wfn.org | Methodism can boost global education through connectional system

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

June 23, 1999  News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.    10-63-71B{347}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -  Methodism has a unique opportunity to promote
international education because of its origins on a college campus, its dual
emphasis on faith and knowledge, and its connectional system, according to a
top church official.

The growing diversity of cultures and the desire for community will present
major challenges for educators in the next century, said the Rev. Roger
Ireson, in a keynote address at the June 20-22 Institute of Higher
Education. 

"The church must join hands with education so together we can prepare
leaders of a new generation to make contributions to the world beyond
personal gain," he said. 

Ireson is the chief executive of the church's Board of Higher Education and
Ministry, an agency celebrating its 130th anniversary this year.  The board
sponsors the annual institutes for officials from United Methodist-related
schools, colleges and universities in cooperation with the National
Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church. Nearly
100 attended this year's event which received some financial support from
the Foundation for Christian Higher Education. 

Since the founding of the first Methodist college in America in 1784, the
church has been instrumental in starting more than 1,200 educational
institutions in the United States. Today, the relationships between the
church and its 123 remaining schools are less defined by finances and more
by a common mission and ethics, Ireson said.

Connections within and among Wesleyan denominations around the world provide
opportunities for cooperation in the international arena. In recent years,
636 schools from 59 countries have joined the International Association of
Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities (IAMSCU).  

One of the greatest challenges in the 21st century is to learn what it means
to live together in community, Ireson said. "Are we helping our students
move to a greater self-understanding and to articulate their faith and
values?" 

Ireson told of a cab driver who was so short he could not see where he was
going at the same time he was pressing the gas pedal. 

"Are we creating a generation of students who can touch the power but don't
know where they are going?" he asked. "Or will we have students who know
where they are going but aren't in touch with the power? ... We need
students who know how to use power for good ends and can see with vision
where we are going." 

As examples of international education, he pointed to cooperative efforts
among government, church and universities related to Northern Ireland;
Africa University, where students from various nationalities and cultures
study together; and initiatives in North Korea, Cuba and Malaysia.

Despite future difficulties and potential crises, Ireson said it is
important for church-related institutions of higher education to be
motivated by promise, not fear. "In the Christian life, hope is at the core,
hope for a new generation and future and coming of the kingdom of God." 

James S. Vinson, president of United Methodist-related University of
Evansville (Ind.), said internationalization is more of  a buzzword than a
reality for most institutions of higher education. The number of U.S.
students studying abroad is "embarrassingly low," at about 1 to 2 percent,
he said.

Lack of language fluency, familiarity with world issues, geographical
knowledge and cultural awareness, were among the reasons Vinson gave for the
low interest. In a time when fluency is needed, language enrollment is
declining, he said. He also noted that faculties are largely uncommitted to
internationalization.

Vinson identified barriers to internationalization in the educational field,
including finances, credit for international experience and increasing time
for degree completion.  Among solutions, he listed a coherent general
education program emphasizing international content and support of language
programs.

For some college degrees, Vinson said  study abroad should be required. A
degree in international relations that doesn't require a student to study
abroad is a "sham," he said.

Vinson said colleges and universities must help students become world
citizens because of economic and scientific advances and the acceleration of
changes and differences.  He also pointed to the growing importance of
promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts.  

"It is important that we do everything we can to strip away the barriers and
get our students out there," he said. The University of Evansville has a
strong emphasis on international education. The university has owned and
operated a campus in England for 27 years. The program for international
education at United Methodist-related Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea,
Ohio, was also featured during the institute.

Presentations were given on Methodist education in Argentina, Brazil and the
United Kingdom.  

David W. Vikner, president of the United Board of Christian Higher Education
in Asia, shared with the educators the work of the autonomous agency, which
is related to 10 Protestant denominations in the United States and Canada.  

Sixty-five liberal arts colleges in the United States participate in the
board's visiting scholars program, which involves 15 to 20 Asian scholars
each year. The board also recruits professors to teach in Asian
institutions. Since 1980, more than 600 have been provided for institutions
in China alone. In addition, the board focuses on areas of special needs,
including women's education, education for disadvantaged students, training
in English language and values education.

In a presentation on information technology, Allen D. Bishop Jr., professor
of chemistry at Millsaps College, Jackson, Miss., said ready access to
information is a "distinguishing characteristic between the have and
have-nots."

# # #

______________
United Methodist News Service
http://www.umc.org/umns/
newsdesk@umcom.umc.org
(615)742-5472