UW-River Falls

Minutes of the 6th Annual Workshop on International Development - September 1, 2009

Submitted by Dr. Jackie Brux, September 23, 2009

I. Attended: Linda Alvrez, Jackie Brux, Brent Greene, Dawn Hukai, Kurt Larson, Terry Mannetter, Pascal Noboka, Ibrihim Oenga, Ken Olson, Nancy Parlin, Hamid Tabesh, Pernendu Vasavada, Amy Aschenbrenner (student assistant)

II. Introductions and Activities: Several participants spoke to their recent international activities, summarized as follows. (These minutes were taken by Amy Aschenbrenner – thank you Amy!).

Curt Larson: Emeritus

Began a program in Haiti and organized local churches and community, built 25 houses and first floor of elementary school.
Arranged ‘Feed my Starving Children’ for Haiti this fall – packed 260,000 meals last year. Jatropha farming project beginning with the UN. “It takes a village” Concert has raised $17,000 in five years for building the school.
A former student and a friend arranged an agreement between UW-River Falls and National Changhua University of Education, to bear fruit from Haiti.

Brent Greene: Director of Global Connections

2 consultants came in last spring to work on internationalizing the campus, provided global connections with strong recommendations
Provost would like UWRF to have presence in every continent. 85 international students, 20 countries now represented: Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Kenya, Mexico, German, etc.
Magellan exchange travels mostly central Europe.
We have 30% of all students studying abroad.

Terry Mannetter – Spanish Professor

Creating internships for Spanish, German, etc. student majors to study abroad.
13th year doing the Mexico program.
2 year grant changing curriculum for Mexico Program to take students on service learning educational trips as opposed to tourist sites

Linda Alvarez – Global Connections

Working with a group of 4 study abroad peer advisors, want students to have as many international experiences as possible to round out their baccalaureate experience.
Service Learning should be a huge part of studying abroad.
Researching financial assistance options for students to study abroad that are more realistic than applying for many tentative grants.

Nancy Parlin – Former Vice Chancellor, Emeritus

Spent 5 weeks in Pakistan. Traveled among many Middle-Eastern countries.
Is interested in peace movement between Israel and Palestine

Purnendu Vasavada – Food environmental science

Wants to meet with faculty who are interested in studying abroad to make a better funding mechanism.
Visited a 2 week workshop in Ecuador and Brazil.
This summer went to workshops in Thailand and Singapore.

Pascal Ngoboka:

Used to offer summer study abroad program in Uganda – hasn’t been as successful because of students work schedule. Switched trip to J-Term.
This last J-term attempted but there weren’t enough students signed up, will alternate J-Terms with Vietnam tour.
Contacted universities for guest houses to stay in.

Ken Olson:

Taking students to Ireland for 9 years for J-Term. Right now has 40 students signed up for this J-term: covers a 3 credit English course.
Take a guided tour of Belfast, see murals and learn about troubles in northern Ireland.

Jackie Brux

Has been working on many international grants.
One project has been to implement recommendations from her study of multicultural students and study abroad. Has produced brochures (local and national financial aid sources, heritage seeking, benefits of study abroad), posters (multicultural faculty, multicultural students, heritage seeking), study abroad library, diversity study abroad scholarships, etc.

III. Announcements

UWRF-AID will participate in International Education Week (Nov. 16-20), along with the four colleges and outside speakers. We also have a student intern co-coordinator, Kimi-Chaia Lindberg. Speakers will include two people from The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: Daniel Grossman, independent radio and web producer; and Jennifer Redfearn, film and TV producer and writer; as well as Kevin Winge of Open Arms (AIDs outreach). Students from Linda and Jose’s Kenya Study Abroad trip will also participate. The next meeting is Wed. Nov. 23 at 3:30 in Global Connections. (contributed by Linda and Brent)
There will be a big promotion of the Study Abroad Fair this year, including a display of Heritage Posters in the Library Entry Window beginning Sept. 21. The recessed case that lines the library art alcove will hold the remainder of the study abroad program, Peace Corp, and other information. The Study Abroad Fair will be held Oct.6 in the Falcons’ Nest of the UC. (contributed by Linda)
World Food Day is Oct.16, with a live teleconference broadcast from 11-12, a video from 12-1, and a presentation by faculty (Jackie) from 1-2, on the topic of the World Food Crisis. Faculty, students, classes, and the public are invited. It will be held in the Falcons’ Nest of the UC. (contributed by Jackie)
UN Day is Oct. 24, this year focusing on Millennium development Goal No. 8: Developing a Global Partnership for Development as well as climate change. Faculty are encouraged to include information from the UN Day web site in their courses (www.unausa.org/unday2009). The student International Relations Club is involved with Model UN and UN Day. UWRF-AID should connect with them. (contributed by Brent)
Brent Green has established a foundation account for the Association, under the name, “UWRF Association for International Development”. (contributed by Brent)
During Spring 2008, the Faculty Senate International Programs Committee recommended that the university fund a UWRF Center for International Development as part of strategic plan Goal 3 to “expand global literacy and engagement”. [This would transform UWRF-AID to the UWRF-Center for International Development.] In its recommendation, the committee states, “This faculty-driven center will be a unique institution on campus that will further our university goals by bringing together faculty, staff, and emeriti faculty across and beyond campus to collaborate and enhance their opportunities and activities involving the developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia and Eastern Europe.” The committee made this recommendation to the University Planning Group and recommended that the Faculty Senate pass a resolution of support for this Center. (contributed by Jackie)
Each year Jackie writes an Institutional Enhancement Grant to fund the Workshop on International Development. She will also use this year’s funds to develop posters and other publicity for AID and to purchase videos in international development. (contributed by Jackie)

IV. Business

We will focus this year on increasing our visibility and contributions on campus. Activities will include a seminar series (organized by Brent and Linda), a video series (organized by Jackie), World Food Day (organized by Jackie), International Education Week (organized by Brent and assisted by Linda, Jackie, and others), and the Study Abroad Fair and Display (organized by Linda).
UWRF-AID has a logo (available from Tony Bredahl in Publications) that is on our brochure and bookmark). Individual AID members should cite UWRF-AID as a co-sponsor or contributor to all of our individual international activities and use the logo when possible.
After increasing local visibility, we will move on to consider broadening our list-serve to include the Twin City metro area and UW-System schools next year. We will also consider hosting a regional conference at UWRF.
A UWRF-AID steering committee will meet approximately two times per semester this year. The steering committee includes Linda Alvarez, Jackie Brux, Carmen Croonquist, Brent Greene, Gregg Hadley, Curt Larson, Nancy Parlin, Ibrahim Oenga, and Ken Olson. We will invite the provost to our meetings, which will most likely be on Friday afternoons at 3 pm.