Sacramento State's One World Initiative:

Using themes to engage a campus community in global education

Lisa Hammersley & Raghuraman Trichur

OutlineOutline

• Background– The challenge of curricular globalization– Mapping global education at Sac State

• The One World Initiative– Goals– Format/structure

• Campus Response• Lessons Learned and remaining Challenges• Group discussion activities

The ChallengeThe Challenge

• How to provide students with the tools they need for their futures in a global society?

• How to effect curricular change across a complex and decentralized curriculum?

• How to do this in a climate of budget restrictions and low morale?

BackgroundBackground

• Provost's advisory committee on curricular global engagement– Develop a mission statement– Collect information on global education

activities already occurring on campus– Consider challenges to curricular

globalization (structural and individual)

Sacramento State is committed to developing, sustaining and promoting global studies, international educational exchanges and research initiatives, in support of the university’s commitment to the preparation of informed world citizens. The University strives to provide students and faculty with the multidisciplinary, intercultural and ethical understandings necessary to engage, lead and prosper in a variety of settings requiring knowledge and problem solving skills in a diverse, global arena.

Provost's Advisory Committee for Curricular Global Engagement, 2011

Figuring out what global Figuring out what global education means to useducation means to us

Taking Stock: Taking Stock: What are we already What are we already

doing?doing?• International

students• Study Abroad• Area studies• Languages• Visiting scholars• International faculty

• Faculty research• Courses on

globalization• Cultural

organizations• Diverse student body• Location in CA state

capitalHow do we pull this together in such a way that

we create something that is greater than the sum of its parts?

• Highlight the global education opportunities and resources at Sacramento State by engaging the campus community in year-long discussions of themes of global importance

• Based upon the successful One Book model• An open invitation to the campus community to

participate (ground-up vs. top down) in a variety of ways

One World Participation:One World Participation: Incorporation of theme into course Incorporation of theme into course

curricula curricula

• An easy buy-in for faculty• Students take multiple

courses, often unrelated• Encountering the One

World theme in different courses encourages making connections across disciplines

• Informal "learning community"

One World Participation:One World Participation: One World Calendar of Events One World Calendar of Events

• Campus units invited to create events related to the One World theme

• All events promoted widely under the One World heading

• Small amount of funds available to support events

• Generate a rich calendar of public events around a central theme (talks, movies, art shows, etc.)

One World Participation:One World Participation: Student-led Activities Student-led Activities

• Student groups and clubs invited to organize activities related to the One World theme

• Encouraged to incorporate a service component

One World Participation:One World Participation: End-of-Year CelebrationEnd-of-Year Celebration

• One-day event that caps off the year's theme

• Student symposium: – Student responses to the theme in the form of

posters, talks, art, digital media, etc.

• Faculty Panel– Faculty from different disciplines discuss how the

One World theme fits in their work

• Keynote Speaker– Presentation by a prominent speaker to the

campus community and the public

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON WATER

2012-13 Inaugural One World 2012-13 Inaugural One World ThemeTheme

Water is essential for lifeWater is essential for life

There can be too much water...There can be too much water......or too ...or too

littlelittle

Water is an integral part of Water is an integral part of world religions and culturesworld religions and cultures

Water has inspired music and Water has inspired music and artart

Water is a human right... Water is a human right... ...but also a commodity?...but also a commodity?

Campus ResponseCampus Response

• Faculty from across the campus pledged to incorporate the One World theme into their courses. – The arts, the sciences, government, business, social sciences,

health sciences, AFROTC, etc.

• Over 20 One World events per semester in the first year– Art and museum exhibits, movies, discussions, lectures– Many activities included multiple departments and multiple

colleges

• Over 40 students participated in the student symposium for the end-of-year event. Attendance at all three components of the event was very good.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON MIGRATION

2013-14 One World Theme2013-14 One World Theme

• Already 10 events on the calendar for this semester and more are being developed

• One notable event is a student symposium on migration presented by international students who are part of the English Language Institute

What have we learned?What have we learned?

• Importance of having both faculty and administrators involved in the initiative

• The right approach can overcome obstacles such as low/no budget and low faculty morale

• Encouraging participation rather than controlling or requiring it creates an environment of collaboration and creativity.

• Challenges remain:– Getting students engaged in the initiative– Getting more faculty to incorporate the theme in their courses– Securing funding for the future

Challenges RemainChallenges Remain

• Getting students directly engaged in the initiative• Getting more faculty to incorporate the theme in

their courses• Securing funding for the future• "Beating the Drums" - maintaining a high profile

Discussion #1Discussion #1

• What are the goals and challenges for global education at your campus?– Status of global education at your

campus– Challenges to moving forward

Discussion #2Discussion #2

• Asset Mapping: – What global education activities and

resources are already available at your campus?

– What groups could/should be involved in creating a campus-wide global education initiative?

– What (if any) funding sources are available?

Discussion #3Discussion #3

• Next steps: Implementing your campus-wide initiative– What kind of model might work best

at your campus?– What themes might you use?– How to promote your initiative to

various stakeholders?

Contact and informationContact and information

• Our website:– www.csus.edu/oneworld

• Email us:– oneworld@csus.edu

• Like us on facebook!– www.facebook.com/

sacramentostatesoneworldinitiative