FVSU Announces Participation in the ACE Internationalization Laboratory
Friday, February 26th, 2021
Fort Valley State University (FVSU) recently announced it is one of 10 colleges and universities participating in the 18th cohort of the American Council of Education (ACE) Internationalization Laboratory, a collaborative and inclusive learning community created to help position institutions of higher learning to become more globally focused and internationally connected.
Led by a team of internationalization experts with a wide range of backgrounds and experience, the ACE laboratory provides customized guidance and insight to help colleges and universities achieve their internationalization goals. The partnership with ACE will include a strategic, coordinated framework that integrates policies, programs, initiatives, and individuals that will help better prepare students for engaging in an increasingly interconnected world.
Lab participants from FVSU include Professor Stacie Barrett, Dr. Brou Kouakou, Dr. Rayton Sianjina, and Dr. T. Ramon Stuart. Together, these faculty members and administrators bring valuable international experience to the table.
“As our world contends with the challenges presented by the current pandemic, it is more important than ever before to prepare students today to become global leaders of tomorrow,” said Dr. Stuart, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Fort Valley State University. “By collaborating with ACE, we are making the necessary investments to ensure we expose our students to a world beyond our university.”
The ACE Internationalization Lab is adapting to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing learning modules with asynchronous activities for participants on ACE Engage®, ACE’s online learning platform, as well as conducting synchronous meetings. Campus site visits will be conducted virtually until it is safe to travel in-person. Networking within and beyond the cohort will still be a core component of the ACE Internationalization Lab. Content will focus on crisis response and a future positive innovation framework to help institutions bounce back stronger than before after COVID-19 disrupted international mobility around the world.
“From Ethiopia to Puerto Rico to California, higher education institutions recognize that although internationalization may look different during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is as important as ever to be strategic about their efforts,” said Kara Godwin, director for internationalization at ACE. “I look forward to working with these institutions as they build resilience and agility into their internationalization strategies.”
The members of Cohort 18 had the opportunity to get to know each other during a virtual “Meet and Greet” early in the fall 2020 semester where participants began their asynchronous work, developing campus committees, and holding discussions with their ACE advisors.
Since 2002, more than 150 institutions have participated in the ACE Internationalization Lab. The other institutions in the 18th Internationalization Laboratory cohort are:
• Albizu University (PR)
• Ball State University (IN)
• Baylor University (TX)
• California Lutheran University
• Jigjiga University (Ethiopia)
• Pratt Institute (NY)
• San Diego State University (CA)
• Southern Illinois University
• University of Kansas
