Global Impact Exchange Fall 2022 Edition
The Power of Collaboration to Advance Equity and Inclusion in Global Education
Too often, the responsibility of providing inclusive support for students falls on a single office, person, and/or faculty member. While many practitioners in international education and exchange recognize and vocalize the importance of developing collaborative partnerships across campus and/or an organization, in actuality collaboration across institutional/organizational units is either cursory or not common practice. How can we harness the power of collaboration across units to advance equity and inclusion within global education? How can developing partnerships with CDOs and SIOs help increase buy-in for the importance of global education experiences? How can support for international students be enhanced with thoughtful partnerships developed within our institutions and local communities? How might global education organizations coordinate across departments to ensure inclusive practices from advising to curriculum of course offerings?
Acknowledgements
A special thank-you to members of the Diversity Abroad consortium for supporting thought leadership at the intersection of global education and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Introduction
Jinous Kasravi, PhD
Director of Membership and Community, Diversity Abroad
The international education arena has faced staff turnover and changes to budgets in recent years, yet it is more important now than ever to retain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and initiatives within the field. We find ourselves charged with mission statements and campus goals to implement DEI within our offices, curricula, and practices. Yet many can agree that it is difficult to implement effectively due to the demands of day-to-day workloads and for those with fewer staff on hand. We regularly task specific individuals in our offices with these responsibilities but do not provide the proper support or resources.
Collaboration across campus units or with education abroad providers is a strategy to offset these challenges and help to develop partnerships. Through such collaboration the work of delivering an institution’s, program’s, or unit’s mission to address DEI does not fall under the discretion of one sole office, but rather creates meaningful dialogue and helps to pull from the resources and knowledge at our disposal. The importance of inclusive programming, advising, and resources comes to the forefront in increasing participation from underrepresented students in some form of global education experience. Faculty and senior leadership get involved and are able to see how those offices around campus, whether working with inbound or outbound students, help to advance the institution’s goals and implement the efforts into their strategic plan.
The following articles in the Fall 2022 edition of the Global Impact Exchange highlight various strategies used for collaboration across campus units, involving students and alumni, institutions worldwide, and effective use of virtual exchange.
Effective collaboration across various units helps create dialogue, foster self-exploration, and provide new or additional perspectives regarding the student populations we are helping. This increased understanding and effort helps to build effective measures and programming. As professionals in the field, we have to be able to acknowledge that it is not a one-size-fits-all approach and this work cannot be completed alone.
As you read the articles, if you are inspired to share how you or your office or organization is collaborating together to advance equity and inclusion in global education, I invite you to reach out and share a best practice with us. We would love to hear from you. Please share your reflections and ideas with us at members@diversityabroad.org. We also invite Diversity Abroad members to join the conversation on our online community forums.
Editorial Board
The main task of the Editorial Advisory Board is to review article submissions for the Diversity Abroad Quarterly publication. While not a peer-reviewed academic journal, the Diversity Abroad Quarterly publication compiles articles to advance domestic and international conversations around diversity, inclusion, and equity in global education with respect to the thematic focus identified each quarter.
- Paloma Rodriguez – University of Florida | Director, Office of Global Learning
- Jinous Kasravi, PhD – Diversity Abroad | Director of Membership & Community
Table of Contents
Collaborating with Vocational Rehabilitation Offices to Support Students with Disabilities in Education Abroad
This piece emphasizes the urgent need for colleges and universities to align their internationalization efforts with the global social justice challenges of our time, and advocates for a comprehensive approach to curriculum development, highlighting the importance of integrating global perspectives and social justice outcomes across academic disciplines.
Collaborating for Self, Other, and World Well-Being: Infusing Coaching-Based Practices at Lehigh University
To sustainably support students’ evolving needs, universities must foster holistic well-being among both students and staff. At Lehigh University, integrating coaching practices with global education has helped advance collaboration, deepen listening across differences, and promote equity and inclusion.
Campus-Wide Collaboration to Uplift Equity and Inclusion in International Students’ Career Development
Drawing from campus initiatives at a large Midwestern university, this article highlights collaborative strategies—such as cross-departmental training, employer education, and student-centered programming—to better support international students’ diverse career goals.
Cross-institutional Collaboration on Curriculum Design, the Visibility of Counter-Narratives, and Allyship in International Education
This article critiques traditional notions of intercultural competency and advocates for a fluid, anti-racist approach that centers race, power, and structural inequities in global education. Through initiatives such as social justice-focused virtual exchanges, amplifying BIPOC students’ study abroad experiences, and fostering faculty dialogue, the author proposes collaborative strategies to enhance equity and inclusion.
A Collaborative Model for Integrating Inclusive Practices Across an International Education Curriculum
This case study examines a student-faculty collaboration to reform a graduate International Education Management (IEM) program by integrating technology, inclusion, diversity, equity, and sustainability (TIDES) across all levels of curriculum and teaching.
Achieving Equitable Global Education Without Mobility
This article explores “global engagement at home” as an inclusive approach to providing global experiences for underrepresented students, emphasizing virtual exchange and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) as key methods. Findings suggest that such initiatives foster identity performance, professional development, and a stronger sense of belonging, particularly among Hispanic students engaging with Latin American peers.