Dr. Andrew Law

Dr. Stephen Ferst

Breakfast (Room 214/215)

Breakfast 

Dr. Andrew Law is the Academic Dean of The College of Global Studies. He holds an AB in American Studies from Georgetown University and a Ph.D in American Studies from the University of Minnesota.

 With over 30 years of administrative experience in higher education, he is a leading figure in the international education community. He previously held leadership roles in education abroad at the University of Minnesota, Macalester College, Lawrence University, and Denison University, and governance roles with NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Forum on Education Abroad, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, the Great Lakes Colleges Association, IES, SIT Study Abroad, and the Higher Education Association for Urban Affairs.

Drawing on this extensive experience, Dr. Law leads the efforts of The College to develop education abroad opportunities that serve a diverse group of students through providing opportunities to amplify and extend their undergraduate and graduate educational programs, offering global learning opportunities that stimulate and challenge their world views, broaden their notions of where they may work and contribute, and provide a context where learners can assume greater responsibility for their lives and choices.

His current intellectual interests focus on the construction of explicit linkages between the educational purposes of experiential learning in education abroad contexts and the pedagogical and formational imperatives of a liberal education.  He has published and presented widely on these topics, and is considered a thought-leader in higher education regarding the intersection of experiential, international, and liberal education.

Dr. Law is also a proud parent of two engaging and intellectually curious teenagers, a task that he is deeply thankful to share with his wife of 31 years.  The blessing of these three relationships reminds him on a daily basis that an educator’s purpose is to pay forward on the creation of a more just and equitable world.

The Limits of Cultural Competence: Tackling the Will Rogers Conundrum

Presenters will share their experience serving as facilitators for a virtual exchange program between students from Rockland Community College and a university in Iraq. Throughout the six-week sustainability challenge, students developed workforce skills with an opportunity to earn badges and compete in a virtual business expo.

Gaining Global Competencies through Global Challenges

Institutions need to re-address their antiquated faculty & staff intercultural developmental strategies; Just basic exposure to cultural programs & students of different backgrounds is not good enough. Institutions must engage their assets. 

Inter-culture "Policy or Behaviour" 

Session 1

Local is Global – Study Abroad without Going Abroad - is the student reaction to service-learning with multi-ethnic community members. Through service learning and embedded mini-ethnography assignments students develop an awareness of the global community that surrounds them.

Learning Objectives:
Assess global multicultural opportunities in your community 
Develop mini-ethnography assignments for specific locations
Interpret student experiences into applied global understanding


Local is Global – Study Abroad without Going Abroad

Mindful travel engages students and faculty in experiential learning abroad using reflection tools as a strategy for self-discovery and developing cultural competencies. Mentorships and global partnerships develop organically through intercultural experiences. 

Learning from each other: Mindful Travel Experiences

Session 2

Lunch (Room 214/215)

Lunch

Dr. Stephen Ferst is the Executive Director of the Center for Global Engagement at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York where he is responsible for leading the College’s strategic internationalization efforts. He began his career in international education as a student worker in a study abroad office – purely by chance.  As an undergraduate student he subsequently spent a semester abroad in Israel. Upon graduating from Rutgers University he was offered a position recruiting for the Study Abroad Office and continued working there for nearly 20 years as an advisor, program manager, overseas resident director, and Director of the office. Over the course of 30 years in the field, Dr. Ferst has created dozens of study abroad programs, international partnerships, and research collaborations that span the globe.  He has led student programs abroad in England, Scotland, and Ireland and university delegations to Bolivia, China, England, France, Vietnam, and other corners of the world. In addition to his extensive traveling and programming experience, he has authored books and articles on nontraditional study abroad programming, welcoming U.S. students overseas, studying abroad with disabilities, legal issues in education abroad, and creating international partnerships.

In 2004 he was awarded the Lily von Klemperer Award given annually to recognize people who have mentored other education abroad professionals in the field and who maintain the highest standards of professional ethics while sharing their skills, knowledge, and expertise with colleagues.  He is also a tireless advocate for international education and in 2008 was awarded the NAFSA Advocate of the Year presented to recognize an international education advocate who has excelled in grassroots advocacy and who inspires others to make a difference by engaging their elected officials in discussions and promoting policies that support international education and exchange. 

Dr. Ferst is regularly leading workshops and lecturing on topics of importance to international educators both nationally and internationally.  He is a leading voice in public policy for international education, globalized curricula, and the role of internationalization on US campuses. He has served as chair the Board of Directors of the College Consortium for International Studies and as the institutional representative to the Forum on Education Abroad, the Hispanic Colleges and Universities Association, the Institute for International Education, the Council on International Educational Exchange, the Association of American Colleges and Universities. From 2006 through 2019 he has served in various roles in NAFSA leadership including Chair of the NAFSA annual conference, Vice President for Public Policy and Practice, and at-large member of the NAFSA Board of Directors.

Moving at Human Speeds: Teaching Global Perspectives in Search of Peace, Justice, and Social Responsibility

This presentation will discuss examples of computer-mediated-activities, socio-cultural events, and study abroad experiences that act as extensive educational resources.  Interculturally competent students are capable of analyzing and responding appropriately to culturally significant values and perceptions.  Together, we will try to form a better understanding of the opportunities/tools that assist in developing intercultural learning or competence, and global citizenship. 

Intercultural Competence in Theory and in Practice

Session 3

This presentation will discuss examples of computer-mediated-activities, socio-cultural events, and study abroad experiences that act as extensive educational resources. Interculturally competent students are capable of analyzing and responding appropriately to culturally significant values and perceptions. Together, we will try to form a better understanding of the opportunities/tools that assist in developing intercultural learning or competence, and global citizenship.

A Ground-Level View: Challenges and Strategies for Teaching Global Literature at a Community College

This session will share how Delaware Valley University harnesses students' passions in animals, the environment, politics, or their chosen career field to build interest in hands-on, experiential study abroad offerings that build intercultural competency.

From Elephants to Culture: Using Students’ Passions and Experiential Learning to Inspire Global Opportunities

Studying the relationship between lack of media coverage and public opinion regarding genocide by surveying knowledge of the Rwandan, Rohingya, and Xinjiang genocides and analyzing its correlation with opinions on the US’ responsibility internationally, specifically in response to genocides abroad

Poster Session One: Re-examining the CNN effect: how does knowledge and media coverage of genocide influence public opinion on US interference abroad?

Poster Session Two: Strategies that CRCC Asia and our partnering universities have used to increase program development and participation in education abroad experiences.

3rd Annual Global Opportunities (GO!) Conference

What are colleges doing to intentionally 
expose students to global perspectives?

Student Exposure

What are the colleges doing to ensure faculty 
and staff are equipped to develop the 
intercultural competence of students?

3rd Annual Global Opportunities (GO!) Conference

Friday, April 3rd, 2020

8:00 am - 2:30 pm

Hosted at Mercer County Community College

Featured Speakers

Dr. Andrew Law

Academic Dean of The College of Global Studies

Dr. Stephen Ferst

Executive Director of the Center for Global Engagement at the College of Staten Island