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Role statement

The International Education Council serves in an advisory capacity to initiate, review, and recommend policies dealing with the international aspects of the University’s mission and goals. The council serves to advocate the continued internationalization of the University and to maintain review of the University’s various administrative arrangements, policies and procedures for the conduct of international programs and activities.

The council’s oversight includes internationalization activities on campus including, but not limited to, internationalization of the curriculum and enrichment of the international development and experience of faculty, staff and Â鶹´«Ã½s, as well as the University’s presence in other countries and territories.

Charges 2024-25

In addition to its specific responsibilities listed in the International Education Council’s role statement and the work of its standing committees if such exist, the Faculty Senate Executive Board charges the IEC to consider, as a committee of the whole or through the appropriate committee or task force, the following:

1. Increase contact and collaborations with college-level international committees.
2. Promote greater internationalization by a) developing and recommending mechanisms to encourage faculty to develop and/or participate in bringing global perspectives to teaching, scholarship, and research; b) communicating with the provost’s office and the Office of Research and Innovation.
3. Develop and recommend best practices for ensuring that international Â鶹´«Ã½s at WMU are made to feel welcome and directly connected with U.S. based Â鶹´«Ã½s in real and meaningful ways. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
4. Collaborate with the Graduate Studies Council and the Undergraduate Studies Council to provide recommendations on how to best support faculty in the area of global learning (e.g., global classrooms, virtual study abroad, and internationalized curriculum). Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
5. Review WMU’s Global Student Learning Outcomes (/global/learningoutcomes) and revise if necessary. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
6. Develop a common set of study abroad specific Â鶹´«Ã½ learning outcomes or objectives that could be recommended to WMU’s colleges for inclusion in study abroad courses. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
7. Encourage utilization of external campus resources and innovative programs (i.e., Institute of International Education, Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program, Scholar Rescue Fund), and reciprocal faculty exchanges with international partners to increase internationalization on WMU’s campus.
8. Review the scope and description of the council’s role statement and assess the effectiveness of the council’s practices. 
9. At the annual April IEC meeting, the council members must review the draft year-end report, to be submitted to the Faculty Senate office, by the council chair no later than June 30.
10. Address any continuing or outstanding issues or initiatives as directed by the Faculty Senate Executive Board, members of the council, faculty, and/or academic administrators. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.

Approved by the Faculty Senate Executive Board on Aug. 23, 2024

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NOTE: The IEC will seek information from the Haenicke Institute for Global Education (HIGE) to maintain communications with that office on issues directly related to it. Council recommendations are to be submitted to the Executive Board in the form of a memorandum of action (MOA) on which the recommendation(s) is/are stated. Any draft MOAs requested by the Executive Board should be submitted using the MOA template.

The IEC chairperson shall provide a written report of the council’s accomplishments and progress for the year; list the above charges noting each item’s progress and current status; any other activities undertaken; and draft charges for the 2025-26 academic year, no later than June 30, 2025.