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Global Citizenship – What Are We Talking About and Why Does It Matter?
By Madeleine F. Green
During the past decade higher education’s interest in internationalization has intensified, and the concept of civic education or engagement has broadened from a national focus to a more global one, thus expanding the concept that civic responsibility extends beyond national borders.
As Schattle (2009) points out, the concept of global citizenship is not a new one; it can be traced back to ancient Greece. But the concept and the term seem to have new currency and are now widely used in higher education. Many institutions cite global citizenship in their mission statements and/or as an outcome of liberal education and internationalization efforts. Many have “centers for global citizenship” or programs with this label.
Additionally, national and international organizations and networks have devoted themselves to helping institutions promote global citizenship, although they do not necessarily use that term. For example, the Association of American Colleges and Universities sponsors a series of programs concerned with civic learning, a broad concept that includes several goals for undergraduate education: strengthening U.S. democracy, preparing globally responsible citizenry, developing personal and social responsibility, and promoting global learning and diversity. The Salzburg Seminar’s International Study Program provides week-long workshops for faculty to consider the concepts of global citizenship and their integration into undergraduate education. It also provides college students with programs on global issues. The Talloires Network is an international alliance formed in 2005 that includes 202 institutions in 58 countries “devoted to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education.” The Talloires declaration refers specifically to “preparing students to contribute positively to local, national, and global communities.” Founded in 1985, the oldest of these networks, Campus Compact, retains its predominant, but not exclusive, focus on the United States.
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The (Aging) College President
By Doug Lederman
The American college president’s office overwhelmingly remains a haven for white men — but increasingly, those white men are over 60, too, a study released today by the American Council on Education shows.
“The American College President,” an every-few-years profile of demographic and other characteristics of campus chief executives, in some ways shows very little change from its last iteration, in 2006. The average age in 2011 had crept up to 60.7 years from 59.9 years, men filled 73.6 percent of jobs compared to 77 percent, and minority presidents had actually lost a bit of ground, to 12.6 percent of campus CEOs from 13.6 percent in 2006 (even counting historically black colleges).
Focus on Adult Learning . . . Innovation through Inquiry 