The state of internationalization

The American Council on Education has published the latest of their assessments of internationalization in U.S. institutions. The report concludes that the focus on internationalization has accelerated at 72% of campuses, with "improving student preparedness for a global era," "diversifying students, faculty, and staff at the home campus," and "becoming more attractive to prospective students at home and overseas" as the first three and revenue generation rounding out the top four drivers of enhanced internationalization. The most often cited activities reported as part of institutional internationalization efforts were increasing the number of domestic students studying abroad and recruiting more international students. The full report can be downloaded.

The ACE assessment demonstrates the growing importance of internationalization on university campuses but noted that the overall data reflect an outward rather than inward focus on institutions and campus culture. The underlying belief is that, in order for internationalization to deeply impact students' learning, institutions should focus more on curriculum and the overall collegiate experience.