of traveling companions, I was met by John Welch, Head of Science School of Christchurch Polytechnic.

My first day at Christchurch Polytechnic, I was introduced to Dr. Selwyn Maister, Dean of Health & Sciences, to several tutors who taught science, chemistry, and midwifery, and to a perfectly lovely custom – afternoon tea!  Christchurch Polytechnic provided me with a pool car to drive to and from the Polytechnic and so another first day experience was driving ‘home’ in a standard transmission Toyota on the left side of the road while watching traffic and reading a map. (No problem.)  John and Dallas Welch, who were kind enough to invite me to stay with them during the exchange, provided my home away from home.

My objectives for the visit were several and diverse and perhaps a bit too ambitious.  I wanted to learn about the administrative structure and style; the educational funding; the faculty bargaining groups; science programs offered; teaching methods; and faculty development opportunities.  In order to gather information, I needed to speak with several key people and read a good many documents and manuals such as employee contracts, student handbook, student paper, college catalogues, college brochures, and science program pamphlets.  Meetings were arranged with Russ Skinner, Head, Marketing & Development, Helen Matthews, Staff Development, Education Resource Centre, Lloyd Wood, former head of the Faculty Union (ASTE), John Welch, Head of School (Science), and Lyn Brash, Deputy Chief Executive.  I also observed classes in session, including, Microbiology for nursing students, Bioscience, Prehealth Biology lab, and Midwifery.

What I soon began to realize was that even though there are some basic differences between the educational systems of New Zealand and the United States, there are even more similarities in the problems and challenges associated with delivering a quality education to the public.  Teachers at the Polytechnic are using teaching and delivery methods similar to those used at Illinois Central College.  Both institutions struggle with the problem of staying affordably current in technology.  Faculty and administration relationships are sometimes strained in contract negotiations and so on. 

A major advantage of participating in an exchange program like this is the broader, more expansive view it provides for the participant and hopefully for individuals at the host institute as well, with regard to diversity, both cultural and educational.  The benefits may be viewed as less concrete than other experiences but absolutely no less valuable.  I hope that my PIN exchange experience will not just be the first, but the first of many more to come.

Carolyn Lighter is a Biology Professor and Faculty President at Illinois Central College and visited Christchurch Polytechnic from February 17- March 3, 2000.

Working Toward a Global View

BY CYNIHIA M HEELAN

This article appeared in the February/March 2001 issue of the Community College Journal. 

Community colleges are leading the way for the important task of developing global competence among ourselves as leaders and among our students as learners.

This issue of the Community College Journal is filled with rich examples of community colleges across the country expanding learners through global education. It is clear global education refers to more than traveling abroad. The authors in this Journal make it clear that global awareness involves immersion in both other countries and cultures. One definition of global competence derives from a conference sponsored by the American Council on International/Intercultural Education and the Stanley Foundation. It states, “Global competence exists when a learner is able to understand the interconnectedness of peoples and systems; to have a general knowl­edge of history and events; to accept and cope with the existence of different cul­tural values and attitudes; and indeed, to celebrate the richness of this diversity.”

The American Association of Commu­nity Colleges works consistently to raise the visibility of international education at community colleges among domestic and international organizations. AACC also works to infuse global competence into our community college world. In the past year, AACC has affected change at the highest levels of government by contributing to a document that eventually became Presi­dent Clinton’s Memorandum to his Ad­ministration entitled, “Toward an Interna­tional Education Policy for the United States.” On behalf of the six higher educa­tion associations, AACC hosted a virtual press kit on its Web site to help colleges and universities celebrate the first ever In­ternational Education Week in November.

During my brief tenure as Chair of the AACC Board, the staff of our national asso­ciation has involved presidents in other major international activities as well. One will occur as the Journal goes to press: Lead­ership Summit III, supported by the Stanley Foundation. The purpose of this summit is to assess where community colleges are with their international/intercultural programs and to identify what global initiatives are neces­sary within the next two to five years. It will also examine optimal relation­ships with groups that are local, re­gional, and interna­tional. Previous ac­tivities sponsored by the Stanley Founda­tion have done equally important work in terms of

identifying attitudes and practices that pre­vent global education at community col­leges,

identifying priorities, and discussing ways to encourage global education. These activities have had a major impact in many, but not all, community colleges. It remains a goal of AACC to encourage all of Amer­ica’s community colleges to incorporate global education into their mission state­ments and provide professional develop­ment for faculty, staff and trustees as well as learners so that immersion in global aware­ness can occur effectively.

Another activity I had the privilege to participate in this year as a part of our na­tional association, was to attend a meeting sponsored by the British Council. Attended by higher education leaders from both the United Kingdom and the United States, the meeting was designed to identify common policy areas where we might work together to influence public policy about higher education. We discovered many things we share in common and many elements that were different. Areas where we decided we could work together at a policy level included: creating a credentialing process for people who participate in learning that is not for credit, and working with our respective govern­ments to consistently support non-credit education, since so much is workforce ori­ented. Although not a complete cultural immersion, the meetings presented an oppor­tunity for meaningful dialogue with colleagues from another country.

Looking to the future, a variety of peo­ple and organizations have made recom­mendations for what AACC ought to do. Some of these recommendations for AACC include: being a louder voice for global education; providing international leadership experiences for commu­nity college presidents; serving as a facilita­tor for leaders in other countries who are approaching the Association for help to es­tablish a community college model; pro­viding an outreach structure that would provide support and consulting to member colleges; and providing a clearinghouse via e-mail that would link member colleges who wish to share with each other.

Accomplishments and recommendations for the future indicate that expertise for building global competence already exists at AACC. This is essential for our country. Peg Lee, President of Oakton Community College, and member of the AACC Board perhaps sums things up most succinctly, “We are working together toward the sur­vival of our species and the improvement of the planet that we share. Do we need any more motivation to get on with the task?”

The authors for this Journal and work being done by AACC staff and board are role models for us in local community col­leges. AACC members can be grateful that the staff is organizing these many levels of active involvement for community colleges in the United States. They are leading the way for the important task of developing global competence among ourselves as leaders and among our students as learners.

The article is reprinted with permission of the author.  Cynthia Heelan is the president of Colorado Mountain College, Chair of the AACC Board, and a past-president of PIN.

2001 Annual PIN Conference

Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) in Utica, New York is hosting the 2001 PIN Conference. Higher education abounds in Central NY. Many of the best educational institutions in the northeast United States, including Cornell University, Syracuse University, Colgate University, Hamilton College, The Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester and, of course Mohawk Valley Community College are less than a 4-hour drive from Utica. There are 10 post-secondary institutions within a 60-mile radius.

The theme of the PIN Conference is INNOVATIVE THEMES: TECHNOLOGY AND HIGHER EDUCATION. The Conference sessions' discussion will focus on:

·        Higher Education and Educational Technology

·        E-Commerce

·        Adaptive Enterprise

·        Art & Science of Motivation

·        Mutual Gains Negotiations

·        Technology Showcases in the Mohawk Valley

Friday June 15

1:00-5:00PM - Arrive NYC Marriott

7:00PM- Opening PIN Dinner

Saturday, June 16

9:00AM - Speaker: Antioch University

10:15AM - Speaker: IBM

Sunday, June 17

9:30AM - Speaker: IBM

12:00 Lunch: Speaker SUNY Chancellor

FREE TIME IN NYC

Monday, June 18

9:30AM - Travel to West Point

10:30AM - Tour West Point

NOON - Lunch at West Point

2:15PM - Travel upstate

7:30 PM- Dinner - Turning Stone

Tuesday, June 19

8:00AM - Networking breakfast

9:00AM - PIN Business meeting

1:15 PM - Cultural and social events

7:00 PM - Dinner at MVCC

Wednesday, June 20

9:45AM - Travel to Rome, NY

9:30AM - Tour SUNY Morrisville campus

Speaker: President Ray Cross

2:00PM - Speaker: Mutual Gains Negotiations.

4:00PM - US Air Force Information Institute

6:15PM - Gourmet Dinner

Thursday, June 21

8:30AM - Travel to Cooperstown

Free afternoon

7:00 PM - Closing Dinner

An extensive partners program has been planned.                                                  

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER.  Register online at pinnet.org.  Contact Eileen Dailey, MVCC, at 315-792-5307 for additional conference details. 

A Message from PIN President

BY JOHN SCOTT

Greetings from New Zealand to all our PIN colleagues. 

I hope that you, like me, are making your plans for the 2001 PIN Conference is being hosted by Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York. As reported on the PIN website, “higher education abounds in Central NY. Many of the best educational institutions in the Northeast United States, including and, of course Mohawk Valley Community College are less than a 4-hour drive from Utica. There are 10 post-secondary institutions within a 60-mile radius,” so those who wish to tie in a range of visits may find it a useful opportunity to develop new alliances.  The theme of our Conference is INNOVATIVE THEMES: TECHNOLOGY AND HIGHER EDUCATION.

I must commend the planning group for the exciting and challenging programme that has been developed. As a New Zealander the possibilities to visit some of the leading technology development arenas is particularly stimulating. Equally enjoyable will be the renewing of friendships and meeting new colleagues.

I have a confession to make.  Being in New Zealand without regular professional contact with PIN members, albeit email and the ubiquitous computer link us, has made it difficult to focus on the responsibilities of being President of this association. I am left with the sense that activities this year have developed almost independent of any leadership from the President. Thanks to Bill and this newsletter we are kept informed of those who have worked on our behalf since the Conference Down Under last year.  It would be a simple matter to advise that the pressure of a rapidly changing tertiary environment in New Zealand has been the excuse, and then resign gracefully from the president role.  I am happy to do that but we must reflect that this is an association based around a network, yours and mine, and we all need to participate for it to succeed. The conference and the Annual General Meeting are the ideal opportunities for us all to participate in planning the activities of the next year. This is pretty well what happened at our last conference. I hope we all come with some stimulating initiatives, ideas and some possible actions, which can translate in to tangible benefits for the next year, and for our next President!

The development of the PIN Website is but one example and I wish to commend all those who worked on this site. I find it one of the best links into other Institutes that I have found and is well worth spending time on.

The global Leadership programme has been commended by the student leaders as a life changing experience and deserves our support. I have suggested we all look at how we spend our international funds, and think of one unique initiative that may simply require our establishing it as a priority without it costing additional resources.

I look forward to your ideas and a programme of new activities for the New Year.

Keep well and I look forward to seeing you in June.

John Scott is CEO of Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology and PIN President.

Global Leadership Program for Students

Global Leadership Conference, May 21- May 31, 2001.

The Global Leadership Conference is sponsored by the Postsecondary International Network and is intended to internationalize member college's curriculum and provide students with global enrichment activities through conferences and exchanges. Last year we had students enrolled in the conference from Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, and the United States.

The conference this year will center on the core themes of Leadership Development and Teambuilding. We have selected a course entitled Leadership Development, to build upon these themes. Participants will receive workshop sessions on multi-culturalism, team-building, relationship-building, negotiation, conflict resolution, communication in the work place, leadership styles, following styles, and leadership traits and behaviors. Classes will not only include theoretical foundations, but practical hands-on activities as well. Participants will encounter these topics early in the conference, then we will move to the out-of-doors to experiential activities that will allow pursuit of leadership skills. The outdoor activities of a challenge course, river rafting, and rock climbing are activities which serve as part of our Wilderness Studies degree program. They not only require teamwork but also individual leadership skills. After these activities participants will have the opportunity for guided discussions (processing) as to their leadership and team metaphors.

The faculty for the conference has been selected for their expertise in each content area. They are not only teaching experts, but many are practitioners in industry as consultants or outdoor recreation professionals.

Participants will also have networking opportunities both during the days and evenings to establish relationships with students from other schools and countries. These relationships will serve participants well in the global marketplace.

Consult the Colorado Mountain College website www.coloradomtn.edu/global/ for more details or e-mail Michael Whigham, conference director, at mwhigham@coloradomtn.edu.

PIN Conference Schedule

2001 Summer Conference

Summer Conference 2001 - Mohawk Community College-United States

2002 Summer Conference

Dudok College, Netherlands, and Barnet College, England, will co-host the conference.

2003 Summer Conference

Western Piedmont Community College, USA, will host the conference.  Preliminary planning has been started and dates will soon be identified.  The dates will be late June/early July 2003.

2004 Summer Conference

PIN will be identifying colleges to host the 2004 conference.  If you are interested in hosting this conference contact Bill Warner, PIN Executive Director.

PIN Member Highlights

New Member

The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD), located in California is the newest member of PIN.  PIN welcomes CCCCD and president Chuck Spence. The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) was created in 1948 and was composed initially of two colleges: Contra Costa Junior College, West Campus, in San Pablo and Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. Los Medanos College in Pittsburg was created in 1974. The total enrollment of the three colleges is approximately 28,000 FTES and nearly 73,000 students annually. The student population of the District is very diverse with nearly 12% Pacific Islanders, 10% African American, 14% Hispanic and 6% Filipino. The international student enrollment is increasing steadily with approximately 1000 enrolled in Fall 2000.

California Community Colleges are organized as single colleges or as colleges within a district. There are 107 colleges in the California system and 72 districts, each managed by a locally elected governing board. A board whose members are appointed by the Governor of California governs the state system. Locally elected Boards of Trustees are responsible to their local voters and to the state for enforcement of all state and federal regulations.

Diablo Valley College currently has the greatest number of international students. CCCCD feels very strongly about the value that the presence of international students adds to the learning experiences of all of our students and therefore, all three colleges are interested in increasing their international student enrollment.

Significant proportions of the businesses in CCCCD’s service area have international markets and services. To prepare graduates for the workplace, international content should be more fully integrated into our curriculum.

Learn more about CCCCD by visiting their website at www.collegesofcc.cc.ca.us.

Does Parochialism Prohibit Globalisation Of Hospitality Programs?

BY LYNETTE SMITH PSM,

In considering whether parochialism prohibits globalisation of hospitality programs, it raises many issues, concerning how we as educators, initiate, process present and evaluate hospitality programs.

The concise Oxford Dictionary states parochial as “defined to narrow issues”.  Is that what we as educators do unintentionally, when we develop our curriculum?  Are we parochial in the way we consider content to meet the needs of the local industry.

I often see the word globalisation used in advertising material related to hospitality programs.  Do we actually consider our curriculum makes our students work ready for the global market, or is it just using words to impress prospective students?

Is there a conflict between ensuring we prepare our curriculum to meet the needs of our local hospitality industry and providing our graduates with the knowledge, skills and experience to meet the demands of the global market?

ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION

1. Who are our stakeholders?
2. What do/should educators take into consideration when initiating curriculum for the hospitality industry?
3. Is there such a product as a “Traditional” hospitality curriculum?
4. How would we as educators initiate, process and present hospitality curriculum for the international market?

INTERNATIONALIZING THE CURRICULUM

One PIN initiative is to internationalize the curriculum.  Canberra Institute of Technology is the lead institution for internationalizing the Hospitality curriculum.  Contact Lynette Smith for more information about internationalizing the curriculum in Hospitality courses.

Our Faculty has introduced a joint degree in Hotel Management with the University of Canberra, which incorporates practical, and theory as agreed with General Manager of Hotel chains in Canberra.  It is very successful and is aimed at the international market.

We also have a joint venture in Malaysia where they teach up to our Diploma level and then can come to Canberra to finish their study.  This venture has been more difficult to implement on a global basis.

Lynette Smith PSM, is Dean - Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management at Canberra Institute of Technology, Australia

Attracting New Members

PIN membership is currently open to institutions in Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.  If you are aware of schools that are interested in becoming a PIN member contact Bill Warner, Executive Director, who will provide the institution with PIN information.

Membership is available in two tiers: full members and provisional members.  All members should be technical/community or further education institutions, publicly or privately funded.

1.       FULL MEMBERSHIP

 The minimum criteria for full members are as follows:

a.  The institution should provide evidence that the President (or equivalent) is committed to the "Understanding" as described under "Purpose" of PIN.

b.  The institution should be committed to incorporating an international dimension into existing/future college programs and services.

c.  The institution should pay dues annually at the full rate as set by the PIN Executive Board.

Full and provisional members are sponsored by a current member and approved by a two-thirds vote of the PIN Executive Board.

Continued membership is dependent on meeting the minimum criteria for each tier and satisfying membership responsibilities as determined by the PIN Executive Board.

The membership of PIN is limited to 90 institutions.

2.   PROVISIONAL MEMBERSHIP

The minimum criteria for provisional membership is as follows:

a.  The president/principal of the institution wishes to explore or expand its commitment to international education as described under "Purpose" of PIN.

b.  The institution pays half of the annual dues as set by the PIN Executive Board.

2000-2001 Faculty/Staff Exchange-Visit Program

Applications are currently being taken for the 2001 Faculty/Staff Exchange Visit Program.  The exchange and visit program is designed to facilitate faculty exchanges and visits among PIN member colleges.  The exchanges and visits are designed to enhance the professional development of faculty and to further international understanding of two-year colleges.  The colleges are expected to support and facilitate the exchange/visit process.  The college and the faculty members develop the exchange or visit to meet their institutional and individual objectives.

PIN will award two $500 (US) stipends to facilitate faculty exchanges and visits to each country for the academic year.  It is expected that the college will match the dollar amount of the stipend.  The match will be cash or an in-kind contribution.

Process

1.      The Faculty Exchange and Visit Program Application Form should be used.

2.      The program criteria must be addressed in the application.

3.      The narrative should be no longer than 1000 words.

4.      The college president/principal and the faculty member must sign the application form.

5.      If there is a need for assistance in identifying a host college, PIN will assist in identifying appropriate host colleges.

6.      Faculty Exchange and Visit Program Application are submitted to Executive Director, Bill Warner.

7.      The Executive Committee reviews all applications at the annual meeting.

8.      The Executive Committee will identify the award recipients.

9.      The PIN Executive Director will notify the successful and unsuccessful applicants.

10.  The $500 (US) stipend check will be sent to the college president, who will make the award to the faculty/staff member.

Forward your Faculty/Staff Exchange and Visit applications to Bill Warner, Executive Director.

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