The Xavier University of Louisiana Global Awareness Committee is charged with promoting and sustaining outstanding opportunities for students at Xavier to “prepare students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society” (excerpt from Xavier Mission Statement).

The Global Awareness Committee consists of faculty, students, and administrative staff appointed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.  The Committee serves as an advisory board to the Center for Intercultural and International Programs (CIIP), engages in regularly scheduled strategic planning in the intercultural and international arena and promotes global awareness on campus.  Members are appointed on the basis of their interest and expertise in intercultural and international matters.  An attempt is made to maintain a membership which is broadly representative of disciplines across the curriculum.  The committee meets once a month during the academic year.

In support of the Xavier Center for Intercultural and International Programs (CIIP), the Committee is charged:

1. To promote student participation in study abroad and exchange programs through, for example, making recommendations about requirements/ expectations/ opportunities that would encourage students to take advantage of such programs, working with your own departments and related programs to build study abroad as an option that does not slow student progress toward graduation, and/or recommending policies and practices to encourage more Xavier students to study abroad;
2. To work with departments and programs to identify ways in the curriculum to develop student knowledge and skills related to participation in a global society through, for example, articulating learning outcomes related to the knowledge and skills for intercultural literacy that we could expect of Xavier graduates, and/or recommending a range of curricular approaches for preparing students for global communities;
3. To consider what professional development is needed by faculty and staff to increase their own knowledge and skills related to participation in global communities through, for example, proposing on-campus professional development opportunities as well as travel opportunities, encouraging participation in study opportunities, and/or proposing ways that faculty and staff can "give back" to campus international efforts when they are funded to travel abroad; 
4. To strategize about new ways to increase international student recruitment and enhance retention, through, for example, considering ways of improving interactions between international and domestic students and/or recommending ways to help us meet goals such as numbers of international students on campus;
5. To help invite and host international scholars on our campus through, for example, helping with recruitment efforts to bring Fulbright scholars and other scholars from other nations and/or helping connect visitors with faculty and students;
6. To help to identify grants and other fund-raising opportunities to support our curriculum, study abroad, and international student efforts through, for example, helping write grants for projects and/or working with CIIP and Development on fund-seeking;
7. To help to assess operations of CIIP and ensure continuing improvements and success.  The Global Awareness Committee will meet monthly as a whole and more regularly in subcommittees, including committees on the curriculum, study abroad, international students, visiting scholars, and grants/fundraising.  The CIIP Director, will convene the Committee and will consult regularly with the subcommittees. The subcommittees will have their own convener/chair.  Please contact Karen Lee, Associate Director if you have questions about the responsibilities of this board.

In order to facilitate the work of the Global Awareness Committee, various subcommittees have been created.  The subcommittees and their functions are:

A.  Study Abroad Scholarship Committee.  Receives, reviews, and rates applications for study abroad scholarships and fellowships that require the endorsement of the University, such as the Fulbright, Boren, and Rhodes.

B.  Intercultural and International Film Series Committee.  Selects, screens, and publicizes an intercultural and international film series each semester.

C.  Intercultural and International Speakers Committee.  Identifies and invites appropriate speakers to campus to address faculty and students on intercultural and international issues.

D.  Faculty Development Grants and Fellowships Committee. Conducts an annual faculty competition for the award of small grants for projects that have a demonstrable impact on internationalization the curriculum.  Conducts an annual competition for the award of fellowships to attend the Salzburg Seminars.

E.  Strategic Planning Committee. Assists the Director of the Center in drafting, reviewing, and updating the university strategic plan for internationalization.