The Husky Experience as a Global Experience
Husky Experience | May 2018
At the University of Washington, it has long been our priority to support our students with international backgrounds, and to offer all students opportunities to gain global perspectives. Now, as our graduates join an increasingly global workforce, it’s more important than ever that we seek new ways to create inclusive international communities on campus, and develop all students’ global competencies.
There are two important and related aspects to ensuring the Husky Experience is a global experience for all students. The first has to do with the tremendous ways in which our diverse international students enrich our campus. International students, and students with international backgrounds, strengthen our UW community —from our classrooms and labs to our residence halls and student organizations. They bring diverse knowledge, perspectives and experiences. Through evolving existing programs, and creating new ones, we are intensifying our efforts to provide international students with a rich student experience — one that connects them to domestic students, and to each other, both in and out of class to build lasting, cross-cultural relationships with opportunities to share and learn.
At the same time, a UW education needs to include learning and experiences that prepare all our students to live and work in global environments. We are committed to creating opportunities for students to connect to the world at large, and we have a strong foundation for this work. Our focus is now to extend new pathways for accessing global learning to all students. This can take many forms. For example, faculty are experimenting with short-term study abroad programs and using technology to create globally connected classrooms to increase access to international experiences. And students are building international connections themselves — on campus, in the local community and elsewhere in the world — developing the skills of collaboration and critical thinking that are key to global engagement.
Interacting, connecting and collaborating across borders is our students’ future — and it’s ours, too. So we make it our priority in the present, ensuring all UW students are supported and encouraged to be active participants in our increasingly globalized world.
Gerald J. Baldasty
Provost and Executive Vice President
Professor of Communication
Features
Select Resources
Supporting global classrooms: Resources for instructors
Strategies for teaching international and multilingual students: a wealth of resources for inclusive teaching from the Center for Teaching and Learning.
The International Teaching Assistant Program helps prepare newly appointed international TAs for their roles as graduate Teaching Assistants at the UW.
UW Bothell COIL Initiative: Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) fosters global competence through developing a multicultural learning environment that links courses in different countries.
UW Tacoma COIL Fellows program provides training and funding for faculty to develop COIL courses.
The Global Innovation Fund provides seed funding for initiatives and programs that enhance the UW’s global engagement and reach, including innovative study abroad programs, developing new and existing programs, research collaborations and faculty exchanges.
Study abroad: Resources for students, faculty and staff
UW Study Abroad for students: comprehensive resources for students to make an informed decision about these opportunities to engage in the diversity of the world.
Study abroad resources for faculty and staff: resources for program directors, administrators, advisers and departmental exchange coordinators.
The Office of Global Affairs offers a Global Opportunity Scholarship for global study, research or internships.
The Office of Global Affairs at UW Tacoma offers study abroad scholarships and resources for students, faculty and staff.
The Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity Study Abroad works with academic partners to offer study abroad programs, including one during spring break.
Global learning and leadership: Opportunities for students
The Office of Global Affairs’ comprehensive list of schools and colleges that offer global opportunities for students — through coursework, service learning, research, internships and study abroad.
Unite UW: An on-campus cultural exchange program that builds bridges between domestic and international students on the UW’s Seattle campus.
Husky Presidential Ambassadors Leadership Institute: A cohort of current UW students and a cohort of incoming first-year international students from China to participate together in a cross-cultural leadership development immersion experience.
International internships: UW Study Abroad works with partners to offer internship opportunities around the world, including IE3 Global Internships, Omprakesh, Aga Khan University Internships and IFE French Internships.
UW Tacoma Global Ambassadors Program: A student partnership program that pairs international and domestic students to interact and share learning and experiences.
UW Tacoma Global Honors Program: An interdisciplinary honors program, open to all majors, designed to increase the depth and breadth of student understanding of critical global issues.
UW Tacoma Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) connects honors students to collaborative innovation and career opportunities through the Community Engagement Program, and extends funded global learning opportunities, including to non-Honors students.
UW Bothell Global Studies Program: Global Studies majors explore the cultural, political and economic systems that bind people across the world.
UW Bothell Intercultural Coordinators offer a variety of events and activities for students to share experience across cultures and social groups, and encourage intercultural communication.
Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS): Student Leadership Programs offer a range of opportunities for students to lead and facilitate FIUTS events and programs.
FIUTS Education Programs: UW international students connect with the community, including giving presentations about their country and culture in K-12 classrooms, after-school programs and senior living centers.
UW support for international students and global connections
International Student Services (ISS): A committed advising staff helps students understand benefits and restrictions of, as well as changes to, F-1 and J-1 visa statuses.
International Student Success Committee (ISSC), including Quarterly Community Forums on International Student Success: open to all who are interested in joining conversations around supporting international students on campus.
Foundation for International Understanding through Students (FIUTS): Programs advance international understanding through cross-cultural experiences and student leadership, connecting international and U.S. students, members of the local community and alumni around the world.
UW Bothell Office of Global Initiatives
UW Bothell Center for International Education
UW Tacoma Office of Global Affairs
UW Seattle Office of Global Affairs
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the UW students, staff and faculty who contributed their stories, and to the UW subject matter experts who lent their advice to this report, including Denzil Suite and Dan Zhu of Student Life; LeAnne Jones Wiles and Natalie McKinnis of First Year Programs; Gayle Christensen, Peter Moran and Lauren Easterling of the Office of Global Affairs; Natalia Dyba and Greg Tuke of UW Bothell; Jeff Cohen of UW Tacoma; Era Schrepfer of FIUTS; Katie Malcolm of the Center for Teaching and Learning; Sandra Silberstein and John Webster of the Department of English; Elloise Kim of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate; Francesca Lo of the Husky Leadership Initiative; and Tomitha Blake of Advancement.
Series Editors
Gerald J. Baldasty, provost and executive vice president
Marisa Nickle, senior director, strategy & academic initiatives, Office of the Provost
Writing, Research and Design
Writing and research: Liz Janssen, graduate student assistant, Office of the Provost
Design: Katie Kirkland, project manager, strategy & academic initiatives, Office of the Provost
Copy editing: Ignacio Lobos, communications manager, UW-IT; Elizabeth Sharpe, assistant communications director, UW-IT
