Title: Srinakharinwirot University International College
1Srinakharinwirot University International College
- Program Proposal and Overview
- David T. Brown16 December 2004 ?
Srinakharinwirot University
2Outline
- Why create an International College?
- Key Attributes of the proposed program
- Defining Interdisciplinarity
- Why Sustainability?
- What is an Interdisciplinary Combined Major?
- Integration of International Course Components
- Timelines
- Conclusions and Comments
3 Why create an
International College?
4Why an international college?
- Thai universities require new programs which
are - academically excellent
- international in scope and credibility
- pedagogically innovative emphasizing critical
thinking, interdisciplinarity, effective
communication skills, applied problem solving - socially and environmentally relevant
- free from traditional bureaucratic constraints
- attractive and accessible to Thai students
- institutionally affordable (cost recovery basis)
5Why an international college?
- SWUs response
- Srinakharinwirot University is committed in
principle to developing a new autonomous College
within the governing framework of
Srinakharinwirot University, known provisionally
as - Srinakharinwirot University
- International College
6Mandate of SWU IC
- to provide a unique broad-based interdisciplinary
undergraduate educational opportunity with a
strong international component for Thai students
at SWU, featuring strong core grounding in
environment and sustainability - to provide an internationally recognized and
respected joint-major Bachelors degree (BA or
BSc) program
7Development targets
- Make the program accessible to a wide range of
academically excellent Thai undergrads - -gt realistic English aptitude expectations
- -gt realistic cost
- Fit within a standard 4-year university degree
time frame
8Development targets
- Maximize interaction with international
instructors and student peers from abroad - Minimize costs associated with international /
study-abroad components - Harmonize with domestic Thai programs and
programs in international institutions
9Development targets
- Retention of traditional liberal undergraduate
educational values - Literacy
- Numeracy
- Critical analysis
- Openness and receptivity to the ideas and
perspectives of others - Moral and ethical integrity
- Social responsibility
10Development targets
- and Innovation through the introduction of
- a structured interdisciplinary perspective
- an integrated international experience that is
systemic, meaningful, and more affordable than
full-time study at an international institution - a systemic emphasis on environment, ecology, and
principles of sustainability as a fundamental
basis for all activities.
11Key attributes of the
- International College Curriculum
12Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- Interdisciplinary Combined Major Program
Structure - Students in the program will have the opportunity
to be joint majors, combining the Colleges
broad-based interdisciplinary course offerings
with a disciplinary major from a participating
department at SWU.
13Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- Focus on Environment, Ecology and Sustainability
- interdisciplinary core courses will emphasize
environmental literacy, ecological awareness, and
a strong working knowledge of principles of
sustainability as a foundation for all academic
endeavour
14Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- Inherently International Perspective
accomplished through - collaborative program delivery with
international partner institutions - international and domestic lecturers
- international study-abroad and exchange
opportunities for students, staff, and faculty
members
15Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- Inherently International Perspective How?
- domestic courses / academic activities offered in
Thailand which involve international faculty
members as instructors or co-instructors - study-abroad courses (short and medium term)
mounted by SWU around the world which may involve
international faculty members as instructors or
co-instructors, for SWU credit
16Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- Inherently International Perspective How?
- study-abroad course opportunities (short and
medium term) around the world offered by
cooperating partner institutions for transfer
credit - term-abroad or year-abroad study opportunities
at cooperating partner institutions around the
world for transfer credit.
17Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- Modular program format
- An academic calendar that is complementary to
the standard Thai academic calendar as much as
possible - Course modules scheduled to take best advantage
of the academic calendars of partner institutions
in the northern and southern hemispheres - Provides maximum flexibility in course selection
and allows for year-round study.
18Target demographic group
- Thai high school graduates and young
professionals who exceed national
university-level entrance standards and SWU
acceptance standards - Thai students who have excellent academic
credentials and good functional oral English
skills, but who may lack university-level writing
aptitude in English
19Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- Emphasis on English language program delivery
- A significant proportion of the international
content of the program will be delivered in
English. E.g., - all course content delivered by international
instructors - courses with joint Thai-international student
enrollment. -
- However
20Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- the intended target market for this
- College is Thai students, so
-
- some foundation courses in the International
College core curriculum may be delivered in Thai - some disciplinary co-major courses may be taken
in Thai - supplementary materials and explanation for
international courses may be provided in the Thai
language by Thai co-instructors.
21Key Attributes of IC Curriculum
- In some SWU-credit courses, students will be
given the option of submitting written work and
writing examinations in either Thai or English. - Students who choose to work entirely in English
will receive formal recognition of this fact in
their degree program through English-language
benchmark testing and a formal English stream. - Transfer credit courses will be conducted and
evaluated entirely in the language of instruction
of the home institution, except by special
arrangement.
22Defining
23Definitions
disciplinary Multidisciplinary Interdisci
plinary - what are the differences?
Reference Stefanovic, Ingrid. 1996.
Interdisciplinarity and Wholeness Lessons from
Eco-Research. Environments 23(3) 74-94.
24Definitions
- Disciplinary
- of or pertaining to a discrete branch of learning
- knowledge within generally accepted boundaries
- often associated with discipline-specific
vocabularies, methods, and assumptions - Examples of disciplines sociology, philosophy,
biology, political science, chemistry, economics,
geography, mathematics...
25Definitions
- Multidisciplinary
- standard disciplinary approaches are applied to a
common research question, problem or issue - insights achieved through an approach which is
essentially additive rather than integrative - a spontaneous coalescence of these disparate
approaches is anticipated - arguably the approach which produces the most
substantive research results
26 ISSUE
27 ISSUE
28Definitions
- Interdisciplinary
- a level of integration which involves more than
an additive analysis of the disciplinary
perspectives - insights are achieved through an approach which
is explicitly integrative -gt an a priori attempt
is made at synthesis across disciplinary
boundaries - the issue, problem, or concern defines the
disciplinary expertise which is brought to bear
-gt arguably the most effective policy-oriented
problem-solving approach
29 ISSUE
30 ISSUE
31 ISSUE
32 ISSUE
33Interdisciplinary programs
- are not affiliated with a particular academic
discipline, but which attempt to bridge
disciplinary boundaries - diverse in scope and context, but share some
common attributes - thematic
- issue-based or problem-based
- may incorporate a range of perspectives, from
theoretical to applied
34Interdisciplinary programs
- are not a substitute for the traditional
disciplines which form the core of any university - The two approaches are inextricably
interlinked and complementary - Disciplinary endeavour provides depth of
knowledge - Interdisciplinary programs provide breadth of
knowledge
35Interdisciplinary programs
- Further details on handout
- A. The Disciplinary / Multidisciplinary /
Interdisciplinary / Transdisciplinary Continuum
(pp. 4-6) - B. Rationale for the development of an
interdisciplinary core program in ecology,
environment, and sustainability (pp.6-8)
36Why Sustainability?
37Sustainable development
- meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. - - World Commission on Environment and
Development (1987) Our Common Future - A somewhat broad definition all things to
all people, therefore nothing to anyone.
38Sustainability
- Some alternatives
- A sustainable society is one that lives
within the self-perpetuating limits of its
environment. That society is not a "no growth"
society - it is, rather a society that recognizes
the limits of growth and looks for alternative
ways of growing. - James Coomer - Sustainability is..achieving the
ecological balance which allows economic
prosperity and social equity to be achieved
across generations. - - James McNeil
39Sustainability
- is not limited to one precise definition.
Different definitions of sustainability are
useful for different situations and different
purposes, yet all the definitions involve - Living within limits
- Understanding the interconnections among
economy, society, and environment - and
- Equitable distribution of resources and
opportunities.
40Sustainability
-
- A basic premise of education for
sustainability is that just as there is a
wholeness and interdependence to life in all its
forms, so must there be a unity and wholeness to
efforts to understand it and ensure its
continuation. This calls for both
interdisciplinary inquiry and action. - Educating for a Sustainable Future A
Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted Action
(UNESCO, 1997)
41Sustainability
the sustainability triangle
42Elements of sustainability
Environment
Economy
Society
- World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987
43Elements of sustainability
Environment
- biodiversity
- materials
- energy
- biophysical interactions
Economy
Society
- World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987
44Elements of sustainability
Environment
- money and capital
- employment
- technological growth
- investment
- market forces
Economy
Society
- World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987
45Elements of sustainability
Environment
- human diversity (cultural, linguistic, ethnic)
- equity (dependence / independence)
- quality of life
- institutional structures and organization
- political structures
Economy
Society
- World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987
46Sustainability
- No longer a slippery ill-defined term
- Qualitative and quantitative techniques are
employed in the study of sustainability - Theoretical and applied approaches exist
- Emphasis on the continuum from principles to
policy to practice - Principles of sustainability are now well
established in the academic literature
-gtframeworks for evaluating our practices
47Principles of Sustainability
- To be useful, principles must
- be easily understood
- be applicable in many contexts
- be transferable across scales
- translate well from fundamental values into
applied policy and practical action - identify possibilities for change of all
magnitudes
48Sustainability Education
- Further details on handout
- C. Background on interdisciplinarity in
postsecondary environmental education from UNESCO
(Education for a Sustainable Future) p.9 - Other resources
- Principles of Sustainable Development
http//www.iisd.org/sd/principle.asp - The Sustainability Projecthttp//www.flora.org/su
stain/lets_tlk.html
49What is an
- Interdisciplinary
- Combined Major?
50Credit structure
- Interdisciplinary Core
- (approx. 40 of total credit hours )
- Disciplinary Co-Major
- (approx. 40 of total credit hours)
General Education Courses (approx. 20 of total
credit hours)
51Credit structure
- Interdisciplinary Core
- (approx. 40 of total credit hours )
- Examples
- Biology
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Geography
- Politics
- Law
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Non-traditional
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Education
- Pharmacology
- Business
- Languages
- Health Science
General Education Courses (approx. 20 of total
credit hours)
52Generic Course Schema
Term 2
Term 1
Year 1
Applied Environmental Policy
- Introduction to Sustainability
Ecology and Environment
Disciplinary Co-Major 2
Disciplinary Co-Major 3
General Education
Disciplinary Co-Major 4
General Education
General Education
Disciplinary and General Education Courses may
not occur in same terms for all co-majors
53Generic Course Schema
Year 2
Term 3
Term 4
- Local Scale
- Environmental Issues
Global Scale Environmental Issues
Year 2 / 3 Core Elective
Year 2 / 3 Core Elective
Disciplinary Co-Major 7
Disciplinary Co-Major 8
Disciplinary Co-Major 6
General Education
General Education
Sample year 2 / 3 core electives Economics of
the Environment Ethics, Equity and
Environmental Thought Materials, Waste, and
Recycling
54Generic Course Schema
Year 3
Term 6 (abroad or at home)
Term 5 (abroad)
- Field Course Project and Journal
Year 2 / 3 Core Elective
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on
Disciplinary Co-Major 9
Disciplinary Co-Major 10
Urban Settlements
Disciplinary Co-Major 11
Ecozones and Biodiversity
Disciplinary Co-Major 12
Year 2 / 3 Core Elective
General Education
Sample Interdisciplinary Perspectives
onHuman Settlements The Automobile
International Issues Globalization and
Environment Environmental Issues Toxins
in the Environment Sample Year 2 / 3 core
electives Environmental Legislation and Case
Studies Human Services Planning Global
Conventions on Environment and Development
55Generic Course Schema
Term 8
Year 4
Term 7
Research Project II
Policy Seminar II
Policy Seminar I
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on
Literature Review
Yr. 3 / 4 Elective
Yr. 3 / 4 Elective
Disciplinary Co-Major 15
Disciplinary Co-Major 16
Disciplinary Co-Major 14
General Education
General Education
Sample Year 3 / 4 core electives
Ecosystem-based Planning Sustainable
Agriculture Gender and Environment May be
Disciplinary Co-Major Course depending upon Year
3 Term Abroad or Year Abroad options
56Integration of International Course Components
- Scheduling and Mechanisms
57Scheduling
- Respects standard 4-year (8 term) university
degree timeframe
58Scheduling
- Respects standard 4-year (8 term) university
degree timeframe - Respects standard SWU academic calendar in years
1,2 and 4
59Scheduling
- Respects standard 4-year (8 term) university
degree timeframe - Respects standard SWU academic calendar in years
1,2 and 4 (standard Thai academic term
deployment)
60Scheduling
- Respects standard 4-year (8 term) university
degree timeframe - Respects standard SWU academic calendar in years
1,2 and 4 (standard Thai academic term
deployment) - International instructors will teach during
standard Thai terms
Intl. Instructors
Intl. Instructors
Intl. Instructors
Intl. Instructors
Intl. Instructors
Intl. Instructors
Intl. Instructors
Intl. Instructors from Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
61Scheduling
- Respects standard 4-year (8 term) university
degree timeframe - Respects standard SWU academic calendar in years
1,2 and 4 - (standard term deployment)
- International instructors will teach during
standard Thai terms
- Year 3 (Terms 5 and 6) is different, and offers
most intensive international experience
62Scheduling
- Respects standard 4-year (8 term) university
degree timeframe - Respects standard SWU academic calendar in years
1,2 and 4 - (standard term deployment)
- International instructors will teach during
standard Thai terms
- Year 3 (Terms 5 and 6) is different, and offers
most intensive international experience
63Scheduling
- Year 3 (Terms 5 and 6) is different, and offers
most intensive international experience - Term 5 is a study-abroad field course term
(within May Sept)
64Scheduling
- Year 3 (Terms 5 and 6) is different, and offers
most intensive international experience - Term 5 is a study-abroad field course term
(within May Sept)
65Scheduling
- Year 3 (Terms 5 and 6) is different, and offers
most intensive international experience - Term 5 is a study-abroad field course term
(within May Sept)
66Term deployment
- Year 3 (Terms 5 and 6) is different, and offers
most intensive international experience - Term 5 is a study-abroad field course term
(within May Sept)
67Scheduling
- Year 3 (Terms 5 and 6) is different, and offers
the most intensive international experience - Term 5 is a study-abroad field course term
(within May Sept)
Study at SWU (regular 2nd term)
- Term 6 offers two options
Study at Brock (1 or 2 terms)
68Scheduling
-
- Additional optional field or classroom courses
may be offered between semesters, including
ESL training, at home or abroad
69Timelines
70Timelines
- 2004-5
- Program definition
- Program title and scope
- Determination of substantive subject areas
covered - Assessment of academic resources available
(books, journals, online resources) - University-wide workshop (January 2005) on
program development - Curriculum analysis and development
- Identification of full list of committed
faculty members - Hiring of new faculty by SWU
- Piloting of collaborative core course delivery
in a Thai context at SWU using Brock faculty - Establishment of final program structure and
administrative mechanisms - Pilot Program Launch June 2005
71Timelines
- 2005-6
- Advertising of new program
- Pilot Program Launch June 2005
- Deployment of some Year I course offerings
- Recruitment of SWU students into newly developed
program - Exploration and initiation of collaborative
research programs - Visiting International Scholar / University
Mentorship program visits to Brock for upper-year
course development and collaborative research - Possible first iteration of joint Brock-SWU
undergraduate field course
72Timelines
- 2006-7
- Deployment of Year 2 course offerings
- Development of short-term study-abroad course
offerings for SWU students - Ongoing collaborative development of Year 3 and
Year 4 courses
73Timelines
- 2007-8
- Deployment of Year 3 course offerings
- First semester of Year 3 incorporates a
systemic international experience - For students without 550 TOEFL May August
field term (5) in Canada return to Thailand for
Term 6 - For students with 550 TOEFL May August field
term (5) in Canada, but staying on from Sept in
study-abroad semester or year - 2008-9
- Deployment of Year 4 course offerings
- First graduating class
74Conclusions and Comments