SHU Selected for Ace Internationalization Collaborative

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart University has been chosen to join the American Council on Education's (ACE) Internationalization Collaborative, a learning community of colleges and universities that provides a forum for faculty and administrators to share ideas and help each other in furthering their international agendas. "We have set aggressive goals in the area of internationalization, and participation in this collaborative will help us with that," said Laura Niesen de Abruna, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs.

As part of ACE's collaborative, members share information about institutional strategies and outcomes and key issues that need further research and advocacy. The selected institutions work closely with ACE over a 20-month period to advance collective knowledge about the issues surrounding assessment and comprehensive internationalization. Joining Sacred Heart in this collaborative are California State University-Dominguez Hills, Emerson College, Clemson University, Leeward and Windward Hawaii Community Colleges, Lewis University, Orange Coast College, SUNY Geneseo, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Western Washington University.

Participation in the collaborative also includes a site visit from a member of the ACE staff. To that end, Barbara Hill will be on campus on September 27. Hill, former president of Sweetbriar College, will meet with senior administrators and conduct a roundtable discussion with the leadership team and key stakeholders to define key questions and issues, clarify goals and develop a plan to build support for the initiative across the University.

"We are extremely fortunate to have been chosen for the collaborative and are looking forward to having Barbara here and receiving her feedback," said Carrie Wojenski, director, Office of Study Abroad. "This is an exciting initiative and one that will have a broad and lasting impact for Sacred Heart and our students."