Rider University’s vision to provide a globally enriching education for its students is gaining notice in scholarly circles. The American Council of Education (ACE), the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, has posted information about Rider’s broad internationalization initiative on its Web site.

ACE invited Dr. Linda Materna, chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, professor of Spanish, and special assistant to the provost for study abroad, to write an overview of Rider’s vision, goals and the multifaceted process for creating an academic culture that will prepare students to become global citizens.

Rider’s growing partnership with Sanda University of Shanghai, its establishment of a Mandarin Chinese language program, its effort to expand study abroad opportunities and participation, and to increase the international student and faculty populations are just some examples of likely objectives in Rider’s international strategic plan.

“The University is committed to making the internationalization of its institutional, curricular and co-curricular structures, processes and offerings a central component of the academic experience of our students,” said Materna, co-chair of Rider’s Internationalization Task Force (ITF). “It is, in fact, our moral responsibility to prepare students to be global citizens, to provide them with the linguistic and cross-cultural competencies to be successful leaders, professionals and citizens in the 21st century.”

Throughout the academic year, as the ITF continues to develop a strategic plan for internationalization, it will keep the Rider community informed through informal and formal means of its work and of international opportunities and events on the horizon.

Materna’s article, “Internationalizing a University for a 21st Century,” can be accessed under the “What’s New” section of the “Department Chair Online Resource Center” of the ACE Web site until the end of September at http://www.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/index.cfm?section=5. After September 30, it will be posted permanently under “Faculty Special Topics” at http://www.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/index.cfm?section=2&subsection=35.

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