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ITF - UTSA Provost Home - The University of Texas at San Antonio

ITF - UTSA Provost Home - The University of Texas at San Antonio

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<strong>ITF</strong> Evalu<strong>at</strong>ion Study, 2010 16This study adds to the growing research liter<strong>at</strong>ure on intern<strong>at</strong>ionalizing higher educ<strong>at</strong>ionby comparing the practical processes and challenges across three different universities in theUS and the UK. <strong>The</strong> limit<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>of</strong> this study include the small number <strong>of</strong> institutionsinvestig<strong>at</strong>ed; therefore, we hope the method we have provided may guide future research inother universities around the world. <strong>The</strong> effort to implement intern<strong>at</strong>ional perspectives anddevelop a global imagin<strong>at</strong>ion with a capacity to establish how knowledge is linkedintern<strong>at</strong>ionally (Rivzi, 2001) is in its infancy <strong>at</strong> our own university. Learning from otherinstitutions th<strong>at</strong> are in the change process is invaluable for all <strong>of</strong> us who are invested in thecomplex and contextual p<strong>at</strong>hs <strong>of</strong> intern<strong>at</strong>ionalizing the campus experience.Global Perspectives InventoryAcross the United St<strong>at</strong>es, colleges and universities are increasingly giving voice tocampus intern<strong>at</strong>ionaliz<strong>at</strong>ion. <strong>UTSA</strong> is no exception. Reaching out to learn about and learn fromglobal experiences, however, is only one <strong>of</strong> several components th<strong>at</strong> are integral to building aglobal campus. <strong>The</strong> benefits <strong>of</strong> these endeavors cannot be fully realized if <strong>UTSA</strong> does notbalance its efforts with focused and consistent assessment practices. This study examined theglobal worldviews <strong>of</strong> the <strong>UTSA</strong> campus community, using <strong>The</strong> Global Perspectives Inventory(GPI; Braskamp, Braskamp, & Merrill, 2009) to g<strong>at</strong>her d<strong>at</strong>a from students, faculty, andadministr<strong>at</strong>ion/staff.MethodologyGlobal Perspectives Inventory<strong>The</strong> Intern<strong>at</strong>ionaliz<strong>at</strong>ion Task Force selected the Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI;Braskamp, Braskamp, & Merrill, 2009) to capture the current st<strong>at</strong>us <strong>of</strong> <strong>UTSA</strong>’s globalworldviews. <strong>The</strong> inventory is a 46 item self-report survey th<strong>at</strong> measures an individual’s globalperspective, with a focus toward cultural consider<strong>at</strong>ions. Participants r<strong>at</strong>e items on a 5- pointscale, ranging from 5 (Strongly Agree) to 1 (Strongly Disagree). Global perspectives arereflected by higher numerical values (Braskamp, 2009). <strong>The</strong> survey authors believe th<strong>at</strong> humandevelopment cannot be viewed in a vacuum, but must be seen from a holistic perspective th<strong>at</strong>encompasses cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal domains (Kegan, 1994). <strong>The</strong>sedomains are directly rel<strong>at</strong>ed to developmental questions th<strong>at</strong> individuals, especially youngadults, continually ask themselves such as How do I know?, Who am I?, and, How do I rel<strong>at</strong>e toothers?, respectively (Braskamp, Braskamp, & Merrill, 2009). <strong>The</strong> domains may be visualized asinterlocking circles th<strong>at</strong> represent the intersecting sociocultural and communic<strong>at</strong>ioncomponents th<strong>at</strong> are integral to the negoti<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> cross-cultural experiences in a globalsociety.Three additional GPI scales were incorpor<strong>at</strong>ed into the study. <strong>The</strong>y included the Well-Being, Global Citizenship, and the Community dimension <strong>of</strong> a set <strong>of</strong> sociocultural environmentalscales (Braskamp, 2009). <strong>The</strong> seven GPI items most highly correl<strong>at</strong>ed with the College StudentWell Being instrument (Walker, as cited in Braskamp, Braskamp, & Merrill, 2009) comprise theWell-Being scale. <strong>The</strong> “I view myself as a global citizen” item most highly correl<strong>at</strong>es with ninespecific GPI st<strong>at</strong>ements on which the Global Citizenship scale is based. <strong>The</strong> Community scalefocuses on the collegiality evidenced amongst the campus community constituents, as reflectedin the research <strong>of</strong> Braskamp, Trautvetter, and Ward (2006).Participants

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