Catalog 2022–2023

Global Engagement Certificate

This is content from the Catalog 2022–2023 past issue. Please visit the current catalog for current information.

Program Contacts:
Jim Mellon
Email: mellon@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 932-7467

Carolina Lam
Email: cglam@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 932-7488

1. Program Description

The Global Engagement Certificate provides an interdisciplinary approach to investigating, experiencing and learning about world cultures and global issues, particularly as they relate to the interaction of individuals and groups from different cultures. Through a unique combination of coursework and co-curricular experiences, the certificate exposes students to diverse perspectives and develops competencies needed to thrive in today’s dynamic interconnected and interdependent world.

In an age of new international tensions and shifting global alliances, the need to understand international affairs, to recognize cultural values other than one’s own, and to view world events from a variety of perspectives has become increasingly critical. Globalization has catapulted people from different cultures into shared and contested physical and virtual spaces, resulting in new forms of misunderstanding and conflict -- as well as unparalleled potential for intercultural alliances. Learn about other ways of thinking and behaving by interacting with diverse cultures locally and abroad. Explore pressing issues of global concern, view these issues from different perspectives, and be leaders of positive social change.

The certificate consists of four required components:

  1. Academic coursework
  2. Intercultural or international experience
  3. Intercultural events and activities
  4. Portfolio

2. Academic Coursework

Required Core (20 credits):

  • Language (8): Two courses in a single language other than English. This requirement may be waived for students whose first language is not English.
  • ANTH 150 Humankind Emerging (3) or ANTH 205 Cultural Anthropology (3)
  • Electives: 9 credits chosen from at least two different disciplines from the following:
    • AG 230 Sustainable Agriculture (3)
    • ANTH 320 Cross-Cultural Study Of Women (3)
    • ANTH 324 Culture, Sex And Gender (3) 1
    • ANTH 331 Lang in Culture & Society (3) 1
    • ANTH 359 Cross-Cultural Cosmology (3)
    • ANTH 372 Culture through Film (3) 1
    • ANTH 415 Medical Anth (3) 1
    • ANTH 445 Ethnographic Field Tech (3) 1
    • ANTH 485 Applied Anthropology (3) 1
    • ANTH 492 Dynamic World of Anthropology (3)
    • ART 175 Survey of World Art I (3)
    • ART 176 Survey of World Art II (3)
    • COM 241 Health, Culture and Diversity (3)
    • COM 344 Sustainability, Com & Culture (3)
    • COM 351 Com in Multicultural Workplace (3)
    • COM 358 International Communication (3)
    • COM 359 Intercultural Communication (3)
    • COM 368 Communication & Social Change (3)
    • COM 442 Communication & Conflict (3) 1
    • COM 451 Communication and Ethnography (3)
    • COM 461 Race and Gender in Media (3) 1
    • ECON 361 International Finance (3) 1
    • ECON 414 Global Topics in Game Theory (3)
    • ENG 201 Global Cinema (3) 1
    • ENG 202 Literature of Human Rights (3) 1
    • ENG 204 Intr Race/Gender Film Studies (3) 1
    • ENG 257 Multicultural Literature (3) 1
    • GEOG 328 Cultural Geography (3)
    • GEOG 329 Development Geographies (3)
    • GEOG 331 Tourism Geographies (3) 1
    • HIST 151 World History to 1500 (3)
    • HIST 152 World History since 1500 (3)
    • HIST 470 US in the World 1865-2003 (3) 1
    • HIST 485 Seminar in World History (3) 1
    • JPNS/JPST/ANTH 373 Performance Across Cultures (3)
    • KIND 240 Culture Revitalization Movemnt (3)
    • KIND 441 Advanced Language in Culture I (2)
    • KIND 442 Advancd Language in Culture II (2)
    • KES 302 Sport & Spirituality (3)
    • MUS 107 Music in World Cultures (3)
    • MUS 359 Music and Activism (3)
    • PHIL 304 Ethics and Cultural Diversity (3)
    • PHIL 370 Indigenous&American Philosophy (3)
    • PHIL 375 Feminist Philosophy (3)
    • POLS 304 Liberalism and Globalism (3)
    • POLS 327 Law and Identity (3)
    • POLS 332 Politics Of Race & Gender (3)
    • POLS 342 International Law (3) 1
    • POLS 345 Model United Nations (3)
    • POLS 346 International Organizations (3)
    • POLS 355 Internatl Political Economy (3) 1
    • PSY 360 Cross-Cultural Psy (3) 1
    • PSY 460 Psychology of Culture & Health (3) 1
    • SOC 300 Family in World Perspective (3) 1
    • SOC 310 Race & Ethnic Relations (3) 1
    • SOC 320 Stratification & Inequality (3) 1
    • SOC 430 Sem in Social Change (3) 1

1 Denotes that the course has a prerequisite. Students should check the UH Hilo Catalog to find out the specific prerequisite(s) for each course.

Special Topics, Directed Studies/Research, and other courses not listed above must be approved by the program coordinator before taking the course in order to count for one of the certificate electives.

3. International/Intercultural Experience

Students have the option of meeting this requirement by participating in one of the following University-sponsored or approved programs:

A. International experience such as such as study abroad, cultural exchange, international internship, international service or volunteer experience, or international research project. The program advisors must approve these experiences in advance of the student’s participation. The duration of this experience must be at least two weeks. This requirement can also be met if a student is an international student who has completed at least one semester at UH Hilo or if a U.S. student has had substantial international living experience.

B. Intercultural engagement and community involvement in the U.S.: Students may choose either an experience in the Hilo community or in a community in the U.S. outside of Hilo. Examples of acceptable substantive experiences include leadership roles in a UH Hilo intercultural/international student organization; development and implementation of an intercultural event or activity; intercultural partnership experiences such as serving as a peer mentor, conversation partner or global ambassador; or an internship, volunteer or service work with an intercultural/international focus. Of particular importance will be engagement in projects in which students identify issues of cultural conflict in a community or academic discipline and develop and/or implement plans for addressing these issues through cultural understanding or training. The program advisors will assist students with finding appropriate experiences and must approve of these experiences in advance of the student’s participation. Students must be engaged in this experience for a minimum of 80 hours, and may combine two experiences to achieve the number of required hours.

4. Intercultural Events and Activities

Attendance and participation in five shorter events and activities of an intercultural or international nature, such as campus lectures, symposia, workshops, presentations, performances, service activities, and community events. An Events and Activities Reflection Paper will be required for each event or activity and must be submitted within seven days of the event or activity. A list of approved events and activities will be available for students. Other events and activities may also be eligible, but must be approved in advance of participation.

5. Portfolio

Students must produce a portfolio as the culminating capstone of the program. As a way to synthesize his/her learning, students will complete the portfolio after the three components of the program described above are completed and deliver a presentation summarizing and highlighting aspects of his/her experiences. The portfolio is structured to enable students to demonstrate how he/she has met the program learning outcomes.

Portfolio Requirements

Outcome #1: Knowledge of other world cultures and global issues.

Course requirement: Earn 9 credits in courses chosen from the list of approved electives courses in addition to ANTH 150 Humankind Emerging (3) .

Portfolio artifacts required:

  • Samples of coursework that demonstrate a) deep knowledge of another culture or cultures and b) awareness of global issues from multiple perspectives. Samples should be drawn from at least three of the four courses.
  • Reflective essay that explains how these artifacts demonstrate enhanced knowledge of world cultures and global issues.

Outcome #2: Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately within a cultural context at a basic level or higher in a language other than one's native language.

Course requirement: Completion, or waiver of, the second semester of a single language other than English.

Portfolio artifact required:

  • A reflective essay that describes and reflects upon at least two situations during the student's international or domestic intercultural learning experiences when s/he relied on her/his competency in this language.

Outcome #3: Intercultural competence developed through studying and living abroad or through domestic intercultural experiences.

Portfolio artifacts required:

  • Presentation of the student’s results from instruments that assess intercultural development and competence, such as the Intercultural Development Inventory or the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale.
  • A reflective essay about the international experience(s) that includes:
    • One or more insights about a culture other than one’s own gained from the experience(s).
    • Discussion of how the student came to understand how another culture views a significant global issue.
    • An account of a collaboration or close interaction the student had with individuals from another culture(s), addressing how the student negotiated cultural differences.

Outcome #4: Enhanced global and intercultural knowledge through participation in campus or community-based co-curricular experiences.

Portfolio artifacts required:

  • Reports on attendance and participation in five events or activities.

Outcome #5: Ability to reflect upon and integrate global learning experiences.

Portfolio artifacts required:

  • An essay, digital story, video or other form of creative expression describing:
    • how the student's global studies and experiences have met the overall goals of the Global Engagement Certificate;
    • how the student's global learning experiences have impacted his/her other areas of academic study and career goals; and
    • how the student thinks these experiences will impact future personal and professional growth.
  • Presentation (10 minutes) of this artifact.