PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Few would disagree that citizens, businesses, and governments at all levels increasingly are affected by globalization of the economic, cultural, social, political, and communication arenas within which we operate on a daily basis. The proposed UWM Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies will focus on international leadership training for persons operating in the dynamic and global business environment of the 21st century. It is expected that this degree program, jointly developed and jointly offered by the College of Letters and Science and the School of Business Administration and combining the strengths of both a liberal arts and a business education, will become the paradigm for global leadership education and training in the State of Wisconsin.
Course work will include geopolitics, political risk analysis, macroeconomics, four years of contemporary language and current culture, diplomacy and negotiation, a full sequence of business courses designed to cover the functional areas of management within a global environment (i.e., international marketing, international leadership, international financial management, etc.), and a strong emphasis on and concentration in communication skills. The business courses, at the minimum, will meet the requirements of a business minor and fulfill background preparation/foundation course work needed to begin an MBA degree. New courses will be designed with the objectives of the BAGS degree at their foundation. It is anticipated that several of these new courses will be interdisciplinary and team taught, both by current and by newly recruited research-oriented faculty members.
In addition to the requirement of four years of foreign language and culture studies, unique to the BAGS program is the requirement that students spend at least one semester in a study abroad program. In addition, they must engage in an international internship, preferably abroad, but possibly within the United States in the international divisions of multinational corporations. The BAGS program of study will provide the necessary foundation for professionals to meet the challenges of conducting business from a position of knowledge concerning the various economic, political, and cultural factors and management practices that increasingly influence the functioning of interdependent global markets.
CONTEXT
4.1 History of Program:
The origins of the proposed BA in Global Studies are to be found in the expansion of international studies teaching and research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. UWM's Title VI Center for International Studies was established in 1991. With funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the Center strengthened the L&S Interdisciplinary Major in International Studies, made grants for curriculum development to dozens of faculty members from various schools and colleges, provided leadership for the reform and enhancement of foreign language instruction, and contributed to the expansion of study abroad and affiliations with overseas universities. US/ED and other grants received by the Center, all earned in peer review competition, thus far have brought about $2.5 million to UWM.
With special funding from the State, the School of Business Administration established an International Business Center in 1985. It has been involved in three major areas of activity: the internationalization of the Business School curriculum; the development and implementation of executive education programs and seminars; and the provision of services to assist firms and government agencies in analyzing and solving organizational and management problems with international dimensions. A new area of concentration in international business was introduced to the MS in Management program in Fall 1987; a new undergraduate Certificate in International Business was introduced in Spring 1999. The Business School, through the Center, also has developed active student exchange programs with ESSEC (Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) in France and currently is working to establish similar programs with Keimyung University (Korea), the Graduate School of Management-IECS Strasbourg-Universite Robert Schuman (France), and the University of Birmingham (England).
Another phase was begun in 1996-97 when the Dean of the College of Letters and Science (L&S) initiated an "Internationalization Across the College" program. Prominent among the accomplishments of this initiative was a new structure for the administration of foreign language teaching and new requirements, including an international studies requirement, for the L&S degree. Equally important, if not more so, the Dean appointed a committee on internationalization that produced a comprehensive report and made numerous recommendations, many of which currently are being implemented. A number of grant proposals were written and submitted in an effort to increase resources for this initiative. Although not all were successful, this effort did produce significant funding for several new international programs.
In 1997-98, the School of Business Administration (SBA) and the College of Letters & Science began an active partnership to promote international studies. During the past year, L&S and SBA have worked together on many projects relating to international studies. They include joint projects relating to teaching, research, and community outreach.
4.2 Instructional Setting of Program:
The BA in Global Studies will be administered jointly by the College of Letters and Science (L&S) and the School of Business Administration (SBA). The initial design and all future changes to the proposed program will be developed and approved by both L&S and SBA faculty. Course work will be drawn partly from existing courses in L&S departments and in the SBA. It is anticipated, however, that a number of new, innovative, courses, some of which will be cooperative, also will be developed, including courses in cross-cultural management, international communication, global political economy, etc.
4.3 Relation to Mission Statement and Institutional Academic Planning
"Our education system, from K-12 through graduate schools, is not currently organized to produce citizens and business leaders equipped to succeed in a global economy . . .. Though some schools provide some elements of international business education, we need a post-secondary system capable of providing practical international business training .... Wisconsin business leaders need our ...colleges and universities to prepare graduates for executive leadership in international business development .... Unhappily, there is no coherent statewide strategy guiding the development of these efforts, and no-mechanism currently exists for making resources accessible to the business community." - Report of Governor Thompson's Wisconsin Export Strategy Commission, 1994
Echoing this report, Wisconsin business leaders have continued to voice frustration over the lack of international educational programming and services to meet their many urgent needs in our rapidly changing global economy. The UW System Survey of Wisconsin Businesses, conducted in 1995, documented these needs among businesses statewide and in Southeast Milwaukee, in particular. The Strategic Plan for Business Education in the UW System, adopted by the Board of Regents in 1996, calls for the development of high quality international programs and services to serve Wisconsin businesses. Wisconsin International Trade Council (WITCO) was asked by the Governor to make further recommendations in this regard.
Through a unique collaborative approach, the proposed BA in Global Studies will offer the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee an opportunity to utilize the advantages of its intellectual resources, urban setting, and strategic alliances with the Wisconsin business community to address these challenges.
The mission of BA in Global Studies is to enable the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to respond in dynamic and innovative ways to the international educational needs of its students. The proposed BA in Global Studies will strengthen ties to and support the Wisconsin business and professional communities through the program's internship requirement and by graduating students who are qualified to work and live in a global world.
4.4 Institutional Enrollment Management:
This program is expected to attract Wisconsin students who otherwise would seek specialized international education through programs outside the State. It is anticipated that area businesses may encourage and support employees to pursue the degree to increase their value to the company. Because international specialty degree programs at the undergraduate level are not numerous, students in surrounding states also may enroll.
4.5 Comparable Programs Elsewhere in Wisconsin: none
4.6 Comparable Programs Outside Wisconsin (as applicable):
While specialized internationally focused degrees are not uncommon at the graduate (particularly master's) level, they are uncommon at the undergraduate level. There are numerous masters programs in international studies, within the State and elsewhere, but baccalaureate degree programs are few. One of the best known is offered through "The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University," which was founded in 1919. The Georgetown University program requires that students pass a proficiency examination in a foreign language, but the level of proficiency is generally equivalent to two years of college course work. The UWM proposed program would ensure a higher level of language competency through four years of required language study.
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