Teaching

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Global-ready graduates must be equipped to work with diverse individuals, organizations, markets, and governments. The University of Minnesota empowers students for global success through efforts both inside and outside the classroom, on campus and abroad.

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Support for Internationalized Teaching

There are many resources, initiatives, and departments across the University of Minnesota system that support teaching and promote the University’s mission to graduate global-ready students.

Internationalizing the Curriculum and Campus (GPS Alliance) 

The mission of Internationalizing the Curriculum and Campus is to provide all students with global learning experiences. The Internationalizing the Curriculum and Campus initiative within the GPS Alliance serves as a hub for the rich internationalization efforts of faculty, staff, and students across all five University of Minnesota campuses. The University of Minnesota brings together students who have different beliefs, cultures, languages, and values, and simply putting them in the same classroom does not ensure they learn about each other’s cultures. Initiatives to internationalize the curriculum and campus include opportunities for faculty and instructors to support meaningful engagement between U.S. and International students and expand intercultural learning in the classroom. The work to Internationalize the Curriculum and Campus is accomplished through robust partnerships across the University of Minnesota system.

Center for Educational Innovation

The mission of the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) is to strengthen instructional and academic technology collaboration and support across the University by providing expertise to support curricular and pedagogical innovation in campus classrooms and in online courses and programs. The Center for Educational Innovation includes the International Teaching Assistant (ITA) program, which offers training and support to nonnative English speakers who teach courses and undertake other instructional responsibilities at the University of Minnesota. including training and support for non-native English speakers.

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a pedagogical framework for promoting virtual, international learning opportunities for students. Through COIL, instructors utilize technology to integrate international learning into existing classes, impacting what and how students learn about the world in their courses. COIL is an emerging, innovative practice to internationalize the curriculum and advance the University of Minnesota's international strategy.

Minnesota English Language Program (MELP) 

The Minnesota English Language Program (MELP) maintains this website that provides faculty, instructors, and staff at the University of Minnesota with strategies to serve multilingual learners more effectively—in the classroom, in advising sessions, and through other exchanges.

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) 

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) provides a number of cultural, social, and leadership programs to support students, including programs that connect international and U.S. students. The Culture Corps program offers classroom faculty support through cultural consultants in the classroom. ISSS has joined with other departments on campus to do in-depth data-collection and research on the international student experience.

International Student Academic Integration (ISAI) 

International Student Academic Integration (ISAI) offers customized professional development for undergraduate faculty who have international students and would like help in promoting their integration in the classroom. This initiative supports faculty in establishing inclusive learning environments and identifying and designing quality opportunities for our globally diverse students to work and learn together.

Internationalizing Teaching and Learning (ITL)

Internationalizing Teaching and Learning (ITL) is an intentional approach to maximizing students’ international, global, and/or intercultural learning. The purpose of internationalizing teaching and learning is to provide strategies for faculty and staff to introduce all students across the University of Minnesota system to ways of considering their discipline of study through international, global, and international lenses, regardless of whether students study abroad or participate in other types of intercultural interactions during their time on campus. 

Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)

The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) promotes the University’s mission to graduate global-ready students by improving language teaching and learning. CARLA offers language instructors a wealth of research-based tools and professional development opportunities so they, in turn, can help their students reach higher levels of language proficiency and intercultural competence.

Learning Abroad Resources and Engagement Opportunities

Education Abroad Offices

Teach Abroad

The Learning Abroad Center can help can help faculty and staff develop unique learning abroad opportunities. (Faculty and staff outside of the Twin Cities campus should check with their education abroad office for opportunities and assistance.)

There are multiple types and models of programs options for teaching programs abroad. Below are some of the options available to lead programs through the LAC or through your home department or review the Program Model Comparison Chart.

The Learning Abroad Center does a call for proposals each year for LAC Seminar programs, opening in early November of each year with a submission deadline of February 1.

Please review the Learning Abroad Center's Teach Abroad web pages and resources for additional information. Additionally, find information and resources for program development, leader training, health & safety, and more on the Leader Resources page and the Leader Canvas Portal

Other Opportunities

The Learning Abroad Center has many other opportunities for faculty and staff to engage with learning abroad, including training, classroom visits, committee participation, newsletters, and more. (Faculty and staff outside of the Twin Cities campus should check with their education abroad office for opportunities and assistance.)

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The systemwide initiative UMN Sustainable Development Goals Initiative seeks to support and promote transdisciplinary research, teaching, and partnerships to advance sustainable development in Minnesota, the U.S., and the globe through grants, information, and opportunities linked to SDG targets and indicators. The GPS Alliance is partnering with the Office for Public Engagement and other University centers, institutes, and research groups in supporting this initiative.