Undergraduate Global Education: Issues for Faculty, Staff, and Students

Book by: Ann Highum (Ed.)
Review By: Kathryn Timm
Graduate Assistant, College of Community and Public Services Undergraduate Advising Center
Grand Valley State University

The collection of articles in Undergraduate Global Education: Issues for Faculty, Staff, and Students offers a wealth of diverse, relevant perspectives on the administration of global education in an undergraduate context for those who have an interest, would like to get involved, or want to improve existing programs. With topics that range from global professional development to risk management for study abroad programs, this book pertains to a large breadth of potential readers such as advisors, faculty, administrators, and student affairs professionals. 

Undergraduate Global Education: Issues for Faculty, Staff, and Students consists of ten easy to read articles no longer than ten pages each. The authors of this text present a nice range of perspectives from a variety of backgrounds including residence life, student life, academia, and international education. While this book does cover some dry (though important) topics such as standards for best practice, most of the authors implement a narrative approach, including first-hand testimonies and real-world examples that catch the reader’s attention. With a variety of resources incorporated throughout the text, this work serves as a handbook or quick pocket reference for international higher education. In this sense, the book has value as a whole and also at an individual chapter level for those who seek to gain knowledge on a particular topic of interest.

This book is certainly a worthwhile read for advisors and other student affairs professionals. The third chapter will interest anyone in student affairs who is considering global professional development. It offers encouragement, citing Fulbright programs (p. 25) and international conferences (p. 26) as opportunities for anyone at any level to gain global perspective in higher education. Considerations for study abroad and international internship learning outcomes (chapters 4 & 9) and advice for how to help students cope with culture shock after returning home (chapter 7) could benefit advisors who endeavor to support students before, during, and after their study abroad experience. For advisors who have interest in working with a faculty member on a program, this book offers clear, concrete advice and standards for program design and implementation. For example, in regards to risk management, this book names potential stakeholders to consult such as legal counsel, public relations, and local medical staff (p. 45).

To conclude, this text would be an excellent addition to an academic advisor’s library. It is an up-to-date resource with excellent advice and information for those who have an interest in high impact practices for themselves and their students. Though many of the perspectives in the book come from an administrative and small private college campus context, the real-world narratives and examples should, at the very least, still serve as inspiration for those who want to contribute to the global culture of their own campus.

Undergraduate Global Education: Issues for Faculty, Staff, and Students (2014). Book by Ann Highum (Ed.). Review by Kathryn Timm. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 112 pp., $23.99 (Paperback). ISBN 978-1-118-91505-9