As Transform Mid-Atlantic continues to develop our 2021-2026 strategic plan, we will focus on the concept of global citizenship throughout the 2021-2022 academic year. We will investigate how our network of colleges and universities in Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C. can create a culture of global citizenship, engagement, and understanding in our region and beyond. Transform Mid-Atlantic believes that global citizenship is a universal value that connects citizens and communities across both global and domestic boundaries – an idea we feel is woven throughout our commitment to the public purposes of higher education and the value of civic and community engagement.
A Global Citizenship Initiative (GCI) Taskforce will convene in the fall 2021 semester to begin this important work. Among other objectives, the taskforce will:
- Establish a shared description and definition of “Global Citizenship” as it applies to our network;
- Identify and adopt individual and systemic Global Citizenship competencies for Transform Mid-Atlantic, our partnerships, and programs;
- Identify already-existing best practices and model programs related to Global Citizenship throughout our network and region; and
- Ultimately, make recommendations to the Transform Mid-Atlantic Board regarding how Transform Mid-Atlantic can support member institutions throughout our region in the pursuit of global citizenship and the development of global citizens.
Taskforce membership will include administrators, faculty, staff, and students from across our member institutions and individuals from international education, government, non-profit, and corporate sectors. The taskforce will meet monthly throughout the fall semester and submit its recommendations to the Transform Mid-Atlantic Board in spring 2022.
For more information about the taskforce, its mission, and goals, please review the proposal below. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for Transform Mid-Atlantic regarding global citizenship and the taskforce, please contact Anthony Wagner, Program Officer for the Global Citizenship Initiative and Special Projects.
Global Citizenship Taskforce Initiative
2021 Proposal
The Transform Mid-Atlantic Board is launching a Global Citizenship Initiative (GCI) Taskforce to further the efforts Transform Mid-Atlantic has undertaken throughout its history to advance the value of global citizenship as a meaningful principle within our organization and throughout the culture and practices of our membership in the Mid-Atlantic region. Critical to the work of Transform Mid-Atlantic and its mission, the Taskforce will begin with the understanding that global citizenship is a universal value that connects citizens and communities across both global and domestic boundaries of diversity. The Taskforce will grapple with the purpose and role that Transform Mid-Atlantic might play in advancing global citizenship in our network, communities, and world. It will also examine the concept of global citizenship’s potential to leverage change and shift the culture of our communities to be more equitable and engaged, thus intertwining global citizenship with Transform Mid-Atlantic’s mission toward greater justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The Taskforce’s mission will be to envision the role Transform Mid-Atlantic might play in supporting member campuses and leading an effort in the Mid-Atlantic higher education community to advance and institutionalize global citizenship internally and externally within institutions and throughout the region. The Taskforce will then identify, examine, and recommend opportunities for Transform Mid-Atlantic to more concretely weave global citizenship throughout its mission, current and future initiatives, and its partnerships with member institutions, the greater Transform Mid-Atlantic community, and global partners.
The Taskforce will begin by reviewing existing structures, organizational efforts, and best practices throughout the organization’s network and those of other organizations dedicated to global citizenship. The overall goal is to broaden and deepen Transform Mid-Atlantic’s reach in a way that is locally and globally oriented and that fully embodies Transform Mid-Atlantic’s mission and vision. The Taskforce will report to the Transform Mid-Atlantic Board in the spring of 2022, and its recommendations will be folded into the 2021-2026 Transform Mid-Atlantic Strategic Plan.
Composition of Taskforce
The Taskforce will be composed of approximately ten to fifteen members representing various aspects of diversity, experience, and perspective within Transform Mid-Atlantic’s membership and its stakeholder communities. Taskforce membership will represent constituencies including, but not limited to, our diverse member institutions, the corporate sector, the government sector, the non-profit sector, the international education sector, alumni of education-based programs, current students, and Transform Mid-Atlantic staff.
Anticipated Schedule for Transform Mid-Atlantic GCI Taskforce
Monthly Taskforce meetings will be 1.5 hours in duration and conducted via Zoom. We anticipate that in addition to the 1.5 hours per monthly meeting, a half hour will be needed to review documents in advance of each call. Total staff time per Taskforce member is anticipated to be between ten and twelve hours. Below is a tentative schedule and outline of tasks for each meeting.
September
Establish shared language and goals; agree on timeline and group expectations.
October
Define global citizenship individually and collectively. Articulate why global citizenship is an important value that Transform Mid-Atlantic should embody and institutionalize. Envision a campus that vibrates global citizenship as a value and practice.
November
Bridge the gap between global citizenship as a mission and the real, lived experiences of institutions and individuals. Delineate the role Transform Mid-Atlantic might play in bridging this gap and engaging its membership with global citizenship. Determine how to effectively and collectively realize this vision throughout the Transform Mid-Atlantic network.
December
Discuss and create concrete recommendations for Transform Mid-Atlantic that will expand and embolden its commitment to global citizenship.
January
GCI Taskforce and Strategic Plan team meet to blend the recommendations into the Transform Mid-Atlantic 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.
2022
Following the recommendations of the Taskforce, Transform Mid-Atlantic will convene a stakeholder meeting for further input, and will then put the recommendations before the Board for their review, input, and adoption as they are woven together with the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.
January
Open network (stakeholder) member meeting to review recommendations of GCI Taskforce
February
GCI Taskforce reports recommendations to Transform Mid-Atlantic Board
Spring
GCI recommendations are woven into Transform Mid-Atlantic Strategic Planning for 2021-2026
Members of Global Citizen Initiative Taskforce
Vice President Of Campus Life & Inclusive Excellence, American University
Dr. Aw is the Vice President of Campus Life at American University where she advises university leadership on matters related to campus internationalization, issues of inclusion, diversity and equity, and student engagement. She serves on various governing boards, including NAFSA. Dr. Aw also teaches courses related to immigration, the internationalization of higher education, and international higher education policy at American University.
Vice President Of Campus Life & Inclusive Excellence, American University
Dr. Aw is the Vice President of Campus Life at American University where she advises university leadership on matters related to campus internationalization, issues of inclusion, diversity and equity, and student engagement. She serves on various governing boards, including NAFSA. Dr. Aw also teaches courses related to immigration, the internationalization of higher education, and international higher education policy at American University.
Founder And Executive Director, Transform Mid-Atlantic
Ms. Yates is the founder and Executive Director of Transform Mid-Atlantic. She has over 25 years of experience in cross-cultural and service-learning programs and has lived, taught, worked, and volunteered for extended periods of time on six continents. She received Fulbright fellowships to India and South Africa. She previously taught world cultures in Montgomery County Public Schools, where she coordinated civic and community engagement programming. She also administered K12 service-learning for Maryland’s State Department of Education. Ms. Yates has served in various service-learning leadership roles at universities and higher education consortia. Click here to read more about Ms. Yates.
Executive Director, Melton Foundation For Global Citizenship
Dr. Bethmann serves as the Executive Director of the Melton Foundation for Global Citizenship. He has previously served as a Melton Foundation Fellow and chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Additionally, Dr. Bethmann has worked for the Center for Philanthropy Studies at the University Basel and McKinsey in Berlin, and has conducted research on global philanthropy and the governance of philanthropic organizations in Europe and elsewhere.
Vice President For Student Affairs Emeritus, Frostburg State University
Dr. Bowling served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Frostburg State University from 2006-2019 and as interim president from 2015-2016. At Frostburg, he founded and led various high impact initiatives, including Frostburg’s nationally recognized civic engagement programming. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and has served on advisory boards for NASPA, the Fulbright Association, the ACT Board of Trustees, and as a member of CCMA’s SAGE Advisory Committee.
Associate Vice Provost For International Education & Senior International Officer, University Of Maryland, Baltimore County
Dr. Di Maria serves as Associate Vice Provost for International Education at UMBC, where he coordinates institutional strategy for global engagement. He previously served as a senior international education officer at Montana State University and Kent State University. He regularly presents and publishes work focused on critical issues impacting international higher education and serves on numerous higher education governing boards and committees and the editorial boards of various academic journals.
Director Of Consulting Group, Maryland Nonprofits (DEI Consultant With Transform Mid-Atlantic)
Ms. Marshall serves as Director of Maryland Nonprofits’ Consulting Group, where she works alongside CEOs, governing bodies, and other leaders to make individual and institutional progress in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. She is the creator of the Uncovering and Confronting Racism: Laying the Foundation for Transformative Change program, which helps organizations in their equity and inclusion work, and is a Standards for Excellence® Institute licensed consultant.
Director, Office Of Diversity And International Services, University Of Baltimore
Dr. Michael is the Director of Diversity and International Services [LINK http://www.ubalt.edu/campus-life/diversity-and-international-services/] at the University of Baltimore where he develops student-centered programming related to student affairs, academic affairs, global education, and enrollment management. He has coordinated many programmatic experiences and global study programs, including American University’s Washington Semester Peace and Conflict Resolution Program. He has facilitated leadership and cross-cultural competency trainings for students and leaders in over a dozen countries.
Class Of 2023 Communication Studies Major & 2021-2022 Newman Civic Fellow, Stevenson University
Ms. Ofoegbu is a member of the Stevenson University Class of 2023, where she majors in communication studies. She serves in numerous leadership roles on campus and represents Stevenson University as a student member of the Maryland Higher Education Student Advisory Council. Additionally, Ms. Ofoegbu was named a 2021-2022 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, through which she embodies the program’s spirit in her efforts to challenge racism.
Professor And Area Head Of Sport Management & Deputy Director Of The Community Engagement Initiative, University Of Delaware
Dr. Robinson is a Professor and Area Head of Sport Management at the Lerner School of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware. He also serves as Deputy Director of UD’s Community Engagement Initiative. Dr. Robinson is an internationally recognized scholar of sports management and has coordinated numerous globally oriented partnerships and initiatives, including those sponsored by the NBA, NFL, International Olympic Committee Solidarity Fund, and US Department of State.
Assistant Vice President, Global Engagement & Executive Director Of The Center For Global Education, University Of Maryland, Baltimore
Ms. Rowthorn serves as Assistant Vice President for Global Engagement and Executive Director of the Center for Global Education at UMB. She is also a senior lecturer at the UMB Graduate School, where she directs the Global Health Innovation Certificate program. Ms. Rowthorn has extensive academic and professional experience working at the intersection of law, public health, and international education. She serves on various professional boards and is a former Peace Corps volunteer.
Founder And Director Latin American Center For Service-Learning (CLAYSS)
Dr. Tapia is the Founder and Director of the Latin American Center for Service-Learning (CLAYSS), a partner of the Talloires Network. She previously coordinated national service-learning programs for the Argentina Ministry of Education and has over 30 years of tertiary and secondary education experience as a professor of history and pioneering leader in higher education civic engagement. She is a frequent speaker at global higher education conferences.
Program Officer For The Global Citizenship Initiative, Transform Mid-Atlantic
Mr. Wagner serves as a program officer for Transform Mid-Atlantic’s Global Citizenship Initiative. He has previously studied and conducted research on inequality within the South African public education sector. He has worked in the field of education and higher education in China and North Macedonia. He served for two years as a Fulbright grantee at a federal university in Brazil and a regional grantee leader. His research interests include youth civic engagement and access to public and private higher education in Brazil.
Vice President, Office Of Global Citizenship For Campus, Community, And Careers Association Of American Colleges And Universities
Dr. Whitehead serves as Vice President of the Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community, and Careers at AAC&U. Her work centers on integrative global learning with an emphasis on thematic local and international experiences that provide global learning opportunities for students throughout their education experiences. Dr. Whitehead has extensive programmatic and curriculum-based experience related to international education and service-learning programs.