Global learning at home and education abroad programming designed for first-year students is extremely important for promoting intercultural competency, language acquisition, and the ability to negotiate complex systems to achieve global solutions. Through highlights of the work of faculty and international educators who create global learning experiences for students beginning postsecondary studies, we can begin to challenge many long-held assumptions about first-year student programming in international education. By reviewing case studies of successful approaches to this programming and its assessment, Promoting Intercultural Agility and Leadership Development at Home and Abroad for First-Year Students is a practical guide for international educators, including faculty and global learning staff, aimed at promoting global learning experiences for first-year students on university campuses. This publication showcases innovative approaches to fostering cultural agility and provides a toolbox for building robust global learning experiences for students, both at home and abroad. Intercultural competency skills can be developed over time, which equip students with experiences that are beneficial for their roles in academics, student development, and future career preparation. With the help of the research within this book, educators can design global learning programs for first-year university students that both build upon the assets students bring from secondary studies and introduce new concepts to students as they transition to university coursework.
Blondin, Jill E.: - Jill E. Blondin, associate vice provost for global initiatives at Virginia Commonwealth University, received her B.A. from Indiana University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Blondin served as the inaugural director of VCU Globe, a global education living-learning program devoted to building cultural agility. Under Dr. Blondin's leadership, VCU Globe received the 2015 NAFSA Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award and the 2018 Andrew Heiskell Award from the Institute of International Education (IIE). Dr. Blondin has served as a Fulbright Specialist to Brazil (2018), as a speaker with the U.S. Department of State Study Abroad Engagement Grant Program and Fulbright Portugal (2019) and as an Expert Speaker on U.S. Study Abroad with the U.S. Embassy Guyana (2022). Dr. Blondin, a 2021-2022 AIEA (Association of International Education Administrators) Presidential Fellow, serves as Chair of AIEA's Member Outreach and Awards Committee. In 2023, Dr. Blondin was named one of the PIE 50 Top Voices in North America, and IIE honored her as the Senior International Officer of the Year. Her areas of expertise include strategic budgeting and internationalization, global learning, and art history.
Stauff, Jon: - Jon Stauff is Assistant Vice President for International Affairs at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD. He provides leadership in all areas of international education on campus, including international student and scholar services, education abroad, English as a Second Language, and international student recruitment. Stauff taught modern European history at St. Ambrose University and transitioned into international education administration full time. Stauff has also worked as the senior international officer at Monmouth University, The College of New Jersey, and Radford University. A past Fulbright Scholar to Germany and the recipient of several research grants from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), he has received support to develop international education programming from IIE, IREX, and the governments of Australia, Israel, and Spain. Stauff has served on the NAFSA EAKC leadership team as well as the NAFSA Region X team, and currently he holds seats on the advisory boards of several international education organizations. Stauff received an A.B. in History from the College of William & Mary and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in History from the University at Buffalo, SUNY.
