Thinking Globally

The “Thinking Globally” presentation is designed to educate students on the differences, including countries, customs, and cultures, of international students and encourage them to become involved with events on campus.  Thinking Globally has 3 formats: traditional presentation style, student panel, or small group interviews. Each format begins with a short presentation by the Thinking Globally coordinator. This portion is designed to educate students on USC's international population as well as opportunities to get involved with international events both on campus and through study abroad.

Traditional presentations-two international students present about their cultures for 15-20 minutes and then answer questions.
Student panels-the entire class comes in with prepared questions to ask the Thinking Globally ambassadors.
Small group interviews-the class is split into 3 groups and each group has the chance to speak with 3 different international Thinking Globally ambassadors. At the end, each student talks about something that he or she learned.

Learning Outcomes

The Thinking Globally presentation supports University 101 learning outcomes:

II. Help Students Discover and Connect With the University of South Carolina
a. Identify appropriate campus resources and opportunities that contribute to their educational experience, goals, and campus engagement.
Students will be exposed to the International Student Services office, Study Abroad and other international organizations as a result to attending the presentation. We also discuss how they can get involved with these departments and list upcoming events. Our goal is to let students know that they can be engaged with international experiences; right here at USC and in Columbia, study abroad is not the only option! 

III. Prepare Students for Responsible lives in a Diverse, Interconnected, and Changing World
a. Examine how their background and experiences impact their values and assumptions and explain the influence these have on their relationships with others.

As a result this presentation students will:

• Introduce students to the multicultural world in which we live
• Enable students to understand the importance of cross-cultural learning
• Interact with international student on campus and learn about the cultures from which they come and their perception of their time here
• Address cultural difference in an engaged dialogue in order to help students begin to develop a better understanding and appreciation of diversity   
• Spark an enthusiasm for international experiences and learning in student

Presentation Overview

1. The Thinking Globally presents about the international population on campus and on opportunities to get involved both on campus and through study abroad (15-20 minutes)
2. The first Thinking Globally Ambassador presents about his or her country and culture. He or she leaves time for questions. (20-25 minutes)
3. The second Thinking Globally Ambassador presents and answers questions.  (20-25 minutes)

Presentation Length
30 minutes, 50 minutes, or 75 minutes