Executive Summary
The Global Programs and Strategy (GPS) Alliance advances comprehensive internationalization across all colleges/schools and campuses through the three pillars of the University — teaching, research, and service. It supports faculty in their scholarly engagements with colleagues and universities around the world, advocates for a curriculum that centers global learning as a means to prepare globally competent graduates, facilitates student mobility (both inbound and outbound), and serves the community through the encouragement of global-local partnerships.
Vice Provost Charles is in his first year at the University, having come most recently from the University at Albany, SUNY. He has served as a chief international officer at multiple universities around the U.S. in a career that spans more than 30 years.
Headcounts: Fall 2023
Unit-Specific Measures & Data
- Student mobility:
- Learning abroad participation
- International student enrollment
- International higher education rankings, including THE Impact Rankings (SDGs)
- Courses internationalized through faculty development initiatives
Organizational Structure/Design
The GPS Alliance accomplishes its mission through the work of the following units, which report to the vice provost’s office:
- Business Operations (Finance, HR, IT)
- Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition
- China Center (and China Office in Beijing)
- Communications
- Curriculum Internationalization
- Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change
- International Health, Safety and Compliance
- International Student and Scholar Services
- Learning Abroad Center
- Passport Office
Key Areas of Strength & Strategic Opportunities
Strength: Recognized leader in comprehensive internationalization
The University has been a pioneer in internationalization in the U.S. for more than 50 years and has modeled best practices in the field. In addition to the traditional role of an international office (i.e., student mobility, international partnership development), the GPS Alliance is a leader on emerging issues such as curriculum and career integration of study abroad, integrating international and domestic students, and faculty development in the areas of leading study abroad and internationalizing the classroom. The University was one of the first institutions to create positions to lead curriculum internationalization; international health, safety, and compliance; and education abroad mental health.
Strategic Opportunity: Prepare globally competent graduates for the demands of a globalized world
The challenges that confront humanity are global in nature and require global collaboration to find solutions. It is critical that we are intentional about facilitating academic experiences both within and outside the classroom that will cultivate a cosmopolitan sensibility among our students and engage them in global learning experiences.
Strategic Opportunity: Pursue a strategic planning process that helps to center internationalization as a priority across the system
With the imminent expiration of the MPact 2025 strategic plan, and new leadership in most colleges on the Twin Cities campus, the timing is ideal to embark on a strategic planning process to guide our internationalization work and shape our vision for the next few years.