At the recent Forum on Education Abroad conference in Milan, Italy, Elon colleagues presented research on global engagement, mentoring, intercultural learning and inclusive excellence.
At the recent Forum on Education Abroad conference in Milan, Italy, three Elon faculty members presented research on global engagement.
Lauren Kearns, professor of dance science and dance choreographer; Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement; and Elisabetta Santanni, director of Student Life, Accademia Europea di Firenze (AEF) presented “Connecting Global and Career-integrated Learning: Opportunities and Challenges for Liberal Arts.”
The presenters shared research findings, program and faculty development strategies and a case study of a site-specific dance course in Florence, Italy. In a second presentation, Vandermaas-Peeler joined Amy Allocco, associate professor of religious studies and director of the Multifaith Scholars Program, and Kate Patch, senior international officer and senior director of global initiatives at Grinnell College, to present, “Mentored Undergraduate Research in Global Contexts (MURGC): Toward Professional Skills and Career Competencies.”
In this session, presenters shared findings from a recent multi-institutional, mixed methods research study, and invited attendees to discuss the data vis-à-vis their own experiences, considering the challenges/opportunities of MURGC for career-integrated learning and development.
Randy Williams, vice president and associate provost for inclusive excellence at Elon, presented on “Expanding the conversation: Centering Equity and Inclusion Onsite in Europe” with colleagues from Dickinson College and DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia.
Earlier in the week in Florence, Italy, Vandermaas-Peeler and Allocco presented a workshop with colleagues at AEF entitled, “Mentoring Relationships in a Constellation Model,” in which they shared recent data from the American Council on Education “Mentoring for Learner Success” project. They invited participants to reflect critically on their own experiences with mentoring; explore cultural perspectives on mentoring relationships in education; share utilized and aspirational mentoring practices; and brainstorm solutions to challenges in an effort to enhance intercultural learning within and across diverse contexts.