Global Engagement
Indiana Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered academic community committed to changing the world by developing students in character, scholarship, and leadership. The primary value for IWU is Christlikeness, and the challenge to follow Christ compels us to pursue a personal and professional lifestyle of commitment, leadership, service, stewardship, innovation, and diversity.
We seek to be a truly great Christian university serving the world.
As an educational institution, Indiana Wesleyan University has been rooted locally in Marion, IN for nearly a century, but our scope also extends nationally and globally as we seek to fulfill our mission and vision to be a truly great Christian university serving the world.
Established on the IWU-Marion campus in 2012, the Global Engagement Office is an academic support office that seeks to fulfill IWU’s mission and global vision by:
(1) Facilitating Education Abroad Opportunities for Students, Faculty, and Staff;
(2) Facilitating Education and Exchange Program for International Students and Scholars; and (3) Facilitating Strategic Global Initiatives that Enlarge our Scope as an Academic Institution.
(1) Facilitating Education Abroad Opportunities for Students, Faculty, and Staff
Education Abroad programs are approved according to academic policies and structures, and they are reviewed regularly to ensure that learning outcomes are being met appropriately. Education Abroad programs are also approved by the Risk Management Office to ensure international travel, health, and safety precautions are being followed. IWU adheres to the standards of good practice for education abroad as defined by the Forum on Education Abroad (www.forumea.org). For more specific information regarding Education Abroad programs, polices, and procedures, contact the Global Engagement Office.
Education abroad opportunities include:
Courses taught by IWU faculty that take place in an international location
Off-Campus credit-bearing experiences led by IWU faculty during Spring Break
- International Internships, Student Teaching, and Practicum Experiences
Independent experiences that fulfill program requirements in an international location
- Global Service Learning Teams
Opportunities to serve and learn with a team led by IWU faculty/staff in an international location (not credit-bearing)
- Summer/Semester Abroad Programs
A series of credit-bearing courses that are taken in an international location under the guidance of IWU faculty and/or affiliate program providers
The following are approved Summer/Semester Abroad Programs:
- American Studies Program (Washington, D.C.) - www.bestsemester.com/asp
- Australia Studies Center (Brisbane, Australia and New Zealand) - www.bestsemester.com/asc
- Au Sable Institute for Environmental Studies (Great Lakes and Pacific Rim) - www.ausable.org
- Azusa Pacific University (Los Angeles, CA) - www.apu.edu/laterm
- BCA Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain) - www.bcanet.org
- Contemporary Music Center (Nashville, TN) - www.bestsemester.com/cmc
- Creation Care Study Program (Belize, Central America, New Zealand) - www.creationcsp.org
- Ecuador Semester - Taylor University (Cuenca, Ecuador) - www.taylor.edu
- Gordon College in Orvieto (Orvieto, Italy) - www.gordon.edu/inorvieto
- Houghton in Tanzania (Tanzania, Africa) - www.houghton.edu
- Irish Studies Program - Taylor University (Greystones, Ireland) - www.taylor.edu
- IWU Haiti Program – School of Nursing (La Gonave, Haiti) – www.indwes.edu
- IWU Summer in Israel – School of Theology and Ministry – www.indwes.edu
- IWU Zambia Program – School of Nursing (Choma, Zambia) - www.indwes.edu
- The King’s College NYC Semester Program (New York, NY) – www.tkc.edu/nycs
- L.A. Film Studies Center (Hollywood, CA) - www.bestsemester.com/lafsc
- Latin American Studies Program (San José, Costa Rica) - www.bestsemester.com/lasp
- Middle East Studies Program (Amman, Jordan) - www.bestsemester.com/mesp
- LCC International University (Klaipeda, Lithuania) - www.lcc.lt/study-abroad-lithuania
- Oxford Summer Programme (Oxford, England) - www.bestsemester.com/osp
- Scholar's Semester in Oxford (Oxford, England) - www.bestsemester.com/sso
- Trinity Christian College Semester in Spain (Sevilla, Spain) - www.semesterinspain.org
- Uganda Studies Program (Mukona, Uganda) - www.bestsemester.com/usp
- India Studies Program (India, Coimbatore) - www.bestsemester.com/locations-and-programs/india
(2) Facilitating Education and Exchange Programs for International Students and Scholars
As an emerging global Christian university, the residential campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN is increasingly becoming a place where international students and scholars desire to reside in order to pursue their academic goals. In an effort to support these students and scholars, the Global Engagement Office collaborates with divisions, schools, offices, and student organizations on the residential campus in a number of ways, including: international student/faculty/staff recruitment and retention efforts; international student advising; strategic partnership development with international schools; and sponsoring/advising globally focused student organizations.
In addition to these strategic efforts, the Global Engagement Office also facilitates the following international student access programs:
- Cultural Immersion Program
A cultural exchange experience for international high school students that takes place on the IWU-Marion campus
- Bridge Program (www.indwes.edu/academics/cas/bridge-program)
A first year experience for international college students who wish to pursue language competence, cultural intelligence, and a degree on the IWU-Marion campus
- Semester Abroad @ IWU Program
A cross-cultural learning experience for international college students on the IWU-Marion campus
- International Visiting Scholars Program
Opportunities for international educators to engage in professional development and interaction with faculty on the IWU-Marion campus
(3) Facilitating Strategic Global Initiatives that Enlarge our Scope as an Academic
Institution
As an academic institution, IWU has four key strategies that we believe will enable us to fulfill our mission and global vision:
(1) Great Students – we will recruit, provide affordable access to, and graduate great students
(2) Great People – we will provide our people with the resources to maximize our great
Christian learning community so that it is enjoyable, diverse, and unified in purpose
(3) Great Programs – we will offer great academic and co-curricular programs with the
infrastructure to support them at sustainable costs
(4) Great Scope – we will enlarge our scope by fostering a global mindset (Education
Abroad) and serving the global church (Global Christian Learning Community)
The focus of the Global Engagement Office is on “Great Scope” programs and initiatives, including those noted above as well as the following:
- Lumen Research Institute An international collaborative research community shedding light on significant questions facing our world today (www.lumenresearchinstitute.org)
- Global Classroom Initiative Harnessing the power of technology to connect students/faculty in American high school classrooms with educational partners in classrooms around the world
- Mars Hill Initiative Developing partnerships with select international universities for the purpose of being salt and light to their students, faculty, and staff by way of exchange programs, dual degree programs, and visiting scholar programs
- International Scholars in Residence Program A cooperative effort with Global Partners of The Wesleyan Church to mobilize students for global ministry
- Justice Center for Human Trafficking Contributing research, resources, and initiatives toward the abolition of human trafficking and the promotion of human flourishing
