Employee Professional Development

Heartland Community College offers a variety of employee professional development opportunities both internally and through external partnerships. 

Goals

Professional Development in global education at Heartland Community College is coordinated by the Committee for Global Education and intends that all opportunities allow for the participants to demonstrate:

• Familiarity with specific other cultures, countries, and regions  
• Discipline-specific knowledge and skills related to internationalized content presented throughout the course 
• Appreciation for the importance of culture and context in decision-making 
• Successful navigation of cultural and linguistic differences  

Faculty Academy III: Internationalizing Your Curriculum

This workshop will help you highlight the parts of your curriculum that can facilitate cross-cultural interactions and promote students' global understanding. Internationalization does NOT require holistic course revisions but can also be accomplished with short and targeted interventions, which can explore and foster critical thinking and diversity throughout the college. A small stipend will be provided for participants.

• Mondays online from 2:00PM to 3:30PM (Feb. 24, Mar. 10, Mar. 24, Apr. 7)
• This FAIII will be facilitated by Wayne Bass. Please register at teachpoint.heartland.edu  

Site Visits

• Cape Town, South Africa (January 2025)
  • This program 10-day program will introduce participants to agriculture, water conservation, and sustainability practices in South Africa. Participants will interact with local organizations like the Sustainability Institute and Oranjezicht City Farming, in order to explore different farming practices, learn about innovative responses to global issues, and apply conservation in their own life. Additionally, they will engage with themes of water as a natural resource and the effects of water shortages on the environment, economy, and society.

• Carlow, Ireland (March 2025)
  • Spend 1 week learning about the student program to Ireland! The program is available in the summer, fall and spring semesters and is designed for students interested in learning more about Irish culture and history and experiencing the charms of daily life in an Irish town. The magic of Ireland awaits you in this exciting and dynamic semester study abroad opportunity.

• Asahikawa, Japan (May 17 - 24)  
  • This 1-week site visit is intended to explore our community connections with Sister Cities Asahikawa with a specific focus on renewable energy and regenerative agricutlure. The program will send students, staff, and community members to learn about our cultural connections with agriculture, energy, and each other!

• Dijon, France (July 2025)
  • Spend 1 week learning about the student program to France! Dijon, France, located at the crossroads of Europe, is a lively, progressive university city of over 250,000 inhabitants. Capitol of gastronomy and gateway to the prestigious vineyards of Burgundy, Dijon is exceptionally rich in history and art. Heir to the splendors of the glorious court of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon boasts numerous monuments, museums, and architectural jewels including churches, cathedrals, and private residences dating from the Middle Ages.

• Toronto, Canada (July 20 - August 2) 
  • This is a professional development program open to faculty and administrators at academic institutions who want to integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices into education and engagement, and understand the relevant history of colonialism in higher education and its legacy in the present day.

• Two-Week Exchanges with Finland and the Netherlands
  • This international exchange program matches U.S. faculty and administrators with counterparts from Finland and the Netherlands with the goal of engaging in intercultural understanding, professional development, and promoting global understanding.
    
    • Overseas partners from Finland will be in the U.S. October 12-26, 2024
    • Overseas partners from the Netherlands will be in the U.S. from October 19-November 2, 2024
    • U.S. participants will travel to Finland and the Netherlands from May 10-24, 2025

Internal Resources

Employees have many opportunities to support and interact with international students through the following:

• Academic English Language Program
• Committee for Global Education
• Faculty Academy 2: Teaching non-native English speakers
• Faculty Academy 3: How to Internationalize your Curriculum
• Global Student Union

External Resources

Heartland's partnership with the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP) offers many valuable opportunities for those who wish to expand their international education experience including:

• 2-week academic exchange to Finland, Netherlands, and China
• semester faculty liaision positions to England, Ireland, and Spain
• summer liaison positions to Costa Rica, France, Ireland, Italy, and Spain
• international site visits to all our study abroad destinations
• webinars & training opportunites

Learn more about the external options available to employees through our participation in the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs.