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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Global Advising: Advising Students for a Globalized World Matthew Church, University of Louisville The world is flat and soccer explains it. During the early years of the twenty-first century, the phenomenon of globalization is changing aspects of the world previously taken for granted. Globalization101.org (n.d.), a project of the Levin Institute, defined globalization as follows: Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. (¶ 1)Though this is just one of the many possible definitions, the aforementioned meaning captures the essence of globalization as a collaboration and integration among different people, countries, companies, and entities. The world is displaying a heightened interconnectedness that will influence future political, economic, and business endeavors. Gone are the days when one country dominated the world economy and where countries were based in particular geographic locales. Board meetings may now be conducted via teleconference across time zones and continents. Globalization has definitely changed how the world works, but should it also change how advising works? While there is no need to adjust all curricula to exist in a globalized world, certain aspects of advising can be altered to prepare students for what awaits. The following article presents the role of advising for a globalized economy and world and offers several suggestions. Globalization Globalization is a dynamic force in the world and the subject of numerous commentaries. No work has done more to highlight the expansion of globalization and provide examples of its effects than Thomas Friedman's (2005) The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. Within this work, Friedman looks at such varied topics as the origin of the flat world and the relationships among the flat world and the United States, developing countries, geopolitics, and business (Friedman, 2005). Friedman describes globalization as “globalization 3.0” and notes that the trend will no longer be driven solely by Western countries and that individuals from all corners of the world are being empowered and are emerging as players on the world stage (Friedman, 2005). The crux of this depiction is an increased competition for resources and a more interconnected world. As Friedman suggests, everything is up for grabs and there is a need to prepare students for the competition. Similar to Friedman's work, Foer (2004) presented an additional view of globalization through his masterful How Soccer Explains the World. Within the work, Foer presents an evaluation of the current state of globalization through the lens of soccer. Addressing topics such as religious sectionalism, nationalism, oligarchy, culture classes, and the mafia, Foer looks at the effects of globalization on traditional issues. He notes that globalization did little to eradicate traditional hatreds and rivalries, but instead exacerbated them. The second effect demonstrates globalization's allowance for the rise of new economic powers, and the final effect is that of globalization on nationalism. Foer believed globalization would have eliminated nationalism and traditional rivalries as individuals viewed themselves as global citizens. While each work has its merits, the one definitive is that globalization is here and shows no signs of abating. Academic Advising and Globalization Globalization pervades numerous aspects of the world and the future careers of students. While there is no need to panic and undertake wholesale revision of all curricula, advisers are in unique positions to help prepare students for the changing world through recommended curricula, extracurricular activities, and international experience. Issues and goals for students are similar, but the means and scope are different. Among the issues included under the blanket term of globalization are foreign investment, transportation, the world economy, the environment, world health, technology, international relations, national security, and conflict resolution, not to mention the effect of globalization on culture. None of these issues needs to be scary or ominous but instead may need to be approached from a different perspective. With these changing world events and statuses, there is great opportunity for advisers to help students prepare, at least in part, for the changing times. The following will showcase ways advisers can help students prepare for the globalized world through the three aforementioned areas: curricula, extracurricular activities, and international experience. Globalized Curriculum Curricular choices form the foundation of any academic preparation for a globalized world. Gone are the days when foreign languages were not used after graduation and courses on international politics and culture were mere electives. Instead there is a heightened need for students to undertake serious academic study of numerous areas. There are several courses that can form the basis for a globalized curriculum, depending on the institutional offerings. The first course is a foreign language sequence that carries the student beyond the intermediate level and into reading- and conversation-focused courses. Any language works for this component, though the language selection can be geared toward students' interests. If a student is interested in international affairs or working with the United Nations, the student should consider taking French. Students interested in pursuing a career focused on the Western Hemisphere would be best advised to take both Spanish and Portuguese. If a student is focused on international business, cases can be made for taking Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, or Arabic. No matter what language is selected, students benefit immensely in learning another language. Not only does the study of foreign languages aid in conversation, but it also stimulates the mind and provides the tools for pursuing future language study. The second component of a globalized curriculum is a course on globalization. Many institutions teach courses on globalization, and these oftentimes are found in departments such as geography, international studies, or political science. The benefit of taking such a course is obvious, but enrollment in the course allows students to give early thought to the nature of globalization. Closely tied to the second component is the third component of international relations course work. At minimum, students need to take a survey course on international relations. While the world is more closely knit with the interrelation inherent in globalization, there are still issues of diplomacy. Knowledge of how countries interact with one another and awareness of the role of non-governmental organizations such as the World Bank and United Nations are invaluable. A fourth component involves the economy and requires the completion of a course on macroeconomics and, if possible, courses on business practices in other countries. The completion of these courses will increase understanding of the contemporary world and also an understanding of the norms of countries. The fifth component is a survey course on world religions. The role of religion in the world is vital, and understanding the broad cross section of religious thought is of immense benefit in understanding the world around us. The sixth component is a course focused on either general culture or the history or politics of a region. Courses such as cultural anthropology provide a foundation for students to understand the nature and scope of culture, while regional studies courses provide students the opportunity to undertake an in-depth study of one area. There is no definitive curriculum for global understanding, and much depends on the students' majors and institutional course offerings. Nonetheless, the preceding presented a proposed curriculum for preparing for the globalized world: Global CurriculumGlobalized Activities While the aforementioned courses offer great benefit in preparing students for a globalized world, other avenues of preparation exist. The second area of preparation is composed of extracurricular activities with a globalized focus. Within this heading, there are numerous iterations of globalized activities. The activities are divided into three portions: linguistic/cultural appreciation, political awareness, and participatory awareness and appreciation. The first group is the most traditional and consists of activities focused upon cultural and linguistic appreciation. Numerous extracurricular groups are included under this heading and consist of organizations such as French, anime, and Latin clubs; student organizations focused upon a nationality, such as Iranian student associations; and organizations based out of campus offices. The common link is the focus on the appreciation and furthering of a student's interest, knowledge, and proficiency in an area. The inclusion of these groups in the first category is not a diminution of their importance. Through participation in these organizations, students find a cohort of similarly interested colleagues and the opportunity to pursue knowledge of other cultures outside the classroom. The second group consists of organizations that increase political awareness and participation. Included under this heading are organizations such as Amnesty International, Students for Social Justice, Greenpeace, American Red Cross, and Oxfam International, to name a few. The organizations exist in the same medium as the first category, but transcend borders. The work of these groups promotes various causes and beliefs and allows participants to involve themselves in a global campaign. These organizations want more than an end to poverty in North America; they want an end to poverty throughout the world. The main benefit and functionality of these groups, aside from gaining a sense of global equity and justice, is the promulgation of the view of global citizenry. Through their actions and meetings, students work on behalf of world society and view themselves as citizens of the world. The self-description and categorization are of immense benefit in a globalized world where national boundaries are becoming skewed through commerce and technology. The final category includes activities that promote participatory awareness and appreciation. Examples of these activities are the battery of model/mock organizations. Organizations/activities such as National Model United Nations, National Model African Union, and Model League of Arab States promote a different level of global awareness. These activities allow students to role play and undertake the views of individuals with different backgrounds. For instance, students who are very entrenched in their political beliefs would need to adopt a different persona to effectively represent the interests of another nation whose position may counter their own. Model League of Arab States particularly offers a different viewpoint and allows students to undertake the roles of countries that may be negatively portrayed in the media. Additionally, students learn the policies and stances of countries on different issues and must find ways to secure their countries' interests while at the same time garnering enough votes to secure passage of the resolution. The model organizations provide an excellent opportunity for students to occupy roles that may or may not be markedly different from their own. Either way, these organizations allow students to develop an appreciation for a country's culture and politics and a greater understanding of the way in which world politics operates. Reading about world politics is one thing, but acting a role brings a deeper understanding. These three activities combine to offer a viable supplement to academic preparation for globalization. International Experience The capstone of a globalized curriculum is an international educational experience (study abroad). The term capstone does not mandate that the experience come at the end of an academic career, but simply at some point. In numerous instances, participation in a study abroad program can be the impetus for students to pursue a more globalized academic plan and allows them to step outside their comfort zone and view their world objectively and externally. Be it early or late in an academic career, a study abroad experience is vital for the globalized curriculum. With programs of varied duration, from a field seminar to a semester abroad, study abroad programs offer students a vibrant and dynamic opportunity for learning and growth not possible at the home institution and location. In a recent article, Malmgren and Galvin (2008) analyzed the impact of study abroad programs on graduation rates of University of Minnesota students. The authors analyzed the rates for three cohorts of students and found that study abroad participants had higher graduation rates, participation did not delay graduation, and strong correlations existed between students of color and high-risk students who studied abroad and graduation rates. While these results do not mean study abroad participation leads to improved graduation, the findings serve to nullify the idea that study abroad hinders graduation and suggests a possible positive correlation between participation and graduation. Nonetheless, there is no greater way to prepare for the globalized world than through studying abroad. Students are given the rare opportunity to experience what they read about in textbooks and observe in a foreign environment and setting. Additionally, through interaction and experience abroad, students can further develop a sense of global citizenship through common experience and shared views with individuals in other countries. Studying abroad is an experience that every student will remember and all students should be asked to consider. The merits of studying abroad are infinite, but the finite economic cost tends to hinder participation. The benefits of study abroad and the detrimental effects of financial costs necessitate further consideration and conversation on the fiscal feasibility of study abroad. Ideally, institutions will provide study abroad scholarships or locate external funding, but if this is not a possibility, institutions should attempt to make every effort to provide students the opportunity to study abroad. The international experience/study abroad, when coupled with the other two components, leads to a rewarding academic program and one that prepares students for the current globalized world. Conclusion The world is changing. Economies are changing. Technology is changing. Globalization is here, and there is a need to prepare for living and succeeding in the globalized world. The preceding article proposed a three-pronged plan for a globalization curriculum. Current academic advising practices must meld with and adapt to the changing world system. Students will now compete with others from around the world and must move to both a global point of view and a sense of global citizenship. Though the strategy proposed here is by no means definitive, the curriculum represents a definite start to aligning traditional academic advising with current world events. The recommended course selections composing the first part of the plan allow for laying a foundation of global knowledge and a jumping-off point for the other two components. The second component of international extracurricular activities allows students to experience the globalized world through a different role and to comprehend different viewpoints. Through these activities, students gain not only a heightened awareness of differences in approaches encompassed by globalization but also further their commitment to global citizenship. Finally, the study abroad/international experience allows for both an immersion in and an experiential appreciation for the world and all its differences. It is only through an understanding of the diverse components and cultures of the world that students can understand the interconnectedness of globalization. References Foer, F. (2004). How soccer explains the world: An unlikely theory of globalization. New York: Harper Perennial. Friedman, T. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux. Globalization101.org. (n.d.). What is globalization? Retrieved June 3, 2008, from http://www.globalization101.org/What_is_Globalization.html Malmgren, J., & Galvin, J. (2008). Effects of study abroad participation on student graduation rates: A study of three incoming freshman cohorts at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. NACADA Journal, 28(1), 29–42. About the AuthorMatthew Church is an academic adviser in the freshman/sophomore division of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville. He can be reached at mschur01@louisville.edu. Published in The Mentor on August 20, 2008, by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved
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