Internationalization

Background

In August 2018, UC Santa Cruz joined the 16th cohort of the American Council on Education (ACE) Internationalization Laboratory (ACE Lab) to participate in a two-year mentored process to create a plan for campus-wide comprehensive internationalization.

ACE defines comprehensive internationalization as “a strategic, coordinated process that seeks to align and integrate policies, programs, and initiatives to position universities as more globally oriented and internationally connected institutions.” UC Santa Cruz’s participation in the ACE Lab built upon years of previous work done by Academic Senate committees including the Committee on International Education and the Senate Executive Committee as well as the Division of Undergraduate Education to address an array of initiatives to promote a more comprehensive view of internationalization.

Process 

An ACE Lab Steering Committee was appointed that was composed of cross-discipline faculty members from all academic divisions and staff members from Global Engagement and Planning and Budget.

The ACE Lab Steering Committee was charged to:

• Serve as the leadership team for UC Santa Cruz’s participation in the ACE Internationalization Laboratory

• Carry out a comprehensive review of the current state of internationalization activities at UC Santa Cruz

• Facilitate, encourage, and frame a conversation on internationalization within the broader campus community

• Designate priorities for internationalization on campus and propose a realistic plan for advancement and implementation

After extensive data collection, research, and collaborative study, the Steering Committee recommended a draft strategic plan for adoption by the campus community at UC Santa Cruz.

The Strategic Plan for Internationalization (draft) is currently under review by the Chancellor and CP/EVC.