GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT TASK FORCE

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A task force was appointed to reimagine the role that the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) plays in informing

and shaping the future of global engagement at the University of Washington (UW). The task force met

regularly over the course of fall and winter quarters and held focus groups with faculty, staff, and students

from across campus.

The group’s work and engagement with campus stakeholders took place at a time of inflection both for the

UW broadly and for the OGA. The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly transformed UW’s model for teaching and

learning, it also put global travel including study abroad on hold, and underscored the importance of

administrative and social support structures needed for international students and researchers during a

major global crisis. The Black Lives Matter movement and a renewed call to action for greater focus on anti-

racist approaches to education prompted us to grapple with what it means for us to be globally engaged in

a way that confronts issues of racism and colonialism and is consistent with the UW’s overall approach to

diversity, equity and inclusion. These challenges and opportunities shaped our recommendations.

The key objectives and priorities for the future work of OGA that arose as common themes during our

discussions and consultations were as follows:

1. There is a strong desire for OGA to provide a space (real and virtual) for communities of scholars,

teachers, and students to gather around shared interests — from collaboration on research relating

to common themes or regions, to discussions around innovations in globally engaged teaching and

curriculum. In other words, there was a strong desire for OGA to shift its focus from being a

steward of policies and procedures to being a builder of global learning and research communities.

2. Consistently, our focus groups brought up the need for OGA to serve as a portal and ambassador

for stewarding and advancing institution-wide relationships with key global actors — from

international organizations, such as the UN and the World Bank, to key foundations and think tanks.

3. Many faculty, staff, and students expressed a desire for OGA to catalyze global teaching and

education beyond study abroad. Study abroad in its traditional form can only serve a small subset

of our students. We need to think beyond study abroad to ensure a global education for all.

4. While not the explicit focus of the task force’s work, the issue of diversity, equity and anti-racism

came up, especially when thinking about the global dimension of these topics. In addition to

thinking about how teaching and partnerships need to become more equitable and also based on

principles of anti-racism and diversity, it is apparent that OGA should identify and work to eliminate

the structural barriers that prevent many BIPOC faculty, staff, and students from leveraging its

services and programs.

5. Our discussions uncovered a clear tension between a top-down vs. bottom-up approach to global

engagement when it comes to cultivating international partnerships for research, teaching, and

student opportunities. The task force believes that OGA should continue to provide broad

administrative support (travel security, MOUs, etc.) for the myriad global partnerships but should

also invest more substantially in fewer, deeper, and bi-directional partnerships.

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The expected impact of developing and supporting initiatives aligned with these priorities would be a richer

ecosystem for global engagement both at the UW and nationally, a stronger, more inclusive and diverse

community that values ethical global engagement, empathetic future global leaders, greater societal and

scholarly impact, and a recognized global brand.

There is great enthusiasm for these new priorities and for creating more robust global engagement for the

UW, but we are mindful that this is a small office and has only gotten smaller. If the UW wishes to see itself

as a global institution with global reach and impact, then it needs to make further investments in the Office

of Global Affairs including the creation of and funding for additional staff positions.

Finally, there was enthusiasm for the UW at large to do more to support and connect our international

students which lies beyond the current scope of OGA responsibilities. There was particular interest in

addressing the UW’s fragmented approach to supporting and engaging with international students. A more

unified approach would deepen the involvement of international students in our campus community,

ensuring that their unique perspectives and experiences are valued and their unique concerns and

challenges better addressed.

BACKGROUND & PROCESS This fall, with the endorsement of the President and the Provost, the Vice Provost for Global Affairs

appointed a task force to reimagine the role that the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) at the University of

Washington (UW) plays in informing and shaping the future of global engagement at UW. (See Appendices A,

B, for background on OGA and its services).

The motivations for forming this group were:

The recognition of global shifts and challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the

heightened focus on addressing racism and colonialism in international engagement; and

The need to refresh the Office of Global Affairs’ vision and mission and reframe the programs and

services that the OGA offers to support global engagement.

The task force was charged with exploring the following questions and with developing a set of

recommendations for the future of the UW’s global engagement.

What does the OGA do well (outside of study abroad), and how might it improve or change/innovate

in these areas?

What are peer “Offices of Global Affairs” doing better or doing that we do not do? What might the

UW want to consider replicating?

What new global engagement initiatives might the UW undertake that would be unique to the UW

and its vision and strengths?

How can OGA most effectively support or partner with other UW units?

Are there additional gaps in the UW’s global engagement that need to be filled/addressed?

Anita Ramasastry, Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law, chaired the task force, working closely with Gayle

Christensen, Associate Vice Provost for Global Affairs, and Kathleen Hatch Allen, OGA Director of Strategic

Initiatives, on this project. The other six members for the task force were drawn from a cross section of

colleges and schools at the UW, with the recommendation and support of the Deans.

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The task force met regularly over the course of fall and winter quarters to assess and discuss the values and

mission of the OGA, to review the OGA services and signature initiatives, and to compare and contrast these

with those of peer institutions. The task force also held ten focus groups (Appendix C) with faculty, staff, and

students from across campus to discuss ways to improve existing services, and to explore what new

initiatives the OGA might undertake to catalyze global research, teaching, service, and student learning.

Summarized in this report and appendices are recommendations to refresh the vision for the OGA and to

reimagine the role of the OGA on campus.

NAME UNIT TITLE

Anita Ramasastry

(Chair)

School of Law Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law and the Director of

the Sustainable International Development Graduate

Program

Gayle Christensen Office of Global Affairs Associate Vice Provost for Global Affairs

Leela Fernandes Jackson School of International

Studies

Director, Stanley D. Golub Chair of International Studies

Debra Glassman Foster School of Business Teaching Professor of Finance and Business Economics

Stephanie

Harrington

College of the Environment Associate Dean, Administration

Joe Lott College of Education Associate Professor

Rebecca Neumann College of Engineering Associate Professor

Judd Walson School of Public Health & School

of Medicine

Vice Chair Global Health, Professor, Global Health,

Medicine (Allergy and Infectious Diseases), Pediatrics and

Epidemiology (Adjunct)

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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS The task force’s work and engagement with campus stakeholders took place at a time of inflection for the

University of Washington. The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly transformed education and teaching. Students

— both local and global — found themselves learning remotely. International students, due to visa

challenges and closed borders, were participating in classes and activities at UW virtually from their home

countries. Study abroad programs had been put on indefinite pause but new types of global learning and

education occurred virtually. With Black Lives Matter and a renewed call to action for greater focus on anti-

racist approaches to education, students, faculty and staff were grappling with what it means for students to

be globally engaged in a way that confronted issues of racism and colonialism. Finally, it became apparent

that many international students and researchers in Seattle lacked administrative and social support

structures during a major global crisis. These challenges and opportunities shaped the recommendations

included in this report.

The key objectives and priorities for the future work of the Office of Global Affairs that arose as common

themes during the task force discussions and consultations were as follows:

1. There is a strong desire for OGA to provide a space (real and virtual) for communities of scholars,

teachers, and students to gather around shared interests — from collaboration on research relating

to common themes or regions, to discussions around innovations in globally engaged teaching and

curriculum. In other words, there was a strong desire for OGA to shift its focus from being a

steward of policies and procedures to being a builder of global learning and research communities.

2. Consistently, our focus groups brought up the need for the OGA to serve as a portal and

ambassador for stewarding and advancing institution-wide relationships with key global actors —

from international organizations, such as the United Nations, to key foundations and think tanks.

The UW as an institution would likely have more success in developing stronger relationships with

such partners, if these relationships were maintained by the OGA, as a central administrative unit, as

opposed to on an ad hoc basis by individual faculty. This would also ensure that such relationships

were cultivated and maintained in a way that would highlight the broader strengths of UW.

3. Many faculty, staff, and students expressed a desire for the OGA to catalyze global teaching and

education beyond study abroad. Study abroad in its traditional form can only serve a small subset

of our students. We need to think beyond study abroad to ensure a global education for all. The

OGA needs to consider ways in which it can support global learning and teaching on campus here in

Seattle, in and with our local communities, and through deeper engagement with international

students. This will inevitably be more equitable, accessible, and sustainable.

4. While not the explicit focus of the task force’s work, the issue of diversity, equity and anti-racism

came up, especially when thinking about the global dimension of these topics. In addition to

thinking about how teaching and partnerships need to become more equitable and also based on

principles of anti-racism and diversity, it is apparent that OGA should identify and work to eliminate

the structural barriers that prevent many BIPOC faculty, staff, and students from leveraging its

services and programs. Thinking through how to spur a broader range of faculty, staff and students

in globally-engaged teaching and research should be both a university and an OGA priority.

5. Our discussions uncovered a clear tension between a top-down vs. bottom-up approach to global

engagement when it comes to cultivating international partnerships for research, teaching, and

student opportunities. Citing increasing resource limitations exacerbated by the economic fall out of

the pandemic, the group discussed the relative advantages of sprinkling small amounts of funds and

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administrative support without a declared focus versus explicitly focusing on fewer, sustained and

bi-directional, international partnerships. The task force believes that OGA should continue to

provide broad administrative support (travel security, MOUs, etc.) for the myriad global

partnerships but should also invest more substantially in fewer, deeper, and bi-directional

partnerships. Ultimately, this approach would reduce the barriers to entry and create synergies,

enabling a richer, more diverse group of faculty to get connected into global research and teaching

networks, as well as allowing newcomers to more easily partake in global activities. It would also

potentially create other efficiencies with respect to the deployment of resources. That being said,

many stakeholders expressed concerns that focusing on fewer and deeper partnerships with

respect to certain countries, regions, institutions or thematic areas can lead to inequitable

distributions of resources across campus, excluding or marginalizing ongoing activities in other

countries, regions, institutions or thematic areas.

Accordingly, OGA should seek ways to strike a balance between focusing on fewer and deeper

partnerships and letting a thousand flowers bloom. Some suggestions toward striking the correct

balance were offered. OGA could, for example, focus on developing best practices and case studies

around what conditions lead to stronger and deeper collaborations with institutions (i.e., what

allows some relationships to flourish while others languish). OGA might then identify those

institutional affiliations, which are more conducive to new engagements or activities, and OGA

might, in future, provide some sort of funding for new initiatives launched following best practices to

deepen relationships with already established university partners. The larger issue of whether the

UW should select key partners in different parts of the world could not be resolved by this task force

given the scope of its work. As a result, the task force recommends that OGA or the President’s

office commission a task force to specifically examine this issue of whether prioritization is desirable

and, if so, whether it can be done in an inclusive and equitable manner that would not privilege

certain well-resourced regions, thematic areas, departments, or opportunities to the exclusion of

other important opportunities.

The expected impact of developing and supporting initiatives aligned with these priorities would be

A richer ecosystem for global engagement both at the UW and nationally

A stronger, more inclusive and diverse community that values ethical, global engagement

Empathetic and ethical future global leaders — students equipped with intercultural competence

Greater societal and scholarly impact

UW has a recognized global brand

There is great enthusiasm for these newly defined roles and for creating more robust global engagement

for the university, but we are mindful that this is a small office and has only gotten smaller (reduced from

28.5 FTE to 20 FTE since January 2020). If the UW wishes to see itself as a global institution with global reach

and impact, then it needs to make further investments in the Office of Global Affairs including the creation

of and funding for additional staff positions.

Finally, there was enthusiasm for the UW at large to do more to support and connect our international

students which lies beyond the current scope of OGA responsibilities. There was particular interest in

addressing the UW’s fragmented approach to supporting and engaging with international students. A more

unified approach would deepen the involvement of international students in our campus community and to

ensure their unique perspectives and experiences are valued and their unique concerns and challenges

better addressed. A more detailed discussion of these themes are included in the ‘Other Recommendations’

section.

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VISION & VALUES OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT The task force commenced its work with refreshing our vision and values statements. There was a

subcommittee of the OGA Advisory Council working concurrently on revising and updating the University’s

Guidelines for Global Engagement. Those more detailed guidelines set the stage for our group’s discussions

and the refinement of our vision and values statements.

Vision Statement

UW engages globally for the benefit of our UW community and our communities locally, nationally and

internationally. We envision the UW as a positive force for change - educating, collaborating and engaging

across cultures, disciplines and borders to solve pressing global challenges and build intercultural

competence and understanding.

Core Values

We are guided by UW values of integrity, diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation, and respect. We

also encourage the UW community’s global engagement to be guided and motivated by the key values of

equitable partnership, continuous exploration and intellectual curiosity, impact, interdisciplinarity, social

justice, and equity.

Given this vision for global engagement, our group began to examine the Office of Global Affairs’ roles in

advancing this vision. How could the roles that it plays on and for campus link to the global impact that we

desire?

Discussion of OGA’s Roles

We decided to use the OGA’s roles as an organizing framework for our recommendations. Pulling from our

group discussions, peer benchmarking, and stakeholder input, we defined each role and discussed its

importance in advancing our vision.

Historically, OGA conceived of itself as serving four main roles:

Convener of faculty, staff, and students interested in ethical global engagement

Catalyst for global education, research, and service

Portal through which external stakeholders can access and engage with the UW community

Administrative guide to university rules and procedures governing study abroad, collaboration

with international scholars, the conduct of global research, and the design and nurturing of foreign

institutional partnerships

Discussions within the Task Force and with Focus Groups noted that there are four additional roles that the

office either does not currently play or that are not explicitly acknowledged. These roles are as follows:

Advocate for greater global engagement to UW Leadership and externally

Portal and ambassador (addition of ‘ambassador’) through which the UW students, faculty, and staff

can access and engage with external stakeholders and vice versa in a bi-directional manner

Reporter and storyteller collecting information and communicating the UW’s global story internally

and externally

Guide and supporter for ethical global engagement helping faculty, staff, and students adopt

best practices for ethical global engagement

Global travel risk and safety leader

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FRAMEW ORK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS W ITH RESPECT TO ROLES Our group used these roles as the framework for making recommendations. We have suggested an

overarching recommendation for each role, as well as a list of possible actions and activities, and we have

mapped these to outcomes.

Following the development of these recommendations, the task force convened to prioritize the

recommended actions and activities for OGA. There was consensus among the group about the top 11

highest priority items. These are represented in a bold, purple font below.

ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDE to university rules and procedures ...

The group emphasized the importance and appreciation of centralized MOU/MOA support and many of the other

general support services that OGA currently provides. There were no recommendations for this role outside of a

continuation of our current activities.

CONVENER of faculty, staff, and students interested in ethical global engagement

Overarching recommendation: Shift the OGA’s focus from building policy to building

community. OGA needs to play a more pronounced role as a convener and facilitator

on campus.

Actions/activities:

Organize cross-campus and cross-disciplinary gatherings and listservs

that connect faculty and staff engaging/teaching/conducting research in

the same regions and also on issues of common concern

− Bring groups together both around themes and regions

− Research/Region example: Make connections between social

sciences and natural sciences that are doing work on

campus or abroad in the same regions

− Research/Theme example: Convene groups of people that

can collaborate to solve global challenges and to respond to

emerging opportunities (could be funding); “If we are serious

about solving global challenges, then we do really need to

just sit in a room together and talk without funding as the

necessary outcome; creating community”

− Teaching/Theme example: Teaching about global issues of

racism, postcolonialism

− Convene a community around globalizing curriculum and global

teaching on campus to address a current gap.

− Topic example: Best practices for global teaching (i.e.

incorporating virtual international exchange in your course)

Possible model for convening faculty and staff: UC Berkeley BIG; Utah’s Global

U Council

Better capture who is going where, when, why, and share that information on

an easily accessible, public website.

− Examples: DEI data for study abroad participants; international MOU

and MOAs

Advertise our capacity to serve as a facility and utility for finding other

convenors within the UW

Outcomes

The sharing of best

practices for global

teaching, research and

engagement

An increase in global

courses, research

projects,

programs/initiatives,

and engagement

broadly

An increase in cross-

disciplinary and cross-

college collaborations

Greater feedback and

engagement with the

Office of Global Affairs

and its existing services

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CATALYST for global research, teaching, service, and student opportunities

Overarching recommendations:

Create processes, programs, and incentives that accelerate and stimulate

engagement beyond convening

Develop and support sustainable and enduring cross-campus collaborations

Be proactive instead of assuming faculty and staff will come to us. We need to

conduct more outreach (i.e. host a quarterly series on global education, using

technology, etc.); and develop/deepen campus partnerships (i.e. partnership

w/ CTL - host workshops in coordination)

Serve as a one-stop shop for global resources

− Examples might include: COIL/international virtual exchange

resources; security issues; funding resources; list of global

courses/activities/opportunities for students

Actions/activities: Global research

Focus efforts on building deeper, bi-directional, sustained partnerships

in key locations

− Identify key regions and partners - choose a few and invest more

substantially. This approach will pool resources and reduce the

barriers to entry, so that we can engage a richer, more diverse group

of faculty by connecting them into established global research and

teaching networks

Partner internally and externally to pool funds and resources for

catalyzing and seeding global engagement

− Use seed funding to reduce barriers to entry and deepens key

partnerships

Actions/activities: Global teaching

Stronger focus or emphasis on global teaching and funding for

incorporating intercultural, anticolonial, and antiracist learning into

curricula

Create a global degree designation and/or global certificates that help

catalyze incorporating global education into more curricula and incentivize

student engagement

− Ex: Foster MBA (‘INTL’ designation)

Actions/activities: Global student opportunities

Increase active outreach to underrepresented minority students and

other groups that often do not consider study abroad and/or other

global engagement

Further reduce financial barriers for students (i.e. increase scholarships

Devote time and resources to better understanding and supporting graduate

and professional students’ global engagement

Develop new models for international engagement and learning:

− Global learning locally and virtually

− International internships and career-connected learning

Engage with international students on our campus in renewed, new, and

different ways, including embracing and leveraging their perspectives and

experiences (additional recommendations regarding international students are

included below in a separate section)

Outcomes

Deeper, more

sustainable, bi-

directional international

partnerships

Reduced barriers to

entry and transaction

costs to faculty for

global engagement

A richer, more diverse

group of faculty are

connected into global

research and teaching

networks

Increased and more

equitable engagement

of students in global

learning; Investment in

future global leaders

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ADVOCATE for greater global engagement to UW Leadership and externally

Overarching recommendation: OGA should play an advocacy role for international

education and engagement for internal (UW leadership) and external audiences. OGA

needs to be a vocal advocate for pulling people together around a vision for what the

University could be doing globally.

Actions/activities:

Advocate at the state or other levels around issues like global security;

possibly convene a group to go to Olympia to advocate, etc.

Develop an annual report of the UW’s global engagement

− Summarize what are we doing, what is the impact, what is coming

next

− Feature global research, partnerships, teaching, and students (i.e.

international, study abroad, etc.)

− Report could be used for internal (i.e. UW Leadership,

administrators, faculty) and external audiences (i.e. donors, partners)

− Example report: UW Austin’s Global Engagement Report 2018-2020

Outcomes

Greater awareness of

UW’s global work and

impact

A strengthened global

brand

Increased internal and

external resources for

global engagement

PORTAL AND AMBASSADOR through which the UW students, faculty, and staff can access and

engage with external stakeholders and vice versa

Overarching recommendation: Move beyond a one-way portal through which external

partners approach the UW (i.e. visiting delegations) to a two-way portal through which

UW engages and builds relationships with external partners.

Actions/activities:

Create safeguards for engagement in regions that are difficult for

individual faculty and departments to build relationships with on their

own (e.g., issues around engaging w/ China given various federal

restrictions)

Steward and deepen relationships with other academic institutions, building

institution to institution relationships that extend beyond individual faculty

and departments

Build and better leverage the UW’s global alumni network beyond

advancement

− Establish speakers bureaus on global issues

− Leverage this network to create global internship opportunities

Steward relationships between the UW and major global organizations like

the World Bank and the UN. Currently faculty have to use their own networks

to develop their connections with these global institutions, but it would be of

great service to have institution-wide relationship stewardship and

coordination to help secure research funding, grants, and internships

Outcomes

Deeper, multi-

disciplinary

relationships w/

academic institutions

globally

Centrally stewarded

relationships with

major global

organizations

Increased engagement

with international

alumni communities

Greater opportunities

for students to engage

in service, research, and

project-based/career-

connected learning

REPORTER & STORYTELLER collecting information and communicating the UW’s global story

internally and externally

Overarching recommendation: Maintain and enhance the UW’s global reputation,

including for admissions of international students, through marketing and storytelling.

Develop the global brand of the UW through coordinated central marketing efforts.

Outcomes

Greater awareness of

UW’s global work

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Actions/activities:

Engage with individual units so as to amplify global stories and make

sure that the breadth and depth of UW global engagement is visible; Use

reporting and storytelling as a ‘critical enabler’ of programs for impact

Maintain relationships with central marketing/communications for global

stories in the broader media

Connect storytelling to the University’s advancement goals

Create and disseminate an annual report. See additional comments about the

annual report above.

Note: The group noted that there are gaps in our efforts to recruit and engage (and

support) international students both at the graduate and undergraduate levels that

need to be addressed, but not necessarily by OGA.

A strengthened global

brand

Increased internal and

external resources for

global engagement

Increased international

student applications

and enrollment

Enhance advocacy

efforts

GUIDE & SUPPORTER OF ETHICAL GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT for faculty, staff, and students seeking

advice and best practices for ethical global engagement

Overarching recommendation: Establish the UW as a forward looking and leading

institution in imagining the future of ethical global engagement

Actions/activities:

Develop and include a module/unit on global ethical engagement in the

Freshman orientation for the UW

Consider establishing a Global Ethics Review committee that would

provide advice to faculty who are developing research, service, or

teaching opportunities abroad and review and respond to issues as they

arise

Revisit and update our study abroad orientations to raise awareness

among students around ethical engagement (Look at the global health

mandatory orientation for students)

Create space for discussions around envisioning what global engagement will

look like in the future

Identify ambassadors or focal points in different schools, colleges,

departments

Disseminate broadly the (newly updated) guidelines for ethical global

engagement; Include guidelines as a checkpoint for engagement (i.e. have

you reviewed our guidelines before applying for GIF funding or before

proposing an international MOU/MOA)

Globalize what is read and taught on campus; part of this is advocacy - we

have identified this as an issue - how do we rethink our curriculum to better

use materials written in other languages and cultural/historical contexts

Outcomes

Greater awareness of

the principles, values

and best practices for

ethical global

engagement

More bi-directional

partnerships

More sustainable and

equitable engagement

Empathetic and ethical

future global leaders

GLOBAL TRAVEL RISK AND SAFETY LEADER

The group emphasized the importance and appreciation of the global travel risk and

safety services that OGA currently provides. All recommendations for this role

centered on a need for more: more support (i.e. more than one staff member) and

more outreach to raise awareness.

Continue the practice of thinking about global engagement from a risk mitigation

versus a risk aversion experience

Outcomes

Greater awareness of

travel safety and

security program

Safer and more

prepared travelers

Mitigated risk

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OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS In addition to the recommendations directed at OGA, there are two other priority areas which the task force

and stakeholders identified as vital to UW being a vibrant globally-engaged university.

The first is deeper engagement with and greater support for international students on campus. At present,

the services and support for international students is fragmented and dispersed across different units from

Student Life to International Student Services to the Center for International Relations and Cultural

Leadership Exchange (CIRCLE) as well as across colleges and/or units. This is particularly true and

challenging for international graduate students. A more unified approach would deepen the involvement of

international students in our campus community and to ensure their unique perspectives and experiences

are valued and their unique concerns and challenges better addressed.

There may be a collaborative role for OGA to play in the following recommendations, but other units would

likely need to take on leadership roles. The task force recommends the following:

Conducting a 360 review of the urgent support needed for international students (undergraduate

and graduate) with the goal of better understanding where there are gaps and also where there

might be opportunities for new and innovative approaches to including them into our UW

community

Providing additional resources for CIRCLE. As best as we can tell CIRCLE is the one office at UW

dedicated to supporting international students and the challenges they may face living and studying

at UW. These are diverse – from challenges of registration during a pandemic from overseas, to

issues of seeking support when studying away from their home country. CIRCLE is a lightly-staffed

venture that is certainly achieving remarkable things, primarily for undergraduate students, but

would benefit from having more dedicated staff members who could support a broader range of

students. There is also a group of more newly arrived students who are refugees/asylees and who

while technically “resident” are experiencing many challenges of navigating a new university and

new country

Thinking more about how to better connect our campus community with international students -

we need to do more to embrace and leverage the diversity of experiences and perspectives they

offer

The second area is UW engaging in a more concerted and coordinated effort (emanating from central

parts of campus) to create global admissions strategies and campaigns to recruit international students

and researchers. Many focus group participants noted it would be helpful to recruitment efforts if there

were joint marketing materials, such as a joint website, for international students seeking to study at UW.

This would also help to raise our profile in key regions where individual departments may not be able to

recruit directly due to lack of resources. This would also have the benefit of reinforcing UW’s global brand –

and build on our ranking as a leading global university. A related recommendation is for there to be more

deliberate marketing focused on recruitment and admissions material produced in a centralized manner.

This might involve a new unit of UW undergrad admissions or marketing and communications- but there

was a strong desire for us to have a more clear common recruitment strategy.

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NEXT STEPS The OGA team plans to engage in a strategic planning exercise over Summer Quarter 2021 to refresh its

mission and strategic priorities in light of these findings and recommendations. The team may also develop

case studies, as appropriate,to be used as tools and/or to raise issues, generate ideas, and solve problems

related to the actions/activities listed in the framework.

OGA’s ability to engage in implementing these recommendations is highly contingent on resources,

particularly on staff time and capacity. Given staff capacity constraints, one of our next steps will need to be

an evaluation of required resources including staffing and a further prioritization of the actions/activities

bolded in the chart above.

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APPENDICES APPENDIX A: OGA HISTORY

The UW Office of Global Affairs (OGA) was established in 2005 as the central administrative unit that

provides support services for globally engaged faculty, staff, and students, as well as for the institution at

large. The OGA was formed in response to the rapid increase in global research and student opportunities

at the UW in the years leading up to 2005 and the correlating need for more central support.

Prior to 2005, most international activities were managed locally by schools and colleges and their individual

faculty with minimal central support. At that time, any central support was administered by then Vice

Provost Steve Olswang, with student opportunities facilitated through the Office of International Programs

& Exchanges (IPE). For many years, this was the extent of the University's centralized global affairs

operation.

The Office of Global Affairs was formally established in 2005 with Susan Jeffords as Vice Provost for Global

Affairs. In 2008, Vice Provost Jeffords assumed the position of Vice Chancellor at UW Bothell, and OGA

administrative oversight was handled by the Executive Vice Provost Doug Wadden. In 2009, an internal

search was conducted and Steve Hanson, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Ellison Center for

Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, was appointed as the next Vice Provost. With Steve

Hanson's departure in July 2011, the Executive Vice Provost has resumed interim administrative

responsibility for OGA. In 2012, an external search was conducted and Jeffrey Riedinger was appointed as

the next Vice Provost for Global Affairs. Jeffrey Riedinger came to the University of Washington from

Michigan State University, where he had previously served as Dean of International Studies and Programs.

The composition, functions, and structure of the OGA have evolved over the years, with several major

changes taking place. Some of the most important changes are outlined below.

The critical Global Travel Security Manager (formerly Travel Security Information Manager) position was

established in 2009. The GTSM serves as the central coordinator to handle emergency situations that may

occur while faculty, staff, and students are engaged in UW sponsored international programs and activities.

Additionally, OGA continues to be a key collaborator with the UW Global Support Project Group to assess,

develop and implement guidelines, policy, and procedures that enhance and support international activities

carried out by schools, colleges, faculty, staff, and students.

UW Rome Center Operations were transferred from the College of Built Environments to OGA in July 2009.

The UW Rome Center (the Palazzo Pio located in the Campo de Fiori) is an active facility of studios, offices

and apartments. It has undergone an extensive review in order to establish a business plan that will make it

self-sustaining over time. Currently, over 400 students participate in programs conducted at the Rome

Center each year.

In 2012, following Jeffrey Riedinger’s hiring, the Office of International Programs & Exchanges was renamed

the Study Abroad Office. At this time, the OGA also added two additional functions and two additional FTE to

support them. The Agreement & Partnerships Administrator position was established as the clearing house,

record keeper, and steward for establishment and renewal of formal agreements, binding and non-binding,

with international partners. The Director for Global Marketing and Communications position was

established to support internal and external communications regarding the UW’s global impact, global

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research and student opportunities at the UW, global crises affecting UW faculty, staff, and students abroad,

and changes to administrative policies.

In 2014, the OGA launched the Global Innovation Fund (GIF) to advance interdisciplinarity. GIF supports

transformative cross-college, cross-continent research collaborations and global Husky Experiences. GIF

currently has separate award cycles for faculty research abroad, for study abroad programs, and for adding

global modules, projects, or innovations to the learning experience at the UW.

In 2009, in partnership with the Seattle School District and Education Alliance, the Washington State

Confucius Institute and UW Confucius Office were established and funded by the Chinese Hanban. In 2019,

the UW closed the UW Confucius Office in order to apply to serve as a U.S. Department of Defense-funded

Chinese Language Flagship Program for the 2020-2024 cycle.

More recently, the pandemic has created severe financial challenges for the OGA, much of which is self-

sustaining and therefore funded solely by student fees. This has forced the OGA to make some very difficult

staffing decisions. As of October 15, 2020, OGA staffing has been reduced to 20 from 28.5.

The OGA is currently composed of a central administrative office (5 FTE), the Study Abroad Office (~14 FTE),

and the UW Rome Center operations (1 FTE).

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APPENDIX B: OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SERVICES & PROGRAMS

Research & Teaching Support

Global Innovation Fund

Seed funding for faculty research and exchanges; conferences and workshops; study abroad programming; and

international strategic collaborations.

First research and study abroad cycles were held in 2014, total of $1.3 million awarded

Held first Teaching & Curriculum award cycle in 2020

Continued applications each year indicate interest and need for such funding

Student Programs & Services

Study Abroad

Study abroad partners across campus to enhance access to global opportunities, working with faculty and

academic advisers to help create global learning, research, and internship opportunities tailored to the needs of

students and departments

We offer 500 program options in 75 countries. Program types include faculty-led, university exchanges,

international internships, program providers, and independent study. Programs range in length from one week

to one year and are offered in a wide variety of disciplines

Last year 2600+ students studied abroad, and we aim to serve 3000+ by 2023

Global Opportunities Scholarships

We awarded $1million in study abroad scholarships in 2018-2019, benefiting close to 400 students. This is up

from just 120 awardees in 2013-2014

Just under 50% of Pell Grant-eligible applicants were offered a scholarship in 2018-2019

UW Rome Center

Housed in a 15th century palazzo, the UW Rome Center provides unparalleled teaching, learning, and facilities

as well as highly-trained local support staff

UWRC hosts 400+ students across 30+ programs annually

The center is currently undergoing renovations

General Support Services

Agreements & Partnerships

OGA provides guidance and assistance for international agreements surrounding global initiatives and

partnerships, student and faculty exchanges, dual degree programs, research, and more

Currently supporting over 350+ active international agreements at UW

Delegation Visits

Support for academic units exploring or engaged in partnerships with non-US universities, government

agencies, and NGOs

Assistance with planning for visits by international delegations

24 delegations in 2019 including visits by the Premier of British Columbia, Presidential delegations from six

universities, and delegations from the embassies of Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia.

Global Travel Security

This program provides tools and information to help UW students, faculty, and staff manage their health, safety, and

security abroad, including international insurance and the UW Travel Registry

We manage emergencies abroad and are available 24/7 to assist UW students and employees

OGA convenes and manages the International Travel Risk Assessment and Safety Committee (ITRASC)

ITRASC approved 267 student travel waivers in 2019 and 157 in 2018

President & Provost Global Engagement

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OGA provides guidance and support for the President and Provost’s strategic global engagement and handles

briefings and logistics for global travel and events.

UW Global Marketing & Communications

OGA manages the UW Global Website, a resource for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners interested in

global study, research, or collaboration

We organize UW Global Month and other campus-wide events

We also set strategy for and engage in broader UW global communications including crisis communications

Global Dashboards: Our global engagement data visualizes the UW’s international activities and collaborations.

Note: to access these global dashboards, you must be logged into a VPN (Husky OnNet)

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APPENDIX C: FOCUS GROUPS & STAKEHOLDER INPUT

The Task Force held ten focus groups with faculty, staff, and students from across campus and additional

discussions with members of the OGA Advisory Council. The objectives of these discussions were:

Learning why ethical global engagement is important to members our university community and

what their interests, goals and objectives are with respect to global engagement

Understanding how OGA can better partner with the university community to further their global

engagement and support their response to recent global shifts

Discussing how OGA might improve existing services, and exploring what new initiatives it might

undertake to catalyze global research, teaching, service, and student learning

The following faculty and staff members participated in these discussions:

Administrative/Other/OGA Advisory Council

Judith Henchy, Head, Southeast Asia Section, UW

Libraries

Sandra Janusch, Assistant Vice Provost,

International and English Language Program,

Continuum College

Felipe Martinez, Executive Director, CIRCLE

Juliana Villegas, Associate Director, University

Honors Program

Kristian Wiles, Interim Assistant Vice President for

Student Success, OMAD

College of Arts & Sciences

Nadine Fabbi, Managing Director of the Canadian

Studies Center and Arctic & International Relations

Sabine Lang, Professor of International and

European Studies

Sabine Wilke, Joff Hanauer Distinguished Professor

in Western Civilization and Professor of German

Tamara Leonard, Managing Director, Center for

Global Studies

Andrew Nestigen, Department Chair, Professor,

Scandinavian Studies

Ellen Eskenazi, Associate Director, Japan Studies

Program

Kristin Roundtree, Director, East Asia Resource

Center

Samuel Wasser, Endowed Chair, Conservation

Biology; Director, Center for Conservation Biology

Tony (José Antonio) Lucero, Program Chair and

Associate Professor, Latin American and Caribbean

Studies

Emma Aronoff-Aspaturian, Undergraduate Student,

CHID

Asta Kristina Tautuvydas Wylie, Undergraduate

Student, CHID

Janick Gold, Undergraduate Student, JSIS

Taishi Walden, Undergraduate Student, JSIS

College of Built Environments

Dan Abramson, Associate Professor

College of Engineering

Sarah Copolla, Assistant Teaching Professor,

Human Centered Design & Engineering

Dan Ratner, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs,

College of Engineering

Mike Engh, Assistant Director, Policy &

Administration

Yumei Ye, Postdoctoral Fellow

College of the Environment

James Murray, Professor Emeritus, Chemical

Oceanography

Bruce Nelson, Associate Dean for Research

Daniel Brown, Professor and Director, School of

Environmental and Forest Resources

Gordon Holtgrieve, Assistant Professor, School of

Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

Joseph Resing, Research Scientist, Cooperative

Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies

Kerry Naish, Professor and Director, Marine Biology

Ben Packard, Executive Director, EarthLab

Renata Bura, Professor, School of Environmental

and Forest Resources

Evans School of Public Policy

Akhtar Badshah, Lecturer

Alison Cullen, Endowed Professor, Environmental

Policy

Leigh Anderson, Professor for Humanitarian

Action, International Development, and Global

Citizenship

Liz Steen, Program Assistant Director, International

Program in Public Health Leadership

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Foster School of Business

Andrew Hafenbrack, Assistant Professor

of Management & Organization

Randell Hernadez, Director of Admissions

Stephan Siegel, Professor of Finance and Business

Economics

Deanna Fryhle, CISB Program Manager

James Zheng, Senior Program Manager in Executive

Education

Kristen Aoyama, Director, Global Business Center

Samantha Buhr, Director, Strategic Consulting

Programs

Wendy Guild, Assistant Dean of Full Time, Evening,

and Global MBA Programs

Paul Frogley, Director of Corporate Engagement

Information School

Matthew Saxton, Associate Dean for Academics

Daniel Kryger, Doctoral Student

Charlie Frahm, Master’s Student

School of Education

Tomas Rocha, Assistant Professor, Educational

Foundations, Leadership & Policy

Nancy Hertzog, Professor, Learning Sciences &

Human Development

Geneva Gay, Professor

Daniela Acuna, Master’s Student

Ziyan Bai, Doctoral Student

School of Dentistry

Ana Lucia Seminario, Assistant Professor

School of Law

Jennifer Lenga-Long, Associate Director of the

Graduate Program in Sustainable International

Development

Hugh Spitzer, Professor of Law

Dana Raigrodski, Director of the General Law LL. M.

program

Jessica West, Assistant Dean of Academic Success

Programs

Terry Price, Executive Director, Graduate Education

School of Social Work

Stan de Mello, Assistant Teaching Professor

Khalfani Mwamba, Assistant Teaching Professor

School of Pharmacy

Andy Stergachis, Associate Dean for Research,

Graduate Programs and New Initiatives

Schools of Public Health, Medicine, & Nursing

Daren Wade, Director of International Experiences

and Career Resources, Global Health

Susan Graham, Associate Chair, Global Health

Joe Zunt, Professor, Global Health

Judith Wasserheit, Chair, Global Health

Kristen Greene, Program Manager, IHME

Maneesh Batra, Associate Director, Pediatrics

Residency Program

Pamela Collins, Professor, Global Health

Sarah Gimbel, Co-director, Center for Global Health

Nursing

Shelly Tonge-Seymour, Associate Director, I-TECH

Ruanne Barnabas, Associate Professor, Global

Health

Jeremy Hess, Professor, Global Health