Community Colleges Pursue Many Paths to Create International Campuses

Community colleges are finding they must meet the needs of businesses who are in the world marketplace, not just the local companies. Even a two year school must offer courses in import-export and international business, and also be able to handle international students on their own campuses. DP

By KARIN FISCHER

chronicle.com: For community colleges, global is the new local. Long attuned to turning out graduates whose skills are calibrated to the needs of nearby companies, two-year colleges are now striving to meet the demands of multinational businesses seeking workers who can succeed in a worldwide marketplace.

Community-college leaders want to ensure that their institutions produce students who can collaborate with co-workers from other countries and cultures, who have an understanding of global economics, and who, perhaps, even speak a foreign language.

Despite the obstacles, two-year institutions across the United States are pursuing a variety of strategies to give their students an international edge. Some go for greater numbers of international students, while others are after stronger ties with immigrant groups or multinational firms in their region to provide students with globally relevant volunteer experiences or internships. Still others have developed certificate programs for students who complete several courses with an international perspective.

"There's definitely a recognition of the importance that community-college studies have a global component, that our students need to be more globally educated," says Judith Irwin, director of international programs and services at the American Association of Community Colleges. "You have to think like that in the 21st century."

Objections have been raised, she concedes, including by trustees who don't see the value of such skills to students who plan to work in a neighboring county, not another country, and by professors who question the relevance to the disciplines they teach. Community colleges also face resource challenges: Tight budgets leave them with little money for new courses or for personnel dedicated to those efforts. And their students, who frequently juggle jobs and families, have limited time to devote to traditional international programming, such as study abroad.
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