The Center for Global Education launched the Staff Global Learning Fellows Program, a professional development opportunity for mid-career professionals at Rutgers last year. The program allows staff members the opportunity to gain field-based experience designing and running a global learning program, under the guidance of an experienced Rutgers University faculty member. It is also designed to encourage staff members with expertise in various aspects of student services to contribute by applying their learning and expertise to the design of new or expanded global learning programs. Rutgers Global is seeking nominations for current staff members who would like to serve as a Fellow. Please see below for more information about applying for this opportunity.
Nicole Boily-Keuscher, Department Administrator at Thrive SSS, part of the Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement at Rutgers, participated in the Staff Global Learning Fellows Program and shared her reflections:
"I currently work in Thrive Student Support Services, a branch of Trio, which is a federal governmental program that assists students that are low income and/or first generational, and/or have a documented disability. I was intrigued when I learned about the Staff Global Learning Fellows Program and about how I might use the lessons learned abroad in my work. But what I didn’t know was what I would learn about myself.
My fellowship was with Dr. Rebecca Davis, Associate Professor of Professional Practice at the School of Social Work and Director of the Global Studies in Romania and the Global Service Learning Program, in partnership with Babes Bolyai University (UBB) in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The Fellows Program is designed to provide opportunities for staff to help mentor students, engage in program design, and be fully immersed in the community-engaged learning experience. There were 12 students in the program ranging from undergraduate to graduate level with a wide range of ages. The students and I had to travel to Romania on our own and meet up at the university housing. To some this may seem simple, but for students who have never traveled in their life this became a daunting task and was not to be taken lightly. Some students ran into hiccups along the way, having delays and re-routing in flights, but we all made it safely to our destination, meeting Dr. Davis and starting the program.
One goal of the Staff Global Learning Fellows Program is to be fully immersed in a culture through food, music, and interacting with the local people. We started our experience abroad by going to UBB and discussing some of the major disparities that people in Romania are facing today. One of my biggest takeaways from this area of Romania was the clear focus on assistance given to those either that were very young or elderly. In the eyes of their community, they were viewed as ‘those left behind.’ We visited NGOs and admired their resilience in assisting their communities. Some students worked with young children, and a group visited the Elderly Care Foundation, where we all danced together. I lost myself in this experience. I thought of these people around me that had lived through wars and hard times and yet still wanted to make the rest of their lives as fulfilled as possible. All our inhibitions were gone when working with the older community, and we laughed and smiled and soaked in the abundance of life from these people. Not one person spoke English, but I am a better person today for being around them and learning what joys there are, not only through dancing but also their art and poems, which decorated the facility. I also visited Estuar Foundation, which offered ‘empathy, support and opportunities for collaboration with individuals with mental health issues and their families.’ This center shared some very similar traits with the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, in that people of different capabilities all come together to learn and become a community. It reminded me that nothing is impossible with a community behind you and helping support your cause.
Our Rutgers students grew too, not in just their understanding of their internship or the community with which they were working, but also in knowing themselves. I thought back to when I studied abroad and, even though it was years ago, the feeling of sometimes being lost and alone came back. I put myself in the shoes of these 12 college students and was able to mentor them and support them when they needed help. Being a Staff Global Learning Fellow allows you to be seen not as the teacher, but as a mentor. I know I helped these students just as much as they taught me. I will bring back the experiences I had in Romania and share them with our Scholars and show them they can do it too.
I want to thank all of Rutgers Global and my Supervisor Dr. Chisholm in supporting me in this endeavor. I hope the Staff Global Learning Fellows Program grows and that more opportunities are created for staff members. We each have an ability that is unique, and we must harness that to help move the next generation forward."
More information about the Staff Global Learning Fellows Program
The Staff Global Learning Fellows Program is part of a larger Rutgers University commitment to ensuring that all Rutgers University students have access to significant opportunities for global learning. To that end, Rutgers University is actively partnering with faculty and staff to develop equity and access-focused global learning opportunities which demonstrate a commitment to solving global problems and to confronting global issues of injustice.
The Staff Global Learning Fellows will hone their leadership skills through engagement in program design, curriculum development, student mentoring, and community-engaged learning experiences. The Fellows will then participate in the implementation of a study abroad program, applying their knowledge and skills as a co-facilitator.
Each Staff Global Learning Fellow will be assigned to a faculty member running a specific study abroad program in 2024. Responsibilities include regular meetings with the faculty mentor and participation in a 7-14-day program.
Rutger Global covers the Fellow’s program expenses, including airfare, meals, housing, international health insurance, and local transportation.
Once a fellowship is offered, the staff member’s supervisor must agree to allow participation in pre-departure meetings as well as approve the five-to-ten business days where the Fellow will be deployed to the study abroad program. Interested applicants or those making nominations should email Dan Waite, Executive Director of the Center for Global Education / Study Abroad at dwaite@global.rutgers.edu.