Efforts to internationalize a campus can be greatly assisted by taking advantage of the Fulbright Scholar Program, argued Esther L. Barazzone, president of Chatham University (PA) and a member of the advisory board of the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), during a Presidents Institute session on “Internationalizing Your Campus.” The Fulbright program facilitates campus visits of foreign scholars and provides opportunities for collaboration between U.S. faculty and colleagues abroad, Barazzone noted, adding that these activities can have lasting impact on faculty members and students, particularly on smaller campuses.

Tori Haring-Smith, president of Washington & Jefferson College (PA), explored in more detail the particular challenges at smaller institutions of implementing initiatives geared toward internationalizing a campus. She explained that both structural and aspirational barriers need to be overcome. Structurally, it is difficult for small colleges to meet curricular needs if faculty members go abroad for extended periods with the Fulbright program. Aspirational barriers prevent both faculty and students from applying and succeeding in competitions because they don’t think of themselves as natural program participants. She encouraged presidents to develop creative solutions to overcome these barriers and to “work on internationalization efforts with endurance and on several fronts simultaneously.”

Nancy Santos Gainer, director of external relations at CIES, discussed myths about the Fulbright Scholar Program that may discourage faculty members at smaller institutions from applying. She encouraged presidents to contact CIES for advice on and help with applications for all initiatives. Details of the Fulbright Scholar Program and other CIES initiatives can be found at
www.cies.org.