Global Engagement Office
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
internationally as we seek to be a truly great Christian university serving the world.
Established on the IWU-Marion campus in 2012, the Global Engagement Office embodies IWU’s mission and global vision by:
(1) Facilitating Education Abroad Programs for Students, Faculty, and Staff;
(2) Facilitating Education and Exchange Programs for International Students and Scholars; and (3) Facilitating Strategic Global Initiatives that Enlarge our Scope as an Academic Institution.
(1) Facilitating Education Abroad Programs for Students, Faculty, and Staff
Education Abroad programs are approved according to academic policies, procedures, 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 programs include:
- Travel Classes:
Courses taught by IWU faculty that take place in an international location
- Intercultural Fieldtrips:
Off-campus credit-bearing experiences led by IWU faculty as part of a semester-long course
- 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, but may satisfy the “Intercultural Experience” general education requirement)
- 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
- LCC International University (Klaipeda, Lithuania) - www.lcc.lt/study-abroad-lithuania
- Middle East Studies Program (Amman, Jordan) - www.bestsemester.com/mesp
- Nashville Contemporary Music Center (Nashville, TN) - www.bestsemester.com/locations-and-programs/india
- 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
(2) Facilitating Education and Exchange Programs for International Students and Scholars
As an emerging global Christian university, the residential campus of IWU 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 and scholar 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 language program for international college students
- Semester Abroad @ IWU Program:
A cross-cultural learning experience for international college students on the IWU-Marion campus
- 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
In addition to the programs noted above, the Global Engagement Office is also involved with global initiatives that enlarge our scope, foster a global mindset, and enable us to serve the global church.
- Lumen Research Institute:
A global collective of Christian scholars who pursue questions of social concern through collaborative and interdisciplinary research efforts (www.lumenresearchinstitute.org)
- Global Classroom Initiative:
Connecting students/faculty in Grant County high school classrooms with educational partners in classrooms around the world
- Teach Abroad China:
A cooperative effort among educational entities seeking to enhance the quality of English teaching and learning in the Chinese school system
- Global Gap Year Initiative:
A one-year education abroad experience for IWU students focused on life calling, career exploration, cultural awareness, and the development of character, scholarship, and leadership
