Fairleigh Dickinson University has been invited to become a founding member of the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Internationalization Laboratory.

As part of the inaugural membership in this selective group, FDU will conduct a self-study of the University’s internationalization efforts and work closely with other members nationally to further progress on such efforts. In addition, a peer-review team will visit the University and develop a report analyzing the status of internationalization at FDU and make recommendations for the future.

In addition to FDU, the initial members of the laboratory are California State University, Sacramento; Kalamazoo College, Michigan; Kansas State University, Manhattan; and Fordham University Business Schools, N.Y.C.

The laboratory, designed to help participating institutions assess their progress toward their internationalization goals and to help them make further progress, is an outgrowth of ACE’s ongoing Internationalization Collaborative, which currently includes Fairleigh Dickinson University and nearly 50 other universities.

“The laboratory will help further refine the internationalization process at Fairleigh Dickinson and lead the way for others to follow,” said Christa Olson, assistant director, international initiatives, ACE. “Through this program, Fairleigh Dickinson has well positioned itself to help advance the national dialogue.”

FDU has formed an internationalization leadership team to begin the self-study process and to coordinate internationalization planning. The team, chaired by Teresa Montani, education (Metro), comprises faculty from all four colleges and some administrators, including those with specific responsibility for international initiatives. The process will continue throughout the academic year.

The committee’s charge, said President J. Michael Adams, is “to engage the entire University community in exploring, considering and suggesting the next steps in the evolution and definition of global education at Fairleigh Dickinson University.” He added that the committee will gather and welcomes suggestions and considerations from all University members with ideas about the future direction of FDU’s internationalization efforts.

Among the questions to be considered by the committee are: To what extent is internationalization integral to this institution’s identity and vision? To what extent are institutional structures, policies, practices and resources aligned with the institution’s goals? To what extent is international learning an integral part of the institution’s educational offerings? What linkages are there to institutions in other countries? What study-abroad opportunities are available?

After the study is complete, ACE will send a peer-review team to study the University and conduct its own report.

October 2003

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Flor =
College at Florham, Madison, N.J.

Metro =
Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, N.J.

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