What is Internationalization?
Internationalization of post-secondary education is described as:
…the process of integrating international, intercultural, and global dimensions and perspectives into the purpose, functions, and delivery of education. It shapes institutional values, influences external relations and partnerships, and impacts upon the entire educational enterprise.
Additionally, internationalization aims to educate students as global citizens, including attributes of openness to and understanding of other worldviews, empathy for people with different backgrounds and experience to oneself, the capacity to value diversity, and respect for Indigenous peoples and knowledge. (CBIE, 2014)
In other words, these efforts at SLC aim to positively impact the entire institution, including all students, staff, and faculty, as well as each of our campus communities.
Why SLC?
In recent years, SLC has experienced considerable growth in the enrolment of international students and first-generation Canadians. In 2019, the College welcomed more than 1,600 international students from over 40 countries. These students not only enrich life at SLC but enhance the social and cultural fabric of our communities – all while having a positive impact on our regional economy.
Strategy Development
To ensure an effective Internationalization Strategy is designed and implemented, the initiative strives to be inclusive, transparent, consultative and solutions focused. An essential step in this process was to establish an understanding of the current perspectives and experiences of our students, faculty, and staff in relation to internationalization. For more information on our findings to date:
In addition, a series of tri-campus social hackathons was held in April 2019 aimed at developing proposals to enhance meaningful community engagement for SLC students, particularly international students. Participants included students, staff, faculty, employers, and other community partners from across the region. For more information:
Next Steps
During the past two years, the International Education department, in conjunction with the development and launch of SLC in Five, has been actively involved in the planning and development of SLC’s first Internationalization Strategy.
The Strategy represents the collective input from this entire process along with supporting research and best practices.