The Mission, Scope, Role, and Vision
Mission: To promote international experiences and global understanding through visits, exchanges, study, instruction, and service. This mission is accomplished through many efforts, including the following:
Scope:
- Encouraging a campus environment open to international education through a full range of activities including innovative public education programs that explore world issues and present world cultures.
- Developing, operating, and maintaining a cost-effective international education program with a central source of information about opportunities for study and teaching abroad and other related educational activities for students and faculty
- Promoting diversity, cultural understanding and partnerships through cross-national faculty and student experiences and by internationalizing curriculum and providing study abroad opportunities within the college
- Collaborating with other educational institutions and agencies, including TNCIS, to promote the widest possible range of international learning experiences for students, faculty, and administrators
- Extending the college’s civic engagement and public service partnerships to international organizations--both local and international
- Hosting students and faculty from abroad and encouraging their success by offering programs that meet the criteria and includes opportunities for a successful international exchange experience
- Developing formal agreements between Southwest and other institutions of higher learning throughout the global community
- Recruiting and supporting under-represented cultural populations within the community
- Recruiting international students and assisting with their cultural adjustment and visa and SEVIS concerns
- Promoting and supporting international student clubs and organizations
- Developing further English as a second language program
Vision: The college promotes the exchange of people and ideas and encourages understanding and appreciation for all peoples and cultures of global communities. Southwest Tennessee Community College’s International Education programs will thus be an exemplary model for two-year colleges and others in both Tennessee and across the nation.
Role of the Committee on International Education (CIE): The creation and support of educational opportunities for Southwest students to study abroad; cooperation with the Office of Admissions for the purpose of recruitment and the provision of services to international students; encouragement and facilitation of faculty exchanges and faculty work/travel abroad for the development of educational and cultural awareness and research opportunities; internationalization of the curriculum.
