PHOTO: Rwanda-lead
LEGEND: With funding from the Global Experiences Office last year, the College of Business launched GMT 398: Global Startup Communities, which introduced students to Rwandan culture and culminated in a community concert with ONE student band, Live Lyve Band. © College of Business
Following the success of its Global Experience courses launched in summer 2021, the Global Experiences Office (formerly Education Abroad) is extending the Global Experiential Learning Fund to all faculty and staff on campus to develop themed courses or programs international.
The Reimagined Global Experiential Learning Fund will be awarded to faculty and staff who offer a course or program that includes meaningful virtual or in-person learning opportunities around global engagement. The aim is to increase the number of impactful global experiences that students have in various disciplines and to integrate these opportunities into the department’s regular offerings.
“Thanks to virtual technology and increased academic support, students no longer need to go abroad for a global learning experience,” said Cody Hollist, acting director of Global Experiences and professor. Associate in Childhood, Youth and Family Studies. “This fund is one of the key initiatives outlined in the Forward Together global strategy that will enable more students, faculty and staff to participate in meaningful global engagement right here at Lincoln.”
Scholarship recipients can now receive funding to support their coursework for three academic years. The first year, with funding up to $8,000, will allow faculty and staff to develop a new course or program, or enhance an existing one. The second and third years, with a maximum funding of $3,000, will support the continued dissemination of the enhanced content globally so that it can become part of the department’s regular teaching portfolio.
“In our N2025 strategically, we prioritized learning from experience and committed to expanding global engagement. This initiative encourages our faculty and staff across campus to contribute their best ideas so that we can deliver on this commitment to students,” said Katherine Ankerson, Executive Vice Chancellor.
A central principle of the Global Experiential Learning Fund is the transformative power of experiential learning. Basing the fund on practical experiences aligns these courses and programs closely with the N2025 Strategic plan. Priority will also be given to faculty and staff who leverage their globally engaged research to find solutions to Nebraska’s identified grand challenges and support them in bringing that expertise to students.
“Our faculty researches Grand Challenges around the world, and this work directly shapes the student experience in the classroom or lab,” said Bob Wilhelm, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development. “I’m excited to see the ideas emerging from this effort to directly connect the Grand Challenges and global experiential learning initiatives.”
In 2021, the funding supported a variety of Global Experience courses at multiple colleges. At the College of Business, students had the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and compare it to the startup community in Rwanda, as well as partner with Brazilian students to develop a business plan for second-hand clothing company We Loop Brazil. Other courses explored international case studies on conflict resolution, community gardening and engagement with the local Yazidi population, and creative uses of technology and environmental design in rural and urban spaces.
In addition to extending the duration of financial support, the revised fund also includes a streamlined application process based on faculty feedback.
“This simplification will help faculty and staff have more time to explore how to integrate these courses and programs into their units’ sustainable global engagement. We also hope that by prioritizing Grand Challenges, we can intentionally support faculty efforts to bring their research into the classroom,” Hollist said.
Faculty and staff interested in applying to the Global Experiential Learning Fund should prepare a short statement of interest and budget detailing how the funds will be used for each of the three years to be submitted on NuRamp. Funds will be distributed directly to the beneficiary unit. Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate a connection to the Nebraska Grand Challenges and establish or strengthen global partnerships.
Proposals for the 2022-2023 academic year are due April 15. Additional details are available on the Global Experiences website. For questions, interested faculty and staff should contact Cody Hollist at [email protected].
