This is one of four opinion published in the mail home edition of The Daily Campus. The series is as follows: Internationalizing SMU, Pride & Unity, Class Ratings and Lack of Reading Days.
I have the privilege of serving as the 2011-2012 Student Trustee, to witness and participate in the deliberations of the SMU Board of Trustees. As my tenure commences, the enormous task before me looms. And like with all daunting opportunities, the challenge is how to best take advantage of it.
In addition to partaking in various initiatives and receiving comprehensive reports from the student body, I have one goal on which I will particularly concentrate.
SMU’s Second Century Campaign, SMU Unbridled, strives to improve the three following areas: (1) student quality, (2) faculty and academic excellence, and (3) campus experience. As Student Trustee, I will address all three by promoting and working towards an “internationalized” SMU.
Increasing international visibility and enhancing diversity of thought and experience on campus will propel SMU not just into its second century, but also into the globalized world of the 21st century. Today, multi-national corporations and diversified industries prove that to lag in this area is detrimental.
At Oxford University, one of every three students is foreign. And Stanford isn’t too far behind with nearly 30 percent. International students made up nearly 20 percent of Harvard University’s overall population in 2010. And SMU? 7.5 percent. This, of course, has not gone unnoticed. SMU’s Centennial Strategic Plan states, “With regard to the emergence of the information age and a globalized society, SMU is ready to capitalize on its current position to enhance the University’s educational quality and relative position among its peers.” Six percent international students will allow SMU to be competitive with its peers, such as Duke and Dartmouth University.
To reach this goal consistently, increased funds for recruitment and scholarships are needed. This will attract students who are competitive and qualified, and along the way increase SMU’s international visibility. Yet, matriculating international students alone is not enough. Steps toward integration of international students are critical.
While international students are certainly bright and capable, bringing unique perspectives in and out of the classroom, the American system is new and often times overwhelming. SMU has a long way to go to facilitate the transition and enable international students to enrich the university by incorporating distinctive insights and ideas.
“Internationalizing” SMU also requires measures such as increased study abroad opportunities, the study of foreign languages, multilateral efforts in student activities and research and greater international attention. The elements of a globalized university include internationally recognized research, globally acclaimed professors, and opportunities such as those possible through the William J. O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom, the Stephanie and Hunter Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies, the Embrey Human Rights Program, and the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility.
It is crucial to support these pre-existing organizations and encourage the formation of new clubs and institutes with international outlooks. In every aspect of SMU life, a global dimension benefits the community.
Our world demands top students and institutions to interact on the international stage. In turn, this demands SMU to continue to embrace the idea of a global community.
