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Investing in Cross-Border Internationalization: Humber connects with US colleagues through CCID

 

February 21, 2020

 

Humber College has been an active member of the Community Colleges for International Development (“CCID”) consortium for over two decades.  We have provided the institution-driven organization with support and counsel, which included leadership of the CCID Board by our President and CEO, Chris Whitaker.  CCID has evolved over the years since we first joined to support internationalization in all forms at community colleges and other post-secondary institutions both in the US and around the world. 

During the most recent CCID conference from February 6th to 9th in Florida, Humber was featured in a number of distinctive ways.  Those profile-building activities further establish connections with our US colleagues and open up opportunities for deeper collaboration and cooperation.

The Culturally Inclusive Educator’s Certificate is often held up at CCID as a model to be emulated for cross-cultural training and inclusivity.  The CIEC was developed at Humber by the Centre for Teaching and Learning.  The courses within this certificate program provide participants with an opportunity to enhance their differentiated teaching skills essential for supporting international and culturally diverse students in higher education. One of the conference workshops featured faculty colleagues from Hillsborough Community College in Florida who had taken the CIEC when delivered by Humber on their campus.  Reports from the session were that the CIEC fills a critical gap in professional development training for faculty and educators, and there was a call to expand delivery of the CIEC across the US.

Another workshop featured our most recent COIL project and was led by Rebecca Fitzgerald, Stephanie Byer and Senior Dean Derek Stockley.  COIL, short for collaborative online international learning, is a method that is quickly becoming a global standard in international academic collaboration.  A COIL project typically results in the co-development and delivery of a component of a course by two or more instructors from partner institutions in different counties.  They vary in length and complexity and may be either synchronous or asynchronous.  The Faculty of Social and Community Services presented on its project with Humber academic partner Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (USIL) in Peru. In this COIL, Humber and USIL faculty co-developed case studies that were embedded within a pre-existing course at both institutions – in the fields of Biology and Community Development.  Students connected virtually and worked collaboratively, and the module was co-taught by Humber and USIL faculty. Resources are being developed to assist other Humber faculty to work with global academic partners on COIL projects and curriculum.

Many of our US colleagues are looking for affordable international experiences for their students.  Humber’s Global Summer School was presented as just such an option – many of the CCID institutions are located within driving distance to Toronto.  The relatively short distance, in combination with the advantage of the relatively low Canadian dollar, presents a unique opportunity to provide our US colleagues with credit-bearing, proximal, affordable international experiences for their students.

Canadian institutions have often looked to the US only as a source of international enrollments.  Humber’s relationships through its ongoing commitment to the CCID alliance is proving that the US-Canada opportunities are plentiful and growing.