|
|
A to Z | Calendar | Search UWRF |
|
Expanding Global Literacy and Engagement
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls operates on the assumption that global understanding is a fundamental tenant of personal success and professional growth. Thus, every college on campus has been charged with internationalizing its curriculum. The College of Business and Economics, staffed with a good number of international faculty, is leading the way in this area by virtue of establishing connections worldwide. Student-wise, the university has a small but growing international student population of just one percent. The national norm for a university such as ours is four percent. As we work to attract more international students, all of our students are provided opportunities for 100 percent immersion in other cultures. We have long set international study and travel as priorities for our students. Our students have ongoing service-learning experience in western China, Taipei and the Ukraine with plans to expand their contributions into Korea. Our Semester Abroad program, in which students study overseas for months at a time, has been expanded to include an International Traveling Classroom option in which students take a full semester load of courses, taught by UWRF faculty, in cities overseas. We have now established an ambitious goal by which in four years, 20 percent of our students will be taking part in overseas travel or study. Further, the university has entered into more than 60 collaborative agreements with institutions around the world in a way to establish stronger and more involved connections for our students and faculty to enhance their work – and their lives – through international experiences. Developing Engaged Leaders. Leaders who stand up for what’s right. Leaders who are respected for their effectiveness, compassion and vision. Leaders who are the sum of their experiences. These are the leaders we’re committed to nurturing through a UW-River Falls education. In this sense, The Promise applies just as much to the communities in which our graduates will choose to live and work. We will provide these communities graduates well versed in sustainable community development, global literacy and ethical principles – graduates who value not the prestige, but the responsibilities of leadership. The University experience toward that end includes involvement in the American Democracy Project, in which students get involved in their communities in ways that enhance an understanding of civic participation. Through an outside grant, we provide $1,000 scholarships to 15 students – Falcon Fellows – who perform more than 300 hours of community service. University Chancellor Don Betz initiated the Global Leadership Colloquium, a leadership development short course examining effective leadership in a cross-cultural environment. And the College of Business and Economics is creating the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, offering workshops, seminars and programs on leadership development to the community at large. At the same time, the CBE is exploring the possibility of a leadership minor, as well as a leadership course developed for first-year students. . |
|
|
University of Wisconsin - River Falls |
