GROSSMONT COLLEGE (Press Release)– The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District is one of eight colleges and universities across the nation — and the only community college district — selected for an American Council on Education project to promote internationalization, diversity and multicultural education.
The three-year project, “At Home in the World: Educating for Global Connections and Local Commitments,” is funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. The eight campuses were selected from among 54 applicants to explore ways to better prepare students for the impacts of globalization and to improve cultural communication skills among students, faculty and staff.
“We are honored to have been chosen for this exciting opportunity to expand the cultural competency of our students in this age of globalization,” said Cindy L. Miles, district chancellor. “The At Home in the World project will be a wonderful opportunity to interact with similar campus programs across the country serving our increasingly multicultural and multinational communities.”
Leaders from the district’s two colleges, Grossmont College in El Cajon and Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, will meet with ACE staff and representatives of the other institutions at an opening conference Aug. 29 and 30 in Washington, D.C., to share programs and best practices. Regular consultations with ACE experts will follow.
“Our district has a long history of respecting and honoring the diversity of our students and staff,” said Bill Garrett, president of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District board. “We’re looking forward to finding new ways to promote international and multicultural education.”
Patti McGill Peterson, presidential advisor for global initiatives at ACE, said competition for the project was intense, showing a desire among the applicants to address the relationship between internationalization and multicultural education.
“The interface between multicultural and international efforts on campus is a critical place to engage students, who will face an increasingly diverse and global workplace over the course of their careers,” Peterson said. “We anticipate great strides from this learning community.”
The other institutions chosen for the project are Washington State University; University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; North Carolina State University; Mercy College in New York; Bennett College for Women in North Carolina; Arcadia University in Pennsylvania; and Alliant International University in San Diego.
The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District educates and trains nearly 30,000 students a year at its two colleges, Grossmont College in El Cajon and Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego. The colleges serve a diverse community of students, primarily from East San Diego County and San Diego, as well as around the state, the nation, and more than 50 countries around the world.
Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.
*
Preceding provided by Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
