Why Community Colleges Should Globalize

From the turbulence of social and economic forces unleashed in the late 19 th and the

early 20th centuries, the concept of the community colleges emerged in America, a concept

urgently shaped by the need for preparing workers for the fast industrializing nation. The thrust

of this idea was preparing workers to fit the new industrial economy that was propelling the

country into the future, while overshadowing its old economic engine, the agricultural farms

that dotted the nation. At the time, the idea of community education was a radical departure

from the old-world belief in higher education reserved only for society elites. Over the past 100

years, the number of community colleges grew, and the mission of the community college

evolved adapting to the needs of the times, of the nation, and of the community. But, now in

the 21st century, community colleges are buffeted not only by the vagaries of the local and

national economies, but also by the inter-connected economies of the world, challenging the

very core mission of the community college. The question confronting community college

leaders is how should they respond to the new challenges and how should they prepare

students for the new reality: the globalized economy.

Why Globalization?

For a long time, the community colleges across the country settled on three areas of commitment as

their core mission: “access, responsiveness to community need, and equity” (Troyer 2015). However, as

the terms “globalization” and “globalized economy” became part of the everyday lexicon in America,

some forward-thinking community college leaders sounded the call for globalizing the campus in order
to prepare workers for the new reality: the interconnected global community. Once again, the social

and economic forces that shaped the community college 120 years ago is compelling college leaders to

rethink what community means and what skills to instill in the workers of tomorrow. Business leaders

are realizing workers in this inter-connected world need more than technical skills; they also need some

understanding of other cultures. Caligiuri (2013) found that “over 1,000 CEOs in more than 50 countries

named ‘managing diverse cultures’ as one of the top concerns threatening the competitive success of

their organizations” (p. 175). This need for culturally competent workers and managers isn’t just a

concern of multi-national corporations; this concern has even trickled down to small companies in small

towns. For instance, Logic Plus is a small electronics company with 30 workers based in Reed City,

Michigan. In the recent past Logic Plus’s biggest client has been Tesla Motors, the premier electric car

company with global reach. Because of their working closely with Tesla engineers which is culturally

diverse, Logic Plus’s engineers also had to adapt to working with a culturally diverse group of engineers

(personal interview, 2018). Just this one small example indicates that even small local companies cannot

be shielded from the effects of globalization; all businesses, big and small, will have to interact with the

global marketplace at some point. “Thus, it has become imperative that employees and employers be

able to manage situations and interactions in a diverse cultural mindset” (Morgan, p.5). Reade et al.

(2013) stated that, “people who lack relevant global competences will be at a disadvantage in

competitive job markets and incapable of making sense of the world around them, let alone be in a

position to take on leadership roles and contribute effectively to improving the planet” (p.103). If

community colleges don’t adequately prepare graduates for the globalized economy, it will hurt their

potential for thriving in the global job market (Morgan 5).

The Definition of Globalization on Campus

In the literature, the term “internationalization” and “globalization” is used interchangeably;

hence, in this paper as well. Furthermore, the term globalization refers to a range of campus programs,
initiatives, activities, and events that are designed to enhance cross-cultural understanding or cultural

competence. Brennan and Dellow (2013) credit Jane Knight as the person who popularized the term

“internationalization” in higher education. “Her seminal work in the 1990s established

internationalization not as a state to be achieved, but as an ongoing process by which colleges could

strive to increase the global learning of students” (2013, p. 27). The American Council on education

(ACE) took a step further in promoting the understanding of internationalization: a series of working

papers that fostered dialogue on internationalizing higher education in the U.S. culminated in the

publication of A Handbook for Advancing Comprehensive Internationalization (Engleberg & Green,

2002). The handbook, in helping frame “comprehensive internationalization,” defined global learning as

the “knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable students to understand world cultures and events;

analyze global systems; appreciate cultural differences; and apply this knowledge and appreciation to

their lives as citizens and workers” (Engleberg & Green, p.v).

Another organization that has been in the forefront in the development of international

education has been NAFSA, now famously known for its annual conference. NAFSA, (National

Association of Foreign Student Advisers) which began in 1948 with the mission of providing professional

development for university officials responsible for advising and assisting international students, has

grown in size and its scope. Today, calling itself simply as “NAFSA: the organization for international

educators,” it has broadened its scope to include all things international on campuses, beyond merely

organizing conferences and publications for international student advisers. NAFSA says

“internationalization requires more than enrolling international students, sending a few students

abroad, or organizing the occasional international cultural event. It requires that everyone involved in

the education of students work to build a learning environment that prepares students for a global

society” (www.nafsa.org). In its lofty goals, NAFSA believes international education is key to developing

globally competent individuals who can respect diverse cultural perspectives. Furthermore, it calls for
institutions of higher education to incorporate international perspectives across curriculums, which it

aspires will result in “enlightened international relations” and “a globally engaged citizenry”

(www.nafsa.org).

Globalization on Community College Campuses (Preparing students for the Globalized Economy)

Today, the average person on any economic stratum cannot escape the fact of how interconnected the

world’s economies have become—this fact is front and center in the daily news because global events

have real local impact. Case in point: the effects of President Trump’s trade war with China is being

acutely felt by soy bean farmers in the Midwest (www.cnn.com). Another recent headline: Turkey’s

dumping of cheap cherries in the U.S. market is affecting cherry growers in Northern Michigan

(https://www.9and10news.com/news/). About 20 years ago, it was said: if America sneezes, the whole

world catches a cold; but now, things have changed drastically… even a hiccup in tiny Singapore’s

economy can set off tremors in stock markets and central banks around the world. That’s caused by the

gears of the globalized economy meshed together. The globalized economy has, of course, brought

cheap goods to Walmart and Costco, where Americans happily shop. When global capitalists chase after

cheap labor in the far-flung corners of the world, good and bad repercussions follow in their wake.

However, the integration of the world’s economies is nothing new; it has been going on since the end of

World War II, but it has picked up speed in the last two decades. We are living in a globalized world and

economy. That’s a fact that’s not going away.

So, how should community colleges respond to this globalized economy?

Two premier organizations that play an important role in guiding community colleges, the

American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees

(ACCT) , issued a joint statement in 2006 addressing this issue; it “called for community college
presidents and senior college officials to develop strategic plans for global awareness and competence

that respond to the needs of the community’s learners, businesses, and institutions” (2006).

The virtues of studying abroad and immersing in a foreign culture for a semester or two is well

known in four-year institutions and elite private institutions. But studying abroad programs are

relatively limited in community colleges. Several factors contribute to this. A large segment of the

community college is nontraditional, usually older, working, and/or married. So, taking a semester off to

go abroad is not feasible. Often the inspiration to study abroad, even in universities, is sparked by

faculty members who themselves may have gone abroad in their college years. Also, in many

universities, there is usually an international office with staff dedicated to touting studying abroad

options and providing the necessary support to facilitate students interested in going abroad. Yet other

reasons include lack of world language programs, inflexible curricula, financial constraints, and non-

existent study abroad programs (cited by McMullen & Penn, 2011, p. 425). Because of this situation,

community colleges have to be creative in providing intercultural education for its students in other

ways (morgan 6).

Many students choose to attend to community colleges for the low tuition cost and for the

programs that are skills-based and conducive for working adults. However, community colleges are

pressed to cultivate students for the globalized marketplace. The answer is in providing

“internationalized curriculum, a more inviting environment for international students, and intercultural

communications training, as well as encouraging global competency” (Morgan, p.8). Furthermore, a

steadily increasing number of international students are discovering the value of a community college

education where the tuition is a third of what they would pay at a typical university and many colleges’

gateway programs that provide a glide path into four-year institutions. Because community colleges

attract a wide array of students in terms of cultural backgrounds, Morgan says community colleges
could be the perfect platform for intercultural communications to take place without the need for a

travel-abroad experience (morgan 8).

Benefits to Community Colleges for having an internationalization plan

It is a well-known fact that major universities in the U.S. depend on tuition revenue from

international students as an important revenue stream. At Arizona State University, the largest public

university in student population, also has the largest number of international students (10,678 students,

or about 14% of the total student population). In the 2016-2017 academic year, the in-state

undergraduates paid an average of $10,370 in tuition; whereas, the international undergraduates paid

$28,270 in tuition and fees. The math is obvious; international tuition can be a cash cow for any

institution of higher education. Besides contributing to the university coffers, the presence of

international students also has a positive economic impact on the local community. According to the

U.S. Department of Commerce, international students pumped in $39.4 billion into the U.S. economy in

2016. To bring this point closer to home, the NAFSA site has an app that can show the economic impact

international students make in any congressional district. For instance, in the fourth congressional

district of Michigan, where Ferris, CMU, Northwood University and Alma College are located, $41 million

of “foreign money” trickled into the local economic stream in 2016 (www.nafsa.org).

The presence of international students on a campus not only enrich the institution and the local

community fiscally, there is also a cultural windfall. As Morgan pointed out earlier, international

students at community colleges can be a resource for intercultural education for local students who

don’t have the luxury of spending a semester abroad (p.6). This can be a win-win situation. On the one

hand, local students can gain cultural competence by engaging international students; on the other,

international students desire the engagement with local students in order to improve their English and

learn about American culture.

 “Today, many job markets involve, in some way, interaction with people of different cultural

backgrounds. Being able to communicate effectively with people of various cultural backgrounds is

becoming a desirable skill for job market players” (Morgan 11). More and more hiring managers are

looking for individuals with a “global mindset” (Oddou, Mendenhall, & Ritchie, 2000, p. 159). It is

difficult for companies to devise cultural competency programs for its workers; hence, they naturally

gravitate to hiring those who already possess some of the cultural competencies (Oddou, Mendenhall, &

Ritchie, 2000, p. 159). Furthermore, Caligiuri (2013) found companies preferred supervisors who

possess demonstrated “ability to effectively work with colleagues from different cultures” (p. 175).

Hudzik (2013) added that “nearly everything today has local and global connections including economic

wellbeing, public health, environmental sustainability, food safety, peace and security and access to

cutting-edge knowledge and applications” (p.48). These findings further suggest that global leadership

skills are important for the modern graduate. (cited in Morgan 11)

As the global village becomes ever more real, mutual understanding among peoples takes on an

increasing importance. That this shrinking of the world is making some people uncomfortable is evident

in the media. To remain the world leader economically and politically, the U.S. cannot afford “the bane

of xenophobia and other manifestations of international ignorance” (Chen, 2008, p.83). In our

increasingly global and mobile world, one of the most important skills is cultural competence. More

than ever before, people are likely to work daily with people from other cultures. And culture, of course

is complex and there are hundreds of them. The aim of cultural competency is not to be an expert in

every culture, but to be aware of the dynamics of culture—of how it shapes our thinking and behavior.

What Community Colleges can do in their internationalization efforts

 The number international students choosing to attend community colleges has been steadily

increasing, according to the Institute for International Education’s (IIE) Open Doors Report. However,

the growth has been small, relative to four-year institutions. There were about one million international

students in colleges and universities in the U.S. in 2016, but only 95,376 attended two-year institutions

(AACC 2016). Out of the 1,100 community colleges spread-out throughout the country, these 95,376

international students were concentrated in only 30 colleges. At the same time community colleges are

also showing interest in internationalizing their campuses by attracting international students (AACC

2016). This is evident by the awards given to community colleges by the IIE for outstanding internalizing

efforts on campuses (www.iie.org). However, this growth in international students and

internationalizing efforts at community colleges are limited to a few localities in the country, mainly

coastal and urban (www.iie.org). Rural community colleges, more than their urban counterparts, ought

to tap into the international student pool precisely because cultural diversity may not be abundant in

these parts (Cudmore, 2005).

So, what can community colleges interested in internationalizing do? Fortunately, there are

plenty of resources available to get started. For starters, colleges can learn from the trailblazers. The IIE

lists winners of the Heiskell Award for their best practices in internationalizing efforts. In 2018, the Ohio

State University Agricultural Technical Institute won the award for its month-long experiential learning

program in Ghana (www.iie.org). In the same year, Pima Community College in Arizona got an honorable

mention for its initiative named the Mexico Project (www.iie.org). The 2015 winner was Madison Area

Technical College for its Community College Sustainable Development Network, which sought to

internationalize its STEM education through faculty-led study abroad programs (www.iie.org). Perhaps,

one of the most inspiring trailblazers was Houston Community College, the 2011 winner. HCC’s Export

Fellows program aspired to give its students real-world, hands-on experience in exporting. So, students

formed their own exporting companies—one exported used cars to Kazakhstan, and another exported
medical equipment to Tunisia. "Houston is a world-class city, offering some of the best opportunities for

international business, activities and cross-cultural discourse," says HCC Chancellor Mary S. Spangler. “In

spite of the limits to funding and resources that international programs at community colleges often

face, HCC has taken full advantage of its location to offer transformative global opportunities to

students” (www.iie.org).

EducationUSA is another excellent resource. It is the American higher education arm of the U.S.

Department of State. It consists of 425 international student advising centers located in more than 175

countries. This network of advising centers strive to provide impartial and accurate information on all

American higher education institutions. EducationUSA also provides various services for recruiting

efforts and campus internationalization. But their primary daily efforts are expended on advising

millions international students aspiring to obtain an American education

(https://educationusa.state.gov).

Typically, international recruiting has been a well-established institutional endeavor in major

universities and major community colleges such as Houston Community College. Well-known

universities have no trouble drawing international students to their campuses by virtue of their names.

However, it takes greater effort for lesser-known schools to recruit international students. Hence,

almost 40% of American institutions work with recruiting agents in foreign countries. This practice is not

without its controversies. EducationUSA reversed its stance against recruiting agents only in 2018 and

recognized the necessary role such agents play. The American International Recruitment Council (AIRC)

is dedicated to promoting ethical practices in this business. Mike Finnell, the executive director of AIRC,

commenting on the reversal of EducationUSA stance, says there’s a “growing acceptance of the

commission-based model as a valid recruiting practice and the increased use of agents in the U.S.

market. Surveys from the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that 38.5 percent

of institutions reported using agents in 2017, up from 30 percent in 2010” (Redden, 2018). Any lesser-
known educational institutions may have to use the services of foreign or domestic recruiting agents to

break into the international student market.

Besides EducationUSA and IIE, there are various other organizations that can aid community

colleges aspiring to internationalize their campuses. The American Association of Community Colleges

(AACC) has plenty of resources in this regard. The American Council on Education (ACE) is another

repository that colleges can resort to for internationalizing efforts. Its Center for Internationalization

and Global Engagement (CIGE) “promotes the advancement of internationalization on ACE member

campuses through a wide range of programs, publications, and web-based resources. It also engages

the global higher education community in an effort to strengthen higher education in the United States

and worldwide” (www.acenet.edu). Yet another resource is Community Colleges for International

Development (CCID). Its vision statement states “That all community, technical and vocational

institutions integrate international perspectives and experiences into their curricula and campus culture

in order to develop globally competent students, faculty, and staff” (www.ccidinc.org).

Obviously, there’s no shortage of resources for any community college to plunge into the

internationalizing endeavor. However, it all starts with the college president and the board of trustees.

Without their leadership in this endeavor, the rank-and-file’s efforts will be Sisyphean. In 2011 the ACE

did a survey of community colleges on their internationalization efforts, and it found only 25% of the

two-year colleges had any internationalization plan. One of the more interesting findings in that survey

was that the college president was described as the most vital catalyst in promoting internationalization.

Conclusion
 As the global village ever more real, it strikes terror in some hearts. We are seeing this fear

manifested in the political arena in the U.S. and Europe; nationalism is once again rearing its head. The

phenomenon of President Trump’s politics and the Brexit debacle are just two salient examples.

Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and the author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are

Divided by Politics and Religion, provides some insights into the growing divide in western societies

among the “nationalists” and the “globalists.” He purports it comes down to moral values—not that

one is good and the other evil. By understanding this dichotomy, college leaders can better enlighten

their students on the dynamics of what is going on in the world. World affairs these days do have local

implications; college leaders have to be cognizant of this reality.

Change is inevitable, so says an old adage. Human history is not about the past; it is about

change—the past, present, and the future. Moreover, most people are naturally resistant to change.

Change produces fear—fear of losing one’s identity. A couple of decades ago, a bumper sticker slogan—

“Think globally, Act locally”—made the rounds. Perhaps, community college leaders could ponder this

bumper sticker wisdom.

References

By Elizabeth Redden. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/12/17/state-

department-amends-policy-allow-educationusa-advisers-work

The Trial of Socrates