Five Ideas to Globalize Your Curriculum - Action Plans from our 2018 IU CIBER Scholarship Winners

NACCE is fortunate to have Indiana University Center for International Business and Research (IU CIBER) as a supporter. We have partnered with them to help promote their goal of increasing the country’s capacity for international understanding and trade competitiveness. Over the past few years, IU CIBER has granted NACCE annual conference scholarships to NACCE members who are looking to internationalize their curriculum.

In 2018, the following individuals were granted IU CIBER scholarships:

1. Rahnuma Ashan, Associate Professor, Miami Dade College (FL)
2. Melissa Ashford, Associate Professor Business and Technology, Fab Lab, Independence Community college (KS)
3. Marie Martin, Director, Global Education & Services, Fox Valley Technical College (WI)
4. Jolene Rogers, Executive Director Community and Business Relations, Iowa Lakes Community College (IA)
5. Kristy Rogers Craig, Director - Business Development, Small Business Center, Carteret Community College (NC)
6. Dirk Soma, Business Program Coordinator, Kauai Community College (HI)
7. Samantha Steidle, Innovation Officer, Virginia Western Community College (VA)
8. Mary Ann Vlahac, Instructor, Housatonic Community College (CT)

After the conference, we asked these individuals to share how they plan to globalize their curriculum and/or program after learning about IU CIBER resources and other ideas they learned at NACCE 2018 in Fort Worth, TX. Below is some of their feedback and action plans for the future.

Five Ideas to Globalize Your Curriculum - Action Plans from our 2018 IU CIBER Scholarship Winners

IDEA 1: Mary Ann Vlahac, Instructor, Housatonic Community College (CT)

"We plan to offer interactive workshops for business students about the ins and outs of using global suppliers as well as developing international business skill sets.   

I noticed when teaching business communication classes there is great interest and participation when we talk about high and low context business protocols. In marketing courses, some students’ businesses purchase materials (primarily clothing) from China (online)without realizing the shipping times/real costs, quality levels, return policies etc.

For Spring 2019, we are planning two workshops using local experts on the topics of international business communication and contracting with China suppliers. These one hour workshops will be offered during lunch for day students and in the evening for night students, along with providing evaluation forms for feedback.

Based on our experiences with these global business workshops (and student feedback), we will develop monthly workshops starting Fall 2019 about doing business globally for student business owners."

IDEA 2: Dirk N. Soma, Instructor and Business Program Coordinator, Kaua`i Community College (HI)

"Hawai`i has, and continues to have, a strategic position economically, militarily, and culturally because of its location in the middle of the Pacific. As such, the Business Program at Kaua`i Community College (KCC) will be implementing its first course with an international business focus – BUS 190: Survey of International Business – in the upcoming spring semester. This course focuses on general business problems, techniques and strategies necessary in the development of business activities in the global marketplace. The course is designed to promote an understanding of the impact that a country’s culture and its environment have on a firm’s international operations. The course also covers current trends in management, finance, communication, marketing and ethics. The resources that IU CIBER provides will supplement the materials that I have already developed and will greatly enhance the student learning.

The Business Program at KCC has recently established a Memorandum of Understanding for faculty and student exchange as well as an Articulation Agreement with Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin, New Zealand. As we develop our relationship, I will utilize IU CIBER as a resource for research and curriculum design.

The last takeaway that the experience with IU CIBER has given me is the ability to continue my work in the area of Cultural Entrepreneurship (CE) and the 4-P Business Model. In addition to the three Ps – Profit, People, and Planet, CE incorporates the fourth P – “Pono.” In the Hawaiian culture, Pono is a value, which means to “do things right with the right mindset.” Within CE, this means preserving, perpetuating, and promoting the values of the place in which the business entity resides.  When exploring entrepreneurship across the globe, one sees that CE is an element that cannot be overlooked as it is many times THE competitive advantage.

Once again, I thank IU CIBER and NACCE for providing the opportunity as I look to internationalize my Program and strongly encourage my colleagues to take advantage of what is being offered as we move into the global economy."

IDEA 3: Melissa Ashford, Associate Professor Business and Computer Technology, FAB LAB, ICC, Independence Community College (KS)

"Today’s students require a different method of teaching than students of yesterday. Our students do not appreciate lectures, videos, or even reading about topics they have chosen to study. This has led to frustration among teachers and students alike. This can be especially challenging when students need to learn about international business. How are students going to learn about the customs and culture of other countries where they very likely may do business someday if they do not read, watch, or listen.

If students do not retain after reading or listening, then what is the answer? I personally have surveyed my students about their preferred method of learning and found one common thread among most…they do not wish to be told, they want to be a part of, they want to experience and do. This is much more work for an instructor, but if students learn, it is worth the challenge.

Business Communication is one course where we teach students about international business including ethics, customs, practices, etc. I plan to use the feedback I have received from students regarding learning by doing to teach global business concepts by doing instead of hearing. This spring I plan to have teams of students immerse themselves in one specific culture and each team will share what they have learned with the remainder of the class. In the past we have read and discussed customs from greeting, eating, business practice. However, in the next section of the course each team put on a mock business meeting where food native to the country will be served and students will spend the class period “living” and doing business in the culture. I will challenge each group to create one product native to the country. They will have access to materials in the Fab Lab for creating their product of choice. The product will then be presented at their business meeting.

My hope is that the students will learn through practicing. My belief is that students will retain the material, that this will be an exercise they will remember for years to come."

IDEA 4: Jolene Rogers, Executive Director, Community & Business Relations, Iowa Lakes Community College (IA)

"The conference sessions I attended provided me with the framework to (1) begin an intentional discussion forum with the current students and (2) present Entrepreneurial Mindset programming to the Assessment Review Committee (ARC), as they have identified program and institutional outcomes which include critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Iowa Lakes Community College consistently enrolled more than 40 international students. Typically, these students are seeking a two-year, associate in arts degree. There have been a handful of nursing or other Career and Technical Education students.

I have scheduled the first discussion forum with the international students December 19. College classes for the term are finished, but they do not go home over the holiday break. We will follow up with their ideas and action items the first week in January, again, before the spring semester convenes. Following the January meeting, students will assist with recruitment and host an international business summit, the week of spring break.

By integrating projects and strategies identified by students, with affirmation from the ARC Committee, I believe reportable outcomes will result, worth sharing.

Thank you, for the scholarship, so I’m able to pilot these conference take aways and expand the global perspective of our native students, through engagement with our international students."

IDEA 5: Marie Martin, Ph.D., Director Global Education and Services, Fox Valley Technical College (WI)

"Curriculum Internationalization was my main goal in attending the conference. My other goal was to research curriculum internationalization resources presented by the vendors. At Fox Valley Technical College, we “married” entrepreneurship and global education so many other themes presented at the conference were of great interest to me personally...I particularly enjoyed "Creating a Pipeline From K-12 Through Transcripted Credit".  It gave me ideas on how to increase enrollment in Global Education programs in World Language, Global Studies and Global Business. "Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset" breakout session helped me understand how to cultivate entrepreneurial thinking in the Global Ed team at my college. 

It was helpful to learn about CIBER resources..."

"IU CIBER is pleased to have the opportunity to work with NACCE members on internationalizing their curricula,” states Christine Everett, Director of Program Development for the Institute for International Business. NACCE would like to thank Christine and IU CIBER as a whole for their continued support.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact Christine at cdavis@indiana.edu.