The AIEA report on strategic planning reminds the reader of the importance and logic behind using a deliberate approach to higher education internationalization. I enjoyed getting a quick overview of how strategic planning came about according to the report. It was initially used to guide military actions and then it was incorporated into business which makes total sense. Within the context of higher education a strategic plan works best when it is developed through an inclusive, collective process through which all parties develop a mission and prioritize ways to move the institution towards an attainable future, five or more years down the line (P. 4). The idea of shared governance is key.

In reading the twelve principles of successful strategic planning, I put a few in my piggy bank. Principle 4, establishing a timeline- although not completely surprising, strategic timelines are necessary to the back and forth that generally occurs when deliberating on any topic. Principle 7 discussed looking for cost-neutral change mechanisms – tenure incentives are HUGE! I think that aligning a tenure and promotion system where the underlying success will be measured by international curriculum, is a technique that should be sold at higher education institutions everywhere.

It was interesting to read the global strategic plan for Baruch College. As a Baruch student, although these are public documents, I felt like I was getting a sneak peek into the global studies future of Baruch. It seems as though Baruch’s plan aligns well with the principles that the AIEA report and has many of the same lofty ideals and target as the three case studies listed in the report. It is interesting that Baruch plans to hire a full-time staff member to support the Provost in global strategy. In the wake of unsettling financial strain at all of the CUNY senior colleges and the budget cut that is waning; hiring a full-time staff member seems like just another financial burden.  I would argue that this is a necessary one. Most global studies programs have about one staff member and if lucky a college assistant or work study. In order to fulfill the ambitious goal of increasing and creating global academic programs, you need the manpower to sustain relationships with host countries and other departments at home that are involved in the process like registrar and student services. Guiding a student from oblivion to the inquiry stage, to getting them in the door, to completing an application, to approving all necessary documentations (Passport, Visa, etc.), getting course permissions, processing applications, creating accounts, and managing experiences, is a extremely tall task.

I found this weeks readings to present fresh new topics on internalization in Higher Education. In the article “Strategic Planning for Internationalization in Higher Education” we are provided with a great overview of how strategic planning originated to where it stands today as a standard feature of college and university administrations. Something that I found very relevant to this weeks readings was my employers own Strategic Plan (found here: http://www.pace.edu/strategic-plan) As some of you may know, Pace University is a private institution located in downtown Manhattan. Although it has a reputable business program, many people are not aware of Pace’s presence in the NYC area unlike more prestigious schools such as NYU or Columbia. In order to help Pace move forward in a positive direction, the University outplayed a 5 year plan (2015-2020) which motivates a “Master Plan” revision for the NYC Campus. In addition to changing some of our programs, a huge goal of the new strategic plan is to revitalize the exterior campus so that it is no longer a “hidden gem” of the city. Although Pace does have international efforts, they are not specifically stated in the Strategic Plan, but are rather dealt with on a department level.  I found it very interesting that Pace is located in a great metropolis and that our current mission and vision for the future does not explicitly state an attention to international affairs.

I loved that we were able to take a look at another very relevant strategic plan from Baruch too! In their 2014-2019 Global Strategic Plan, they outline many interesting points. To begin, Baruch boasts their already firm foundation in the international world, with students hailing from over 160 different countries. It was interesting to me that Pace did not acknowledge the diversity of our students, or make this point as visible as Baruch does. Baruch states that they are committed to growing a global effort through their strategic priorities such as enhancing new opportunities, acknlowding their own strengths and enhancing new efforts, increasing international recruitment and increasing study abroad among others.

When looking at both strategic plans, I found myself questioning why Baruch has a greater presence of an international effort while Pace does not  One of these answers could be that Pace is private while Baruch is public  Furthermore, Pace’s international efforts are done on a department level  For instance, we are setting up a 2-2 exchange program in the Accounting Department with a University in China. While these efforts do receive internal and external announcements, they are not prominent enough to be included into our overall University strategic plan. I look forward to learning a bit more about other Univeristies plans to compare and contrast institutional goals and motivations.

Reflecting back on this week’s reading material, it was quite insightful and refreshing. The first two semesters of this program I took public and Non-profit management and Leadership in Higher Education. Both of these courses touched on the practice of developing S. M. A. R. T. goals. Which means goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. As a class, we had to set our own individualized goals and illustrate similar goals for a particular business for one of our exams. I thought it was reinforcing to see that S. M. A. R. T. goals was mentioned in the reading pertaining to internationalization strategic planning at institutions. It was quite informative to learn that strategic plans were created in the military, but not necessarily surprising. After reviewing the strategic plan for Baruch College, Rutgers University, The University of Kentucky, and Beloit College, I realize they are not successfully following the action plan of S. M. A. R. T. Although they have a 5 year time frame in which to complete their goals, I feel as though the details are broad and not specific enough. The Strategic Planning for Internationalization in Higher Education article noted the importance of establishing a tight deadline. For example, one of the priorities in Baruch’s global strategic plan is to increase study abroad. Yet, there isn’t a detailed outline explaining how the college anticipates achieving this goal. Although there are bullet points addressing the areas of focus, the plan doesn’t delve into the logistics of the action plan.
In one of the articles, it was stated that higher education institutions typically develop a strategic planning over a 5-7 year span but businesses tend to create new strategic plans either every year or every two years to stay competitive and adaptable to changes in society. I understand that higher education tends to refrain from taking on a business model in certain aspects, but I think this is the major reason why post-secondary education as a whole is not as current as other organizations. Internationalization strategic plans should be updated or re-structured every year or two. I respect Rutgers University for making an effort to revisit their model on a yearly basis to make sure it’s still relevant to their mission and is adapting to outside sources. Maybe all institutions should incorporate that into their strategic planning as well.
Assuming that the principles are listed in order of importance in the Strategic Planning for Internationalization in Higher Education article, principle 6: Focus on the curriculum and student learning should be the first principle. The reading by Jiang and Carpenter explained internationalization has to be integrated into faculty workloads. Before implementing new programs and curriculums that may affect a faculty members personal and holiday days, including them in the beginning stages of the process is essential. I understand faculty may be reluctant to change, but if they were treated as an asset instead of a tool in planning, they would greatly improve international applications and increase students applying to international programs.