Ron+Byrnes+and+Mike+Hillis

Potential Presenter Cover Page

=Ron Byrnes and Mike Hillis=

Location (traveling from): Contact Information: Availability: Cost: Conference Topic Emphasis: The Development of a Masters Program in International/Global Education Background Information:

//Session Title:// The Development of a Masters Program in International/Global Education

//Session Proposal:// As noted in the document, “PLU 2010: The Next Level of Distinction,” the university has committed itself to “internationalizing” the institution –both through study abroad programs and integrating global perspectives into the campus based courses. While this is a direction that we strongly support, we have recognized that there are two groups of students who are not able to benefit from this emphasis to the same degree as their PLU colleagues: students in education and graduate programs. While this is understandable because of the state certification requirements, we also believe that there is a need to provide a program that both supports the university’s mission and can offer a needed service to the educational community. In the fall of 2006, the School of Education held preliminary discussions about the creation of a masters degree in international/global education. Our initial discussions centered on the market for this type of program and whether we had the resources and expertise to deliver it. From a marketing perspective, we had recently been encouraged by the positive response from our undergraduate population about the possibility of a student teaching experience in Namibia. As we discussed the possibility of offering a more extensive program at the graduate level, we made contact with colleagues currently teaching in international schools or who had an interest in global education; this group was also positive about the possibility of a program that would cater to this population. When we then started discussing whether we would have the resources and expertise to deliver such a program, it was quickly apparent that the SOE was well suited to provide an exemplary experience with numerous faculty members having worked and taught overseas and conducting professional scholarship in this area. The intent of this session is to share with the audience the initial proposal of the masters program and to ask for input into what the final program might require. We intend to facilitate an open discussion with conference participants that would help to develop a program that would be a significant contribution both to the university and to field in general.