CCSA is committed to providing innovative global learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds, orientations, and geographic locations. We celebrate our variety and diversity.
Global learning doesn’t just happen. Thoughtful, deliberate program formats coupled with effective course design create the environment in which global learning takes place. This is where global teaching enables global learning.
Global teaching happens when the space is created for faculty to design courses they want to teach that incorporate the “location as the classroom.” This “space” exists before, during, and after each program.
Before a program is developed, CCSA provides a transparent course proposal process followed by a detailed professional development program. We call this latter feature “Prep & Training”. During P&T, new faculty are “coached” through aspects that improve course design and recruitment. Experienced faculty share their experiences in order to smooth the path for their colleagues. The professional development program includes access to a syllabus archive (no to need to start from scratch), a course activity archive, and access to a group of mentors. This phase also includes ZoomBites – short sessions on a specific topic – in which new faculty connect with experienced folks to break down the process of creating an effective global learning course. While in-person sessions tend to be more impactful, in our current environment, these zoom-based sessions enable the use of tools to access information and expertise in an efficient manner. As we roll into October, we begin our Prep & Training process that will connect the course syllabi, learning goals, and location to reaching students interested in our courses. This is an essential step in our support for faculty and on-site administrators as they connect with students and peers about the courses CCSA will offer in the Summer of 2022. Faculty and admins on each program have their specific session so we hope to generate ideas and solutions to common and unique challenges for each course on each program.
During the program, CCSA includes experienced on-site administrators – program directors and assistant directors – from our member schools. These folks are staff and faculty from our member institutions who manage the on-site aspects of a program. They bring experience in the location and expertise on handling all those non-teaching aspects of programs.
After the program, CCSA solicits feedback from everyone on a program in order to validate successes and respond to weaknesses encountered. This on-going process enables CCSA to build a catalog of resources, services, and capabilities for the next round of global teachers.
Through all these steps CCSA creates a professional development resource for our member institutions and their faculty and staff. Faculty not only learn to create effective courses to be taught in a global learning format, they also learn to navigate and incorporate aspects that enable them to be more effective in their other courses. Member institution staff and faculty who serve as on-site administrators volunteer their time, but receive substantial financial support from CCSA in exchange for performing a set of duties that enable CCSA to offer a wide range of courses and on-site experiences. The non-teaching admins develop skills in program management, student affairs, and emergency response that enable them to build onto their prior experience for career advancement.
And all this professional development is implemented while providing student global learning opportunities. The sharing of ideas and interests doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Each program brings people of all backgrounds together on a common journey during which they build connections while problem-solving and navigating a new place. Global teaching and global learning are more than just the academic goals of each class. They are joint experiences among students, teacher, and on-site support that positively impacts each person on a CCSA program.
CCSA position as a professional development service keeps our focus on the people that make CCSA special.
I wish to thank everyone who makes CCSA successful and effective.