ACE Internationalization Lab

ACE Lab Overview

From the late fall of 2017 through the summer of 2019, UA was part of the 15th cohort of the American Council on Education Internationalization Laboratory.  The ACE Internationalization Lab is an invitational learning community that brings together cohorts of institutions to engage in both internal and external review of international programs and activities.

The timeline for the project provided a schedule for working closely with ACE advisors, gathering a steering committee and working groups, reviewing and analyzing current international activities and goals, and formulating an action plan to advance internationalization efforts.  In addition, ACE provided its robust resources regarding internationalization throughout the process.

A Steering Committee was appointed and charged in November 2017, and UA’s participation in the Lab was announced in early 2018. The Steering Committee began an intense process of examining our current international programs and activities and our progress toward comprehensive internationalization.  Faculty, staff, and students were all eager to discuss international programs and their current involvement and interests.

Throughout the course of the Lab, over 400 members of the UA community contributed through service on the steering committee or a working group, in face-to-face discussion, or via surveys.  What emerged was an understanding of the importance and value of deeper and broader internationalization of UA’s teaching, research, and service missions with a particular emphasis on the overall educational experience, success of students from the State of Alabama, and contributions to the economic development of our State and region.

In May of 2019, after review of the Steering Committee’s initial report, our ACE Advisor and two ACE Peer Reviewers visited campus to meet with various stakeholders, learn how the Lab process had unfolded at UA, and to formulate recommendations regarding our further efforts.  We received their report in late June of 2019 and thereafter, finalized our report, ACE Internationalization Lab: Final Report and Internationalization Plan: A Globally Engaged Flagship which will be implemented and evaluated over the next five years.

Steering Committee

The following members of the UA community were charged to serve as ACE Steering Committee members during the Lab process.

Steve Bunker, Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences
Parnab Das, Graduate Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Andy Goodliffe, Associate Dean, Graduate School
Grace Lee, Associate Dean, School of Law
Robin McWilliam, Professor, College of Education
Mary Meares, Associate Professor, College of Communication & Information Sciences
Tricia McElroy, Co-chair, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
David Mothersbaugh, Co-chair, Associate Dean, College of Commerce
Debra Nelson-Gardell, Associate Professor, Social Work
Lisa Pawloski, Associate Dean-International Programs, College of Arts & Sciences
Ruperto (Toti) Perez,Associate VP for Student Health & Wellbeing, Division of Student Life
Heather Pleasants, Associate Director, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Jason Scofield, Associate Professor, College of Human Environmental Sciences
Heath Turner,Professor, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Teresa Wise, Co-chair, Associate Provost for International Education & Global Outreach

Working Groups

The following members of the UA community served on working groups during the Lab process.  Each working group focused on an internationalization pillar.

Articulated Commitment of the Institution

Group Leaders:
Tricia McElroy, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Debra Nelson-Gardell, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
Members:
Kelly Burns, International Graduate Admissions Officer, Graduate School
Safiya George, Assistant Dean for Research, College of Nursing
Grace Lee,Associate Dean, School of Law
Lane McLelland, Director, Crossroads Community Engagement Center
Heather Pleasants, Associate Director, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Monica Watts, Associate VP for Communications, Strategic Communications
Teresa Wise, Associate Provost for International Education and Global Outreach

Curriculum and Co-curriculum

Group Leaders:
Toti Perez, Associate VP for Student Health & Wellbeing, Division of Student Life
David Mothersbaugh, Associate Dean, College of Business
Members:
Jef Naidoo, Assistant Professor, College of Business
Mary Meares, Associate Professor, College of Communication & Information Sciences
Steven Ramey, Professor, College of Arts & Sciences
Derek Williamson, Associate Professor, College of Engineering
Christine Taylor, VP for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (expert consultant)

Student Mobility Working Group

Group Leaders:
Andy Goodliffe, Associate Dean Graduate School
Heath Turner, Professor, College of Engineering
Members:
Steve Bunker, Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences
Parnab Das, Graduate Student, Civil, and Environmental Engineering
Carmen Mayer, Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences
Charter Morris, Director, International Student & Scholar Services
Carolina Robinson, Director, Education Abroad
Bill Wallace, Director, English Language Institute
Stan Westjohn, Assistant Professor, College of Business

Faculty Practices and Research

Group Leaders:
Robin McWilliam, Professor, College of Education
Susan Burkett, Professor, College of Engineering
Members:
Marco Bonizzoni, Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences
Ana Corbalan, Professor, College of Arts & Sciences
Samantha Hansen, Associate Professor, College of Arts & Sciences
Steven Jones, Professor, College of Engineering
Robert Laird, Professor, College of Human Environmental Sciences
Peter Magnusson, Associate Professor, Department of Marketing
Cathy Pagani, Associate Dean, Graduate School

Collaborations and Partnerships

Group Leader:
Lisa Pawloski, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Members:
Joy Burnham, Professor, College of Education,
Ibrahim Cemen, Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
Jim Cochran, Associate Dean, College of Business
Robin Jones, Office of University Counsel (expert consultant)
Sundar Krishnan, Associate Professor, College of Engineering,
Rebecca Salzer, Assistant Professor, College of Arts and Sciences

Resources

During the Lab process, ACE provided to the UA Steering Committee a wealth of information and resources regarding comprehensive internationalization.  Many of these resources are useful to the wider UA community as well.

They include the following:

  • The ACE Model for Comprehensive Internationalization, which is composed of six interconnected target areas (pillars) for institutional initiatives, policies, and programs.
  • Internationalization in Action – a web feature that takes an in-depth look at particular aspects of internationalization, including faculty engagement, curriculum, co-curriculum, and partnerships.
  • Internationalization Toolkit – a repository of policies, programs, and other documents developed by institutions as part of their internationalization efforts.
  • CIGE (Center for Internationalization & Global Engagement) Insights – a series of research-based reports on topics such as international joint and dual degree programs, good practices for international partnerships, and national policies for higher education internationalization.
  • Mapping Internationalization on Campus – conducted every five years; this survey assesses the current state of internationalization at US colleges and universities, analyzes progress and trends, and identifies future priorities.