Ideas for Future Collaboration and Exchanges

The visit in the summer of 2005 of a contingent of UMass representatives from the campuses of Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell to the many universities in the Hessen system led to a wide range of ideas for projects of mutual benefit.

Briefly, we describe them here.

Initiative: Database on Faculty Research Activities and Interests

UMass has already developed a prototype exchange/study abroad /research web database and web communication tool. Hessen has, in parallel, developed a database emphasizing the processes for our student exchange. Next, coordinating groups will work together to focus these tools on specific areas of interest and need.

Initiative: Process and Protocol for matching advanced graduate students with research opportunities in other country

We will respond to growing interest in both Massachusetts and Hessen for advanced graduate students to work in research labs or studios in the other country for shorter or longer periods of time. Mutual interests will be explored based on specific partnering between faculty colleagues who have related research interests in UMass and Hessen. Web-based communications as well as personal contacts will enable "match-making" to occur.

A protocol will be developed to formalize procedures, costs, and responsibilities specifically in exchanges of faculty and advanced student researchers. University-to-university, college-to-college, and department-to-department interests that will develop, leading to specific partnership exchanges between research faculty.

Initiative: Process and Protocol for developing faculty exchanges

Faculty exchanges can take many forms, from short-term lecture opportunities in a sister university to longer-term sabbatical-based visiting professorships, as well as research-based interactions and visits. The growing list of UMass faculty who have done short-term visits to Hessen exemplifies the interest and impact of these activities. The web tool will assist in "match-making" and a protocol will be developed to formalize procedures, costs, and responsibilities.

Initiative: Process and Protocol for developing internship opportunities

Both undergraduate and graduate students are eager for enriched international opportunities for internships. We will develop procedures for linking opportunities in industries that employ graduates of our two systems and whose employees work in partnership with our respective faculties.

Initiative: Maintain and develop short-term exchange opportunities

A growing list of opportunities exists: the ISUs; the IWU (Kassel Engineering); Bachelor's English (Marburg); Business-Frankfurt. We will organize an umbrella function to maintain the active list of programs and contacts; recruit students; link prospective students to programs of choice; interface with departments for advising and approvals and with administrative offices like financial aid through the Study Abroad Office (Kevin Curow); actively promote specific relationships with specific ISUs. Bronstad/Golen take the lead, with administrative support from Curow and the Exchange Administrator.

We hope to develop college-to-college interests that will lead to specific themes for future ISUs. This is work for the specific meetings at the 2006 Summer Visit.

Associated with these opportunities is a UMass Dartmouth program to encourage new students to study German as a Humanities requirement, so they are prepared to benefit later from a variety of opportunities. Each College is developing an advising plan.

Initiative: Protocol for Across-Continents Team Teaching of Courses

We have piloted a successful design for Massachusetts-Hessen team teaching of courses. For example, UMass Dartmouth Public Policy Professor Clyde Barrow guest-taught in a number of classes in Kassel in the Summer of 2005. Considerable enthusiasm has been expressed for a specific team-teaching exchange model. Two professors will partner in teaching parallel courses, one in the Hessen university and one on the UMass campus, on related subject matter but applied in the contexts of Germany on the one hand and the United States on the other. The partnering UMass professor will join the Hessen-based class during either our January break or late May/Early June; and the Hessen professor will join the UMass class during the February/March Hessen break period.

Initiative: Develop alumni support groups

Program graduates and students who have gone on exchange will be encouraged to retain continuing identity as a group and to support the next generations of exchange students and researchers. They can help by returning to their campuses and doing presentations about their experiences; by advising new students; by assisting with internship opportunities in their places of employment after they graduate; and by fund-raising. A UMass Dartmouth international planning group is working to develop these ideas.