Embargo Period

5-9-2018

Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

Sora Friedman, PhD.

Abstract

Marketing materials for Miami University, a public doctoral university in Oxford, Ohio, frequently reference the caliber and popularity of the university’s outbound student mobility programs. With almost sixty percent of undergraduates studying abroad or away before graduation, outbound mobility has become a core element of both the Miami student experience and the university’s vision for global engagement. This study seeks to go beyond the numbers (i.e. student mobility rates) in examining whether the success of outbound student mobility programs is indicative of successful internationalization across the university as a whole. Using the American Council on Education (ACE) Center for International and Global Engagement (CIGE) Model for Comprehensive Internationalization, this study analyzes Miami University’s internationalization progress since 2012 according to six “pillars” of internationalization: 1) articulated institutional commitment; 2) administrative leadership, structure, and staffing; 3) curriculum, co-curriculum, and learning outcomes; 4) faculty policies and practices; 5) student mobility, and 6) collaboration and partnerships. Findings revealed a clear institutional commitment to internationalization in the form of Miami 2020, the university’s most recent strategic plan, as well as the presence of international, intercultural, and multicultural elements in areas such as faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure policies; inbound and outbound student mobility opportunities; and requirements of the core curriculum. At the same time, the implementation of certain internationalization initiatives continues to present challenges, including cultural, social, and academic issues faced by international students; questions surrounding sustainable leadership in Global Initiatives, the university’s centralized internationalization hub; and the overabundance of short-term, faculty-led programs.

Disciplines

International and Comparative Education

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