Minutes
WTCS International Education Committee
Thursday, January 25, 2007, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
WisLine Teleconference - Toll Number: 608-265-1000, Passcode: 1134
Present: Dick Hopfensperger, Mark Franks, Kelly Holtmeier, NWTC; Deb Ryan, LTC; Bonnie Bissonette, NTC; Geoff Bradshaw, MATC-Madison; Marie Martin, FVTC; Barb Cannell & Laura Westergaard, MATC-Milwaukee; Denise Schneider & Mary Koster, GTC; Aleda Bourassa & Gayle Graham, WCTC; Sue Scanlon, MSTC; Chris Vandall, WTCS; Bobbi Laine, MPTC
AGENDA ITEM: Welcome
DISCUSSION:
Members were welcomed by Geoff. Roll call was taken.
AGENDA ITEM: Approval of Minutes
DISCUSSION:
Minutes from the September 27, 2006 meeting were approved.
AGENDA ITEM: Treasurer’s Report
DISCUSSION:
Activity was interest earned and finances related to the September 27 meeting. The current balance is $28,551.23
AGENDA ITEM: Advocacy
DISCUSSION:
· Student Services – Bonnie Bissonette & Geoff Bradshaw
International student issues & general internationalization of colleges; Bonnie attended fall SSA meeting: very positive & pleased to have connection with our standing committee; very interested in training opportunities; extremely interested in working with us; unaware of the scope of our committee, our purpose and our skills for managing international student issues. Discussion of options and recommendations for SSA: are we interested/prepared to create the workshop? Option: bring NAFSA staff to do the training no income to us; advantage is that we can customize the training for Wisconsin; Bonnie willing to be on team to deliver training; consider working with someone from NAFSA to work with us.
Geoff will attend the Feb 2 SSA meeting and offer a 4-hour workshop on F-1 visa administration to be presented by a mix of WTCS staff (Bonnie) and other regional experts. Subcommittee on SSA Training established: Geoff, Bonnie, Denise and Chris.
Discussed WTCS application for admission. Cmte recommends questions 10-15 be revised to drop social security number, drop language of “citizenship” and “legal” resident and instead insert a question that asks if a student is applying for an international student visa. If yes, this will trigger a separate international student application form.
· Certification Officers – Bobbi Laine
Mapped International Study course to WTCS’s diversity course for certification; now waiting for HR response
AGENDA ITEM: Internal Collaboration
DISCUSSION:
· Centralized Repository of Info, Policies, and Resources – Chris Vandall
Purpose to collect information & resources for better dissemination among colleges; looking for suggestions for format; see Chris’ December email; Chris will send email; format may need to be developed based on what we send him; send electronically only; will be placed and managed on this committee’s Website; alternate is putting it on CDs for distribution; alternate is to have links directly to college that has the resource; Deb will get updated list for businesses conducting international business for our committee’s Website
· China Project – Marie Martin, Aleda Bourassa, Deb Ryan, Bobbi Laine
Itinerary set, visits with Wisconsin companies operating in China are set, $100 non-refundable deposit was due last week, 23 committed participants so far. Will visit colleges to develop future partners; most colleges are partially funding staff to participate (LTC, WCTC, MPTC $1000, FVTC; criteria different at each college); keep process notes as model for next initiative; likely we will offer 3-credit course for certification if approved by WTCS certification committee
· Fulbright Visiting Scholar Spring 2007 – Barb Cannell
Have been selected to host Fulbright Scholar; delay in communications; timing will be tight for this spring or we can go with an alternate from Pakistan (architecture instead of requested business background) or delay it for 2007-08 school year; recommend that we seek scholar with business background even if it means a delay to next school year; police science faculty from Israel available through WCTC’s Visiting Scholar April 16 – 20; most colleges are interested, possibly use WTCN system; Bonnie will read applications for Fulbrights as a result of our successful visit 2005-06
· Standardization of Study Abroad Credit Articulation – Geoff Bradshaw
A subcommittee was established to recommend standardization of practices for awarding and articulating credit for student participation in study abroad programs across the WTCS district. Subcommittee: Geoff Bradshaw, Aleda Bourassa, Laura Westergaard, Barb Cannell, Deb Ryan, Chris Vandall
· Education USA Reps Visit May 2007 - Bonnie Bissonette
dates are May 20 – 27, 2007 with overseas reps; chance for us to introduce WTCS to them as a recruiting tool; tentative May 22 lunch at MATC-Madison; complete schedule to follow; admissions people, international students and interested staff welcome to attend & showcase what WTCS is doing; motion: use committee funds to pay for complete lunch at MATC-Madison; motion passed unanimously; list as WTCS Global Education Institute; discuss details during March 1 meeting.
· MATC-Madison Summer Institute for Global Education June 20-21 - Geoff Bradshaw
not usual conference; MATC-Madison’s professional development activity opened up to everyone; will include workshops with external experts as well as panels of best practices from throughout the state: Day 1: internationalization of the college; experiential education/service learning afternoon speaker; strategies for internationalization of curriculum; Day 2 world languages & transfers, dovetail & cooperation; assessment in international education; national resource center for area studies @ UW-Madison; nominal fee $50-$60; formal piece will be sent by Geoff; certification course will follow on June 22
· Development of Speakers’ List – Marie Martin
No developments at this time; Chris Vandall will take the lead; compliments centralized repository mentioned above.
· Consultants and other regional resources – Geoff Bradshaw
Some people who have sent resumes and are looking to be involved in international education; appropriate means to disseminate these contacts; could it be part of centralized repository? yes!
AGENDA ITEM: External Partnerships - Educational
DISCUSSION:
· International Education Council – Chris Vandall
Bonnie attended most recent meeting; much review of old issues; little forward movement; good opportunity to network with other systems; next meeting in late spring
· Wisconsin Global Education Conference – Chris Vandall & Geoff Bradshaw
Previously referred to as the Lake Geneva Conference, now seeking new location; Oct 18 – 20, 2007, location tbd, Osthoff, Heidel House & PaperValley are possibilities); 115 attended fall 2006 conference; hope to reduce $195 registration cost; Chris Vandall taking lead in site selection.
· ICISP – Geoff Bradshaw
about 35 community colleges; change in where housed; now located Heartland Community College in Normal, IL; new ½-time position added to existing Heartland ½-time position for consistency; Milwaukee & NTC have faculty participating in Netherlands; no central program; schedules are set; our committee has funded affiliate membership for WTCS colleges for 2 years; 2-week job shadowing programs with Europe; help setting up J visa visiting scholar; $600 individual membership; $2000 for up to 8-member consortium membership; currently 7 WTCS colleges participating in consortium membership; Should this committee continue to fund by splitting cost of consortium membership? FVTC, WCTC, NWTC, MATC-Milw, NTC, GTC, MATC-Madison: yes; WTC, MPTC possible; decision to continue consortium membership for approx $333 each; next mtg Feb 16 at Bloomington; possibly connect with Hessen group to broaden pool of technical fields for matches
· Study Wisconsin – Barb Cannell
attached minutes; new brochure to be used on recruiting trips & dept of commerce offices around the world; Website moving to public domain; revising bylaws; hosting OES advisors; membership is $200 per year
5. External Partnerships – Business
· WITCO –Chris Vandall
no meeting recently; brainstorm means to address need to build partnerships with business community during March meeting
· Trainers’ Database – ?
add to centralized repository
· Liaison with Department of Commerce - ?
plan was to move after WITCO meeting; add to March agenda; Mike Tokheim’s interested in building bridges with business deans and Dept of Commerce; Chris will represent us with Dept of Commerce
AGENDA ITEM: David Hague Scholarship – Barb Cannell, Aleda Bourassa, Bobbi Laine, Chris Vandall
DISCUSSION:
Subcommittee to agree and propose whether this goes forward by next meeting.
AGENDA ITEM: Other Business
DISCUSSION:
· Service Learning in Belize June 2007 – Geoff Bradshaw
Geoff will send more info on Service Learning Belize health care; forward onto health care and environmental staff
· Green Bay April 3 Global Business Conference co-sponsored by area legislators
· World Trade Day, May 15 in SE Wisconsin
· February 2 – 11 seven reps from GTC to Germany to sign agreement
· in March five GTC students & IT instructors to Hessen, Germany
· Bonnie may need to step down as chair-elect and asked that Geoff continue as Chair an additional year; Geoff agreed
· WCTC group of students going to Ecuador
AGENDA ITEM: Next Meeting (Date TBD)
DISCUSSION:
Note change: March 20 or April 16, Foundation Office, Waunakee
· Brainstorm means to address need to build partnerships with business community
· Liaison with Department of Commerce
· Discuss development of recognition program for work done on behalf of the WTCS
· Review Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair positions