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Office of the Provost and
Vice President for Academic Affairs

Task force on Internationalization: Committees, Interviews

Membership  •  Committees  •  Meeting Agendas and Minutes  •  Resources

Interview with Dr. Jim Girvan, Dean of the College of Health Science, and Dr. Hartzell Cobb, President of Mountain States Group

Why internationalize?

In addition to numerous advantages inherent in the ability to see the world through a different lens, international connections and components boost the image of corporations and institutions.

How could the University connect and benefit from the ground work Mountain States has done in Bulgaria?

The basic network is in place that could lead to internships in a wide variety of areas. Already there are numerous people in the country with whom Dr. Cobbs has worked and continues to work who could help make the necessary connections. One individual of special note is Lucy Mincheva who has done extensive work in her country and beyond in several areas including drug use prevention and refugee issues. She can speak from first hand experience about such things as social change, gender issues and job security as well. Ms. Mincheva may be available for a phone conference on Wednesday.

One way to reach many students would be to have someone like Ms. Mincheva, another contact, Cheryl Watkins, or others come to campus to present workshops with a global slant in such areas as community health research and community health promotion, economics differences, job creation, comparative political systems, the impact of social change etc. (Hartzell, a workshop based on your paper, The Power of Place, would also be of great value. While focused on experience in one area of the world, it has universal implications and applications.)

While finding funding for international programs is currently a serious obstacle for American students, Mountain States has a vested interest as well in continuing to work in Bulgaria and Karan Tucker of the Mountain States staff, an excellent grant writer, would work with the University in both finding appropriate grant possibilities and writing the grants.

There would be many was ways to move Boise State Students into internships in Bulgaria. Certainly students in Health Science, Counseling, Social Work, Economics, political Science and Public Affairs could be placed.

Additionally, it might be possible to do something in conjunction with American University in Bulgaria so that students might take some classes there as they participate in and internship experience.

If something were to be arranged, there would need to be considerable lead time, perhaps a year, between the time that a student chose to participate and the departure date. Workshops and orientation should be scheduled the year ahead of the experience so that students acquire the proper background, cultural understanding, and understanding of processes and procedures of the host country.

What are some general issues that could be addressed or "packaged" into some sort of learning/training that would help location-bound Boise State students adjust their perception of the world?

Cross fertilization of culture and ideas could occur with some ease if Boise State were to make housing in residential programs in our Residential Programs available to our foreign students. There is a great deal of potential to be captured with associating regularly with students of other cultures, and international students also stand to benefit as well by that association. Language immersion could be of great benefit as well. Jim mentioned that a chemistry student from Russia has chosen to live in the halls in the Health Sciences program during the year the Girvens will be living in an apartment in the halls because the student recognized the value added component of such living arrangement.

Components could be added to core courses that would enhance a global perspective. (e.g. case studies centered in other cultures.) Note the potential material in Dr. Cobb's Power of Place paper. )

Perhaps a new political science course on comparative organizational systems of government would be a possibility.

Perhaps new course components in such programs as our Conflict Resolution Certificate Program could include cultural training on an international level. (We do have an expert in major conflict resolution issues on campus now, Dr. Keith Allred, who could potentially contribute to this effort).

Finally, it could be useful to look into the training techniques used by the LDS church to help their missionary force (generally college age) adapt, understand and function in countries far different than their native country.