Internationalizing US Student Affairs Practice: An Intercultural and Inclusive Framework by Tamara Yakaboski and Brett Perozzi (review)

Yakaboski and Perozzi assert that student affairs is underinvolved in internationalization efforts and urge leaders to create engaging cocurricular learning programs and services using an informed, international, and intercultural perspective to support student learning. The authors describe a framework for internationalizing student affairs practice including integrating internationalization strategies across units and functions, developing global frameworks for practice, and assisting students in acquiring intercultural competencies during their college experience.

Internationalizing US Student Affairs Practice features research compiled from interdisciplinary international literature, data from a survey conducted with 101 senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) across 33 US states and 14 “Promising Practices” case studies written by practitioners from a number of higher education institutions (HEIs) outside the US, illustrating new and alternative approaches to student affairs practice within the global context. The authors define internationalization and inter cultural development, while supporting inter nationalization of home campuses. They encourage efforts for internationalization beyond study or travel abroad programs through professional development and graduate preparation programs. Moreover, they provide strategies for organizational change in US student affairs divisions and departments, supporting the internationalization of HEIs.

The intended audience for this book includes student affairs practitioners at various levels, international educators and administrators housed outside of traditional student affairs units, graduate students, faculty, US-trained practitioners working outside the US, and non-US faculty and staff educating students in a global environment.

In chapter 1, Yakaboski and Perozzi suggest creating policies and programs that support the internationalization of curriculum (IoC) inside the classroom and within cocurricular programs and services. Additionally, the authors recommend practices that support internationalization at home (IaH), where all students (domestic and international) are encouraged to develop international and intercultural competencies at their home campuses through varied coursework, purposeful social interactions, and local community engagement. The authors further suggest that student affairs graduate preparation program faculty should train students using culturally and globally inclusive frameworks.

In chapter 2, the authors recommend student affairs practitioners across all functional areas must educate students, staff, and faculty to develop inclusive, intercultural competencies that support their development as local and global citizens. Yakaboski and Perozzi also contend that student affairs practitioners should assist in the advancement of the acceptance of a pluralistic, multicultural society. To accomplish these goals, they note that it is crucial to connect the efforts for internationalization to issues within the local campus community to ensure that global learning supports IaH. According to cited research, this work will develop students’ critical analysis skills, enhance their ability to apply concepts beyond the US context, and create systemic change and access for all.

In chapter 3, Yakaboski and Perozzi discuss various intercultural and related competencies recommended for US student affairs. US SSAOs surveyed indicated that practitioners should have knowledge in the following areas: general international higher education and student affairs issues (91% of those surveyed agreed); cross-cultural communication abilities (90%); culturally appropriate and diverse advising and helping skills (85%); and culturally relevant and internationally diverse programs, services, policies, and practices (77%). The development of these professional competencies broadens our understanding of multiculturalism, social justice, and inclusion and should be emphasized in professional development and student affairs graduate preparation programs, according to the authors.

In chapter 4, Yakaboski and Perrozi recommend creating formal strategic plans, implementing organizational or divisional strategies, and incorporating international goals and learning objectives. The authors further endorse focusing on the IaH model as it offers a “both…and” approach where internationalization can be undertaken at any, some, or all of these levels: individual, departmental, divisional, and institutional. The authors cite an administrator at an HEI in Utrecht who stated: “There can’t be one office on campus that has responsibility for internationalization. … But you have created the environment, the ecosystem to actually sustain it and grow it. … [Internationalization] should be everywhere” (Yakaboski, 2017, p. 15).

In chapter 5, the authors recommend emphasizing global student learning outcomes through both academic and cocurricular avenues. They...