Two representatives of St. Louis Community College made a presentation during the recently concluded conference of NAFSA: The National Association of International Educators*.
Rod Nunn, STLCC's vice chancellor for economic development and workforce solutions, and Chris Stephens, professor in communications at STLCC-Florissant Valley, discussed a unique study-abroad program to Italy whose goal is to develop globally-competent workers who will positively impact the St. Louis economy.
Nunn described how faculty and staff first spent countless hours meeting with more than 1,200 companies to determine their employment needs and the markets in which they operated. What they found was that even in a recession economy, with a surplus of job-seeking degree holders, employers still had trouble finding talented workers who possessed even basic professional skills. Nunn said that by polling employers and developing specific competencies that workers should possess, STLCC created an exchange program in Italy that provided students with experiential learning sought by businesses.
Stephens noted that experiential learning was the most effective way to impart the desired knowledge and skills, adding that language and cultural barriers made the students uncomfortable and forced them to learn faster than they would have in a familiar setting.
STLCC also assessed the students’ attainment of the global competencies, and used the data to validate the program’s benefits to the students as well as the local economy.
Community colleges often face more challenges than four-year colleges and universities when trying to expand international offerings. Funding may be difficult to obtain, and business leaders and trustees are likely to make the institutions focus on meeting the immediate community needs, namely developing a professional workforce.
*NAFSA's original name was National Association of Foreign Student Advisers. In May 1990, the membership formally renamed the organization NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The acronym was retained to reflect NAFSA's proud past and broad name recognition.
Established in 1962, St. Louis Community College is the largest community college district in Missouri and one of the largest in the United States. STLCC has four campuses – Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec and Wildwood – that annually serve more than 81,000 students through credit courses, continuing education and workforce development programs. For more information about STLCC, visit www.stlcc.edu.