About the Global Learning Initiative

The actions of the Global Learning Initiative (GLI) are directed by the collaboration between faculty, staff, and students to create empowering, rich curricula that allow our graduates to succeed and flourish in an ever-changing and internationalized world.

GLI facilitates, sponsors, and organizes collaborative programming in which Northern Arizona University faculty, staff, and students develop meaningful learning experiences filtered through an international lens at the college, program, and course levels.

Through the efforts of GLI, NAU will:

  1. Develop new, internationally-focused undergraduate and graduate curricula, learning experiences, and pedagogies at both the program (departmental) and course levels.
  2. Increase the impact and awareness of our scholarship—both on campus and nationally—for these internationally-focused programs and courses.
  3. Assess the impact of GLI’s initiatives, based upon the stated GLI mission and outcomes.

Background

In spring 2008, a subcommittee of the Taskforce on Global Education—consisting of more than 40 faculty and co-curricular professionals representing all colleges and major divisions within the university—drafted the GLI to transform NAU into a globally-focused campus, and to prepare our graduates to successfully navigate the challenges of a complex, international world.

GLI was adopted by the faculty senate in 2010 and established three university-level thematic student learning outcomes on Diversity, Sustainability, and Global Engagement for all of NAU’s undergraduate programs and the Liberal Studies Program. The efforts of the GLI culminated in NAU earning the prestigious Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization in 2012.