May 14, 2006 - 5:00pm
Several dozen faculty from around the world will be welcomed by Malaspina University-College this week to participate in an international conference on internationalizing the curriculum, for which Malaspina has taken a leadership role in Canada.
The Internationalizing the Curriculum Academy is the first of its kind in Canada and will feature five days (May 14-19) of intense study on how faculty can integrate international perspectives and content into graduate and undergraduate course curriculum. Malaspina is committed to supporting a curriculum that is international in nature and provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become responsible world citizens and perform effectively in an international and a multi-cultural environment.
"When faculty understand where they are culturally they will approach the classroom differently," said Bronwyn Jenkins-Deas, dean of International Education at Malaspina.
Among the 25 faculty attending the academy there are representatives from the University of British Columbia, University of Montreal, University of Waterloo and the University of Hertfordshire in England.
The Academy is a result of three years of research and development by Isabelle Giroux, a professor in the MBA and Business programs at Malaspina, and Todd Odgers, an International Student Advisor.
Giroux and Odgers have been working with Malaspina faculty on how to integrate international perspectives and content into their courses and delivering intercultural awareness and skill-building workshops for Malaspina students, faculty and staff.
Last year they offered Malaspina faculty a three-day workshop on internationalization with positive results, said Jenkins-Deas.
"The curriculum development we are engaged in at Malaspina is really innovative. We are really pleased to see big Universities, like UBC and the University of Montreal looking to Malaspina for expertise in this area," said Jenkins-Deas.
Malaspina has been a leader in international education since the early 1980s. In the 2005-2006 school year, there were 1,300 international students from more than 40 countries registered at Malaspina. Malaspina has also developed a variety of international opportunities for domestic students, faculty, staff and community members.
Tags: In the Community
