A recent report from the Community College International Education Research Initiative (CCIERI) sets out to provide context for institutions to benchmark their own programming compared to other colleges in the same state, region, or even nationally.
According to the findings, 755 community colleges (82%) enrolled international students, while 102 (11%) did not. Enrolment status for 65 colleges (7%) could not be determined.
The study also examined study abroad opportunities. It found that 350 colleges (38%) offered such programs, while 383 (42%) did not. For 189 colleges (21%), CCIERI was unable to verify study abroad offerings due to limited or outdated information on institutional websites.
The report’s author, Melissa Whatley, assistant professor of higher education at the College of William & Mary, who leads CCIERI, said she hopes the research gives community colleges some “well-deserved attention related to the key role they play in providing access to international education to many students”.
“I’ve always suspected that community colleges were much more active in international education than mainstream data and scholarly sources would lead us to believe,” said Whatley. “In part, this project came from a place of wanting to see if that suspicion had any merit.”
“I’m certainly pleased to have learned that what I suspected is actually the case for many community colleges. These institutions are so much more active in providing international education opportunities than many previously thought.”
Whatley hopes her work helps community colleges think more intentionally about their international education strategy.
I’ve always suspected that community colleges were much more active in international education than mainstream data and scholarly sources would lead us to believe
Melissa Whatley, CCIERI
“While it’s great to have one-off study abroad or virtual exchange programs, a more focused strategy can help colleges reach more students and achieve greater learning outcomes from their efforts,” she told The PIE News.
“I’ve found the community college sector to be much more attuned to students’ needs and concerns with regard to international education, and as a result, we see that these institutions are often much more successful in providing access to international opportunities compared to their four-year counterparts.”
The study also examined the availability of internationalisation at home opportunities, such as virtual international exchanges. Only 38 colleges (4%) offered such programs, while 756 (82%) did not. For 128 colleges (14%), available information was too limited to confirm.
Within this, CCIERI also looked at the faculty support for internationalisation, finding that 61 colleges (7%) offered support to faculty and staff for their internationalisation work. A total of 729 (79%) did not, while the research was inconclusive about 132 colleges (14%).
Meanwhile, a total of 48 colleges (5%) offered a certificate or diploma in global learning. A total of 748 colleges (81%) did not, while the results for 126 colleges (14%) remain unknown.
Another part of internationalisation at home is providing internationally focused cultural events and clubs on campus. The data indicates that 216 (23%) community colleges hosted these events, while 474 (51%) did not and for 232 colleges (25%), the research wasn’t able to conclude if such events are offered.
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