What it takes to be international

Having lived abroad gave me great empathy for internationals who try to participate in U.S.A.-based organizations or processes. Specifically, technology often precludes international participation because membership forms, registrations, etc. don't allow for the uniqueness of international addresses such as differently configured telephone numbers, zip codes, or types of addresses. Additionally, those in the U.S.A. typically do not schedule the timing of their events or "open" hours beyond the timezones of the U.S.A.

The inconveniences of attempting to engage with U.S.A.-centric organizations was a source of deep frustration for me in a number of instances. However, it was the claim to be international and then obvious ignorance of what this means if you are not in the U.S.A. that was maddening and marginalizing.

An interesting piece about engaging international alumni of U.S.A. colleges and universities mirrored the same thing. An appeal was made for alumni giving yet statements were made that were U.S.A. or state-centric and the web site to take donations disallowed international addresses.

The point here is that, if universities portray themselves as international, everyone in the institution has to commit to making all communications and processes reflect that commitment. This is why comprehensive strategy for higher education is so important. Only through comprehensive planning and execution can institutions prevent mixed messages that ultimately undermine their own goals.