University-wide Internationalization of Curriculum: An Organizational Improvement Plan

In the past few decades, higher education institutions have witnessed a greater interest in the way international perspectives including political, social, cultural, economic and technological perspectives impact graduates’ global competency. The rationale behind this view is to develop a more relevant understanding in graduates of global cultures, global knowledges, and global problems so that they are better prepared for the world of work that awaits them outside the university campus, regionally or internationally. This OIP problematizes the lack of international perspectives in curriculum and proposes a university-wide solution to incorporate internationalization of curriculum. It draws from the theoretical concepts of culturally responsive pedagogy and international mindedness as foundational drivers of change and incorporates research and evidence-based models of internationalization of curriculum to the improvement plan. Both these foundations are significant as the former demands cross-cultural understanding and the latter demands the fulfillments of compelling pressures of globalization. An internationally minded strategic plan executed through strategic and transformational leadership approach using internationalization framework for curriculum forms the foundations of this OIP. The planning and development stage employ Cawsey et al. Change Path Model to plan and propel change forward and uses a PSDA model to monitor and evaluate change. The outcome is an internationally minded approach to curriculum flexible enough for different disciplines to adopt and execute, yet strategic enough to promote institution-wide change