Progress 04/01/06 to 09/30/10

Outputs
During November 15-30, 2008 Kara Hartman of Purdue Ag Study Abroad traveled to four partner universities located in Ireland, England, Wales and Sweden. She strengthened the relationship with the partners, learned about their university, promoted Purdue to interested students, and visited Purdue students studying abroad for the semester. She also organized a video conference with Kent Schuette, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, and his class with a class from Leeds University in England. Kara Hartman travelled to Toulouse, Vienna, and Copenhagen in June 21-July 12 2010. She filmed the universities and interviewed students at each location to create YouTube videos to better promote the programs. During her meetings she learned about the universities, discovered how to better promote Purdue and their university, corrected website information, discussed agreements, conversed about the application process, and built a better relationship. While at the universities, Kara met with accepted exchange students coming to Purdue and with Purdue students studying abroad. PRODUCTS: Trip Report for Bernie Engel Visit to University College of Dublin in September 2010 The following are the primary faculty that I met with: Shane Ward (Head of School of Agriculture, Food Science & Veterinary Medicine at UCD) Nick Holden (Head Biosystems Engineering) Bio-Energy - Dr Kevin McDonnell & Dr Philip Owende Environment - Dr Tom Curran Food Engineering - Prof Dawen Sun, Prof Francis Butler, Prof. Colm O'Donnell, Dr Cummins Prof Frank Monahan Professor Monahan indicated the Purdue-UCD exchange has been working well and UCD would certainly be interested in receiving more students from Purdue. Significant opportunities for students within ABE programs to study a semester or longer at UCD exist. The biosystems engineering and food engineering programs have similarities with Purdue programs and thus would provide 'ready made' opportunities for our students. I have talked with several students in the engineering part of ABE programs about the opportunity for studying at UCD. Opportunities for study abroad that work well for students in the food engineering portion of our program have been particularly challenging. UCD provides a viable option for these students. A potential challenge going forward is that the biosystems engineering program including food engineering will likely move back to the College of Engineering. Thus broadening the student exchange program to include these programs would be desirable. As I understand the current exchange covers only the agricultural college. The biosystems engineering program at UCD also has a technology program that is very similar to our Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) program. Finding exchange opportunities for our ASM students has been particularly challenging and the UCD program would be appealing to this group. I plan to work with Nick Holden (biosystems engineering head) to prepare a future grant to FIPSE and the European counterpart for student exchange for ASM students. Nick Holden plans to visit Purdue in early December to continue discussions regarding student exchanges as well as other opportunities. OUTCOMES: THE EFFECT OF STUDYING ABROAD FOR A MAYMESTER TERM ON AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY Findings Of the students polled, 12% were sophomores, 53% were juniors, 33% were seniors, and 2% were graduate students. Seventy percent were female and 30% were male. From a communication standpoint, 88% tried at least once to communicate in the native language. Sixty percent felt that they improved their written communication skills while they were abroad, and more significantly 95% felt that they improved their verbal communication skills while abroad. That last statement becomes more important when we notice that 35% of the students thought that communicating was difficult. Finally, from a communication standpoint, 100% of the students felt that they could verbally articulate the importance to society of the industry they were studying. Now from a social science view we notice that 100% think that learning about people from different cultures is important in college education. Eighty-five percent believe that they became more open to interaction with those who are different from themselves while abroad. One hundred percent believe that being abroad improved their ability to relate to others, while 88% admit that the courses that they enjoyed the most made them think about things from a different perspective. From a cultural understanding perspective we can see that 92% feel that they were immersed in the culture where they were living. 100% also admitted that they were flexible and open-minded during their trip. 100% said that they appreciated and understood the importance of agriculture in developing countries, but only 68% would want to explore a career involving global agriculture. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: None to report during this reporting period. FUTURE INITIATIVES: The findings from the study abroad survey are expected to lead to further research.

Impacts
New initiatives with universities abroad are being pursued. Ag Study Abroad continues to be a catalyst for increasing students' global awareness and understanding.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09

Outputs
International Exchange Partners-Objective 1 Allan Goecker, Assistant Dean and Associate Director of the Office of Academic Programs, and Linda Vallade, Program Leader for Agriculture Study Abroad, International Programs in Agriculture, traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, to visit the National Taiwan University in November 2009. In February Vallade participated in a meeting/seminar for all College of Agriculture student advisors. Vallade discussed the various opportunities available to COA students to study abroad as well as the mechanics of doing so, and the grant and scholarship opportunities available. The incoming students were again given the study abroad questionnaire in their orientation class. This helps to give us insights on programming activities and types of programs in which students are interested. It also give us insight as to why some students will not study abroad or feel they cannot study abroad. When talking with student we then know the issues to address. International Agribusiness Speakers Forum-Objective 1 Dr. Marcos Fava Neves visited Purdue from April 15-22, 2009. He is Professor, Strategy and Food Chains, School of Economics and Business, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Neves' seminar, Strategies for Solving the Food Inflation Problem, was attended by more than 45 faculty, staff and students. He addressed some of the partial truths and misinformation in media reporting over the booming food prices debate. Many studies are only linking biofuels to the inflation cause, while ignoring several other factors such as the growth of the world population, economic development and income distribution. An overview of the causes was discussed and 10 strategies were proposed, which policy makers, governments, and organizations could adapt to move the world forward towards long-term sustainability. While on campus he met with 12 College of Ag faculty members, and attended the 35th Annual James C. Snyder Memorial Lecture sponsored by AgEcon. Also, he visited and toured VeraSun Energy, an ethanol plant located in nearby Linden, to learn more about U.S. ethanol production, and gave a presentation on Brazilian ethanol production to company officials. International Experiences-Objective 2 Dr. Neil Knobloch agreed to take over the international experienes/outcomes research. His gradute student,Lauren Snyder,worked on developing survey tools, which were a result of an initial meeting involving 11 faculty members that reviewed the tools for pre- and post study abroad experiences. Those tools went out to students that had participated in Purdue Ag Study Abroad programs, but by the time students came back from their trips and were ready to take the post-trip surveys, Lauren had graduated and moved on from Purdue. We now have another graduate student, Ashtin Balzer, working on the surveys/data. He is funded by the Agriculture Research Fund Scholarship. PRODUCTS: Other than the survey tools that were developed for Objective 2, none at this time. OUTCOMES: The visit to Taiwan strengthened the relationship between Purdue and NTU, leading to planned future activities. As part of Vallade's and Goecker's visit to NTU, a visit to Purdue by NTU staff was also discussed. While at Purdue, they would be give a seminar and meet with faculty and staff. Survey tools for measuring the impact of international experiences on students have been developed and utilized. Data analysis will lead to numerous outcomes. The survey tool will provide insight into the impact of study abroad on students' ability to communicate with a non-familiar audience, to understand cultural sensitivities and other points of view, and to live as a member of the global community. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: None at this time. FUTURE INITIATIVES: The need for a 6-month extension has arisen primarily because there was confusion in submitting the first no-cost extension request that resulted in a six-month time lapse of uncertainty as to whether or not the extension was officially granted, which led to a stall in planning. If we get a 6 month grant extension, taking the project through September 30, 2010, we plan to carry out the following activities from April-September 2010: From April-September 2010, we will continue to work on Objective 2's surveying and data analysis process. For Objective 1, a trip to solidify exchange partners relationships with Zamorano in Honduras would be scheduled for June 2010, and a trip to Europe in August/September 2010 to BOKU-University of Ag Sciences in Austria, PURPAN in France, and University College, Dublin would take place. The International Agribusiness Speaker's Forum would invite a Taiwanese guest, resulting from the Goecker/Vallade November 2009 trip to partners there. Dr. Andre Jooste was invited to Purdue's International Agribusiness Speakers Forum from February 21 to 26, 2010. He is Senior Manager of the Market and Economic Research Centre at the National Agricultural Marketing Council, Pretoria, South Africa. While on campus he is scheduled to meet with 10 faculty members and guest lecture in graduate classes. His seminar for the Speakers Forum is titled: 'The linkage between policy reform and competitiveness of the agricultural sector in an economy in transition: the case of South Africa' Andre has extensive experience in conducting market, policy, rural and industry analysis. This includes: implementation of management information systems, identification and use of applicable market research methodologies, compiling industry wide strategies, conducting surveys and value chain analysis. On January 1, 2007 he joined the National Agricultural Marketing Council as Senior Manager in the Market and Economic Research Centre and was also appointed as Affiliate Professor at the University of the Free State. Money remaining in the grant account: We have $16,053 left in the account through the end of January 2010. This number does not reflect Andre Jooste's visit to Purdue in February 2010. At the time of the current project end date, March 31, 2010, we will have an estimated $14,700 in the grant account.

Impacts
While in Taiwan, the exchange agreement was extended and now includes an eight-week summer program for Purdue students. This program will consist of a four-week internship/research experience and a four-week classroom experience where students will learn about the agriculture, environment, and culture of Taiwan. Two Purdue students will participate summer 2010. Dr. Neves and Purdue's Center for Food and Ag Business have developed a working relationship, possibly resulting in future collaborative efforts. The two sides are in regular communication. Faculty and staff continue to give presentations and seminars on international experiences and opportunities for international experiences to students, faculty and staff, creating much interest throughout the College of Agriculture in developing future partnerships. Measuring impact of international experiences on students will lead to understandings that will be utilized in developing more effective opportunities that reach educational goals, outcomes and benefits that are expected though previously not measured.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 07/01/08 to 12/31/08

Outputs
Progress continued to be made as the Purdue team completed the fall 2008 semester of this ISE grant. Objective 1 - In November 2008, Kara Hartman, International Academic Programs Specialist in the office of International Programs in Agriculture, visited the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden, University College Dublin, Ireland, the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales, and Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, England. Hartman, who is responsible for advising College of Agriculture students on available opportunities, participated in study abroad fairs, gave presentations to classes, and discussed opportunities at Purdue for interested students, while learning about the overseas universities and potential areas of collaborative programs. The on-campus International Agribusiness Speakers' Forum was scheduled to host Marcos Fava Neves, strategic planner for the Markestrat Group and member of the PENSA Agribusiness Program, in October 2008. Unfortunately, Dr. Neves was forced to cancel shortly before his scheduled visit due to conflicting commitments. Linda Vallade organized a panel discussion entitled 'Study Abroad 101' in November 2008 for all agriculture faculty and advisors. Purdue's Dean of Agriculture welcomed attendees, and presentations were made regarding the different types of available agriculture-related study abroad programs, as well as how to start and run a short-term course overseas for those interested. Objective 2 - Due to the departure of two grant team members from Purdue, a new faculty member undertook this initiative. Joining the team in their place is Dr. Neil Knobloch (Department of Youth Development and Agricultural Education) who, in conjunction with M.S. student Lauren Snyder and Dr. Mark Russell, is designing a quantitative instrument to specifically assess how three of the College of Agriculture Educational Outcomes are being met through international experiences. These outcomes are: 1) Communications - the ability to write and speak with effectiveness while considering audience and purpose; 2) Cultural Understanding - knowledge of a range of cultures and an understanding of human values and points of view of other than their own; and 3) Social Science Principles - the ability to apply social, economic, political, and environmental principles to living in a global community. The instrument is being reviewed by an expert panel for validity, pilot tested on students for reliability, and will then will be administered as a pre-and post-test assessment of all students participating in spring 2009 study abroad programs. This instrument will allow the authors to assess these dependant variables as influenced by the independent variables including previous international experience, length of international experience, group or independent experience, and the degree of direct interaction with international hosts. In addition, numerous publications, presentations and dissemination activities regarding the assessment of international education were completed during this period (see below). PRODUCTS: No products at this time. OUTCOMES: Staff visits to the UK and Sweden continued to build relationships with partner universities as well as provided valuable interaction with and recruitment of future Purdue exchange students. The continuation of the series, 'International Opportunities in the College of Agriculture,' through this semester's seminar, 'Study Abroad 101,' provided Purdue's College of Agriculture faculty and staff important information to allow them to encourage and advise students in pursing international experiences as well as offered them the opportunity to learn more about leading their own study abroad program, which will hopefully result in additional programs in the future. As a result of Mark Russell's visit to the University of Wales in Aberystwyth in the summer of 2007, the Animal Sciences Department has identified a partnership in Wales to exchange equine science students and created joint group study tours. In addition, as a result of Dr. Russell's grant-sponsored experience, the department has created a flyer to specifically promote international opportunities for students in the Purdue College of Agriculture's largest department (625 undergraduates). Also resulting from Mark Russell's visit with the faculty of International Studies of Leeds Metropolitan University is a proposal for a joint international service learning course to partner with Heifer International. The proposal authors will seek external funding from the USDA Higher Education Challenge grant, Department of Education Funds for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education, and other related sources. The integration of assessment and dissemination of international education into the Purdue College of Agriculture study abroad program is demonstrated by the addition of the following statements to the Purdue College of Agriculture Study Abroad Acceptance and Agreement Form, which is required of all participating students: - I agree to complete a post-trip follow-up survey including questions related to my experience abroad. - I agree to be placed on a speakers list for clubs, organizations, classes, and extension meetings in my area to talk about my experiences. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Dissemination activities for the project include the following professional presentation: A 'Mixed Model' for Assessing Intercultural and Attitudinal Outcomes of International Service-Learning Experiences, by Mark Russell and Pamela Morris and printed in the 2008 AIAEE Proceedings of the 24th Annual Meeting E.A.R.T.H. University, Costa Rica http://www.aiaee.org/2008/Papers/449.pdf . In addition, Dr. Russell, with the assistance of other College of Agriculture faculty and staff, utilized the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) in various undergraduate classes including YDAE 491 - Spring 2007 (Morris, Wilson, Russell); ANSC 381 - Spring 2008 (Russell); FEELS - Fall 2008 (Amar & Russell) and AGR 201 - Fall 2008 (Morris and Russell). Dr. Russell also utilized the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) in ANSC 381 - Spring 2008. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Papers and abstracts related to assessment of international experiences are being prepared for submission to the following associations: - Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference, April 21-22, 2009. Purdue University in West Lafayette. (Student success and assessment - assessment of specific expended outcomes of international experiences). - Making Assessment Work for You, 2009 NACTA/SERD Conference, June 17-20, 2009. Stillwater, Oklahoma. (designing and interpretation of mixed model assessments of international experiences) - Shining the Light of Leadership 2009: Association of Leadership Educators Conference, July 12-16, 2009. Providence, Rhode Island (quantitative assessments of international leadership development experiences). Professor Benone Pasarin, PhD, Dean of the Animal Science Faculty, and Professor Paul Corneliu Boisteanu, PhD, Vice-rector of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Iasi, will be visiting the Purdue College of Agriculture from February 23-27, 2009, to present a seminar titled 'Animal Agribusiness Development in a Emerging European Union member country.' Their visit will be hosted by Alan Grant, Head of the department of Animal Sciences. Future opportunities for faculty exchanges and visits to partnering institutions will continue to be identified and taken advantage of. The series, 'International Opportunities in the College of Agriculture,' will hold another seminar next semester, and continue to capitalize on faculty and staff who have participated in or led international experiences in the past. The goal will be to target faculty and staff that are not currently involved in such programs and encourage their future participation. The international education assessment instrument regarding College of Agriculture Educational outcomes will be completed, tested and readied for administration by the spring 2009. Following its administration, the data will be aggregated and explored to determine the impact of international education on overall student development.

Impacts
The relationships that were solidified in staff visits to the UK and Sweden will strengthen exchanges with partner institutions, and result in an increase in students taking part in these programs. The continued effort to educate faculty and staff on opportunities for international experiences through semester seminars will contribute to additional options for students as well as an overall growth in enthusiasm for the incorporation of international aspects into classes and curricula. Faculty-led project development and departmental promotion of international opportunities will result in an increase in partnerships and collaborations with international universities as well as additional opportunities for students. Dissemination and publishing activities undertaken by faculty and staff will not only open more dialogue between Purdue and other institutions with similar research and assessment interests, but will also provide other researchers and institutions with tools to assess the role of international education on their own benchmarks and provide insight into best strategies for creating and improving international experiences. The development of an instrument that measures how international experiences contribute to identified educational outcomes will assist faculty and staff in making their international programs more effective in meeting these outcomes, as well as better quantify the benefits of international experiences. This quantification will play an important role in the continued institutional integration of international education in the College's curricula.

Publications

• Guided Reflective Journaling: Assessing the international study & volunteering experience. Mark Russell & Linda Vallade, 2009. Chapter in 'Internationalization - The Student Voice,' edited collection by Elspeth Jones.
• A study was done in conjunction with the China short-term course, 'China: Globalization, Agriculture and Environment' in the summer of 2008. Results were published in an article entitled, 'Hearing and Experiencing: The Influence of a Short-term Study Abroad Experience in China on Students Perceptions regarding Globalization, Agriculture, and the Environment.' This article was submitted for publication to the Forum on Education Abroad in 'Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad.'

Progress 01/01/08 to 06/30/08

Outputs
As Purdue pushes on into the final year of the grant, the project team is steadily achieving the objectives set forth in the grant proposal. Objective 1 - Kent Schuette, Professor of Landscape Architecture, traveled to Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU), Leeds, England, in April 2008. While in Leeds, he reviewed the curriculum to identify opportunities to further the exchange with Landscape Architecture students and gave a presentation to several of their classes, while at the same time promoting Purdue. Cale Bigelow, Associate Professor of Agronomy, visited the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden, and the University of Wales (UWA), Aberystwyth, UK, in May 2008. While at SLU and UWA, he met with faculty and staff to review their curriculum and promote Purdue. He also explored the possibility of internships for students upon completion of their studies at the respective universities. The on-campus International Agribusiness Speakers' Forum was scheduled to host Andre Jooste, Senior Manager of the Market and Economic Research Centre in Pretoria, South Africa, in June 2008. However, due to last minute scheduling difficulties, this visit had to be canceled. However, it has been rescheduled for the fall 2008 in addition to that semester's already-planned forum. In May 2008, Linda Vallade offered a seminar for Biochemistry faculty on Study Abroad for the Biochemistry Student. She discussed the benefits of study abroad as well as ways in which biochemistry students may participate in the various study abroad programs without adding additional time to their plan of study. Objective 2 - Institutional Review Board approval for conducting research on human subjects was granted in April 2008. The exemption status covers three components of the ISE project. The first protocol looks to assess the attitudes, beliefs and international experiences of entering freshman into the College of Agriculture. The questionnaire involved is titled AGR 101 International Experience and Interest Assignment. It is intended for researchers to give this survey to all freshman students enrolled in AGR 101 Introduction to the College of Agriculture and Purdue University during the fall semester for the purpose of obtaining their experience and interest in international travel. The second protocol includes the questionnaire entitled Behavior, Culture, and Attitude Outcomes of International Experiences. This is intended to be used exclusively for Purdue agriculture students traveling abroad as part of a Purdue program and to be administered before the experience. Data generated will yield important findings for matching international program experiences with the college's Course Outcomes. The third protocol includes the questionnaire titled International Experience and Outcomes Survey and is intended to be given to agriculture students as part of their senior year capstone course or as part of an exit survey prior to graduation. Results will be matched with the results from protocol #2 listed above. This is a longitudinal approach to determining any lasting influence of international experiences on student behaviors and attitudes. PRODUCTS: No products at this time. OUTCOMES: The faculty visits to England, Sweden and the UK have not only strengthened the relationships between the institutions and individuals, but also enriched Purdue faculty curriculum as they had the opportunity to examine and learn from the curriculum of faculty located at foreign universities, as well as implement some of the strategies they observed. The continuation of the series, International Opportunities in the College of Agriculture through this semester's seminar, Study Abroad for the Biochemistry Student, assisted Purdue's Biochemistry faculty and staff in becoming more aware of the international opportunities that exist for their students so that they might encourage their involvement. It also helped them to better understand the benefits of study abroad as a part of the university and educational experience. With approval by the Purdue IRB for exempt status for the proposed research on the impact of international experiences on students' overall university experiences, as well as the establishment of the three protocols that this research will follow, the next step of data collection can commence. This data will provide an important window into the value of international experiences for Purdue College of Agriculture undergraduate students. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: No dissemination at this time. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Objective 1 - Future opportunities for faculty exchanges and visits to partnering institutions will be identified and taken advantage of. Those individuals that visited England, Sweden and the UK during this reporting period will utilize the information they acquired from the curriculum observations to improve upon their own course objectives and work plans. The International Agribusiness Speakers' Forum will be hosting Andre Jooste of the Market and Economic Research Center in Pretoria, South Africa in the fall of 2008 in addition to another international agribusiness expert from a partnering institution. Both will share their experiences and expertise to expand the knowledge of Purdue faculty, staff and students in the area of international agribusiness. The series, International Opportunities in the College of Agriculture, will hold another seminar next semester, capitalizing on faculty and staff who have participated in or led international experiences in the past. These individuals will be a part of the series as a way to practically demonstrate the importance of international experiences to the student experience and teacher effectiveness. Objective 2 - The next step in the proposed research project will be data collection. Following the three protocols already discussed, this data will be gathered through three separate instruments. Once all data has been gathered, it will be aggregated and the results explored. During this process, opportunities for presenting research results at professional conferences, journals or forums will be identified to allow other study abroad professionals and professors benefit from the completed research.

Impacts
The knowledge and perspective faculty members gained through their visits to England, Sweden and the UK will translate into direct benefits for their students. The curriculum they will develop based on their observations while abroad will result in richer, broader educational experiences for the students. Not only will the students potentially be exposed to new information, but they will also be exposed to different ways of thinking and different cultural influences on the subjects at hand. The seminar on study abroad for the biochemistry student will help to increase the opportunities for those students as the department faculty members who serve as student mentors become more aware of the options for international experiences. This will allow those faculty and staff to better encourage and educate students on the benefits of studying abroad, hopefully resulting in increased numbers of biochemistry students choosing to take part in an international experience. The work that continues to be done in measuring the impacts of international experiences on the undergraduate experience will provide more guidance for faculty as they develop international study abroad opportunities with specific outcomes in mind, as well as assist the college in determining where such experiences fit in the overall academic curriculum. This will allow these experiences to be tailored so that they become more effective and targeted towards specific learning outcomes. It will also result in a greater understanding of the overall value of international experiences to undergraduate education.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 07/01/07 to 12/31/07

Outputs
Purdue continues to make important progress in achieving the objectives and staying on track with the proposed timeline set in this grant proposal. Objective 1 - In July 2007, Purdue faculty members Steven Hallett of botany and plant pathology, John Lumkes of agricultural and biological engineering, and J. Steven Yaninek of entomology, participated in an international experience to Japan and China. The group was headed by Linda Vallade, program leader for Agriculture Study Abroad. During their time in China, the group visited the China Agricultural University (CAU), Peking University and the China Academy of Sciences. While at CAU, an eight-week classroom and research/internship exchange with Purdue was initiated. In addition, connections between CAU and Purdue faculty were established as they discussed the potential for faculty and graduate student exchanges and a three-week China study course. While in Japan, the group met with officials at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) and a representative from Iwate University and Tochigi prefecture. Discussions between these individuals and Purdue faculty included plans for a three-week general agriculture course split between TUAT and Iwate as well as the possibility of undergraduate internships with the Tochigi prefecture. The on-campus International Agribusiness Speakers' Forum hosted Mr. Oswald Badresingh, the Director of International Programs from the College of Agriculture, Education and Sciences (CASE) in Port Antonio, Jamaica, for a four-day stay in November 2007. Mr. Badresingh interacted with a variety of individuals within the college, including students, faculty, staff and extension educators. He presented four seminars to student classes as well as open audiences that included topics such as the extension system in Jamaica, current agribusiness issues for Jamaica and its partners and farm management in Jamaica. This period also saw the first of the faculty/staff luncheon seminars, 'International Opportunities in the College of Agriculture,' intended to educate faculty and staff that work with undergraduate students on the opportunities that exist for undergraduate international experiences. This semester's seminar, entitled 'Zamorano University: Linkages with Purdue University,' was presented by Purdue faculty and staff members Drs. Allan Goecker, Dr. Alan Grant, Allen Talbert and Linda Vallade and had nearly 20 attendees. The presenters spoke on their personal experiences with Zamorano University in Honduras, where they participated in Zamorano Days in 2007, and the opportunities they see for future exchange and research collaboration with the university. Objective 2 - A strong start was made in the assessment of learning outcomes associated with international programs in agriculture. The Openness to Diversity scale has been determined as a strong indicator of these outcomes, and it was integrated into an entry survey provided in a freshman agriculture seminar course. Two years of data have been collected from this survey as of this fall, and the focus will be shifting to the collection of data from College of Agriculture seniors to be able to measure outcomes. PRODUCTS: There are no products at this time. OUTCOMES: The relationships established in the faculty visit to China and Japan have opened the doors to a number of possibilities and plans being made for future exchanges and experiences, as well as research collaboration. The visit of Mr. Oswald Badresingh to Purdue University resulted in a number of important connections that will likely result in future collaboration in research, education and extension efforts between Purdue and CASE. These include research partnerships in aquaculture, future training in the area of extension of Jamaican extension officers and enhanced student exchanges. In launching the seminar series, 'International Opportunities in the College of Agriculture,' faculty and staff knowledge of the opportunities that exist for international exchanges and experiences for students is enhanced, therefore allowing them to better assist their students in determining the experiences that best match their students' needs and interests. In determining the Openness to Diversity scale as an appropriate instrument for measuring learning outcomes and by beginning the collection of data regarding these outcomes, the project is one step closer to a more concrete and research-based determination of the true impact of international experiences on students in the College of Agriculture. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: There are none at this time. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Objective 1 - As noted previously, the trip China and Japan resulted in a number of discussions among faculty regarding future exchanges, study courses and research opportunities, all which will continue to be pursued by Purdue faculty and staff. The International Agribusiness Speakers' Forum will be hosting Andre Jooste of the Market and Economic Research Center in Pretoria, South Africa in the spring of 2008. The series, 'International Opportunities in the College of Agriculture,' will continue with one seminar being held each semester. Faculty and staff who have participated in or led international experiences will be invited to present on their programs as a way to help their colleagues become more aware of the opportunities available to students. Mr. Badresingh's visit opened many doors for future collaboration between Purdue and CASE, and this collaboration is already being pursued in the form of exploring potential research projects as well as determining potential funding sources for a team of Jamaican extension officers to come to Purdue for extension-related training. Objective 2 - As mentioned previously, the focus in data collection in relation to the Openness to Diversity scale will shift to gathering data from College of Agriculture seniors. Once the appropriate data has been collected, analysis of the data will follow. The remaining instruments to be used for assessment of specific types of experience will be determined early in 2008. A meeting of all faculty and staff involved in international experiences will be held in January 2008 to determine the types of outcomes and goals that need to be measured for each type of experience, and the instruments will be subsequently selected based on this information.

Impacts
Participants in the program to China and Japan stated that the experience provided them new contacts for future collaboration in research as well as a new outlook on the Chinese and Japanese cultures. These relationships are significant, as China and Japan are both very important economic partners as well as competitors. By entering into collaboration with universities from both of these countries, Purdue will be better positioned for the economy of the 21st century. Visiting scholars such as Mr. Badresingh not only provide beneficial opportunities for collaboration, but also give students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of another country's culture and economy. This interaction develops students that are more prepared to be successful in an increasingly global marketplace. The international opportunities seminar series opens doors for students to participate in new international experiences. Following a seminar, the undergraduate advisor in the agricultural economics department stated that because of what she had learned at the seminar, she planned on encouraging her students to take advantage of the opportunities Zamorano provides. The work being done to measure the learning outcomes for international experiences will provide more guidance for faculty as they develop international experiences with specific outcomes in mind, as well as assist the college in determining where such experiences fit in the overall academic curriculum. This will allow these experiences to be tailored so that they become more effective and targeted towards specific learning outcomes.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/07 to 06/30/07

Outputs
This project has taken the momentum it built over the first six months and gained solid ground in achieving both objectives set in the initial proposal. Objective 1 - This objective included five initiatives, and the programs and activities accomplished during this period contributed to progress being made on several of these. In the spring of 2007, two Purdue faculty members - Alan Grant, professor and head of animal science, and Allen Talbert, professor in youth development and agricultural education - traveled to Zamorano, Honduras. The pair returned to Purdue with plans to encourage more students and fellow faculty members to participate in the existing summer Zamorano program. In addition, an interest in bringing Zamorano graduate students or visiting researchers to Purdue has arisen as a result of the visit. More Purdue faculty, including Steven Hallett, professor in botany and plant pathology, John Lumkes, professor in agricultural and biological engineering, and J. Steven Yaninek, professor in entomology, participated in an international experience in June and July to Japan and China. The group was headed by Linda Vallade, program leader for Agriculture Study Abroad. During their time in China, the group visited the China Agricultural University (CAU), Peking University and the China Academy of Sciences. While at CAU, an eight-week classroom and research/internship exchange with Purdue was initiated. In addition, connections between CAU and Purdue faculty were established as they discussed the potential for faculty and graduate student exchanges and a three-week China study course. While in Japan, the group met with officials at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) and a representative from Iwate University and Tochigi prefecture. Discussions between these individuals and Purdue faculty included plans for a three-week general agriculture course split between TUAT and Iwate as well as the possibility of undergraduate internships with the Tochigi prefecture. On campus, efforts continued as Purdue welcomed Polish professor Dr.Czeslaw Nowak of International Agriculture from the Agricultural University of Krakow in April. The international agribusiness forum was a success as Dr. Nowak spent seven days meeting with Purdue faculty and staff to discuss trade, Eastern European agriculture, and study abroad; speaking to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty, staff and the Indiana public; and touring Indiana agribusinesses and Extension offices to help promote networking and trade efforts between Indiana and Poland. Objective 2 - Progress continued to be made in the assessment of international experience impact models. With Mark Russell at the lead, the data collected last fall through the internally developed International Experience and Interest Survey was analyzed. The results showed that the data obtained was valuable in providing a descriptive look at student attitudes and experiences, and a recommendation was made that the survey continue to be used. This analysis also supported findings that the most valid and applicable instrument at this point is Bennett's Intercultural Development Inventory. PRODUCTS: Funding started in mid-2006. No products at this time. OUTCOMES: During the first six months of this project, Mike Dana, professor in horticulture, traveled to four partner institutions in Europe. As a result of that visit and the experiences Dr. Dana shared upon return, an undergraduate horticulture student will be going to Crete this fall on a study abroad program. This is an indicator that the proposal's established outcome regarding faculty communicating the importance of studying abroad to students is being achieved. This project is also seeing the achievement of a second outcome, that of an enhancement of partnerships between Purdue and its international partners. As was noted previously, this period's activities have seen various relationships being established between Purdue faculty and those in Honduras, China, Japan and Poland. The result of these relationships is numerous plans being made for future exchanges and experiences. These interactions also contributed to a third outcome - an improvement of knowledge among faculty regarding international opportunities. As a result of his experience, Allen Talbert, a faculty member who participated in the program with Zamorano in Honduras, returned with several goals for the 2007-2008 school year. These goals included: 1)encouraging Purdue University students to participate in the Zamorano summer program; 2)connecting with a Zamorano staff member, Carla Henriquez, via distance education in order to allow her to guest lecture to students about Zamorano, international agriculture, and other issues; and 3)exploring opportunities for Purdue's youth development and agricultural education department to establish connections with Zamorano graduates who wish to attend Purdue University as graduate students. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Funding started in mid-2006. No dissemination at this time. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Objective 1 - As noted previously, both trips to Zamorano and China and Japan resulted in a number of discussions among faculty regarding future exchanges, study courses and research opportunities Donya Lester, Executive Secretary for the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association, has, on numerous occasions in the past, brought students who have been involved in an international experience to various events throughout Indiana to allow those students to share their experiences with groups, stakeholders and residents. Recent discussions with her have resulted in her continued commitment to facilitating such interactions in the future. Dr. Nowak's visit and the contacts he made while in Indiana will be followed up by members of the New Ventures Extension team, a group of individuals that assists communities and individuals to evaluating and developing commercial enterprises. In addition, planning for the fall's International Speaker's Forum is already underway, as Purdue will be inviting Dr. Oswald Badresingh, director of international programs for the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education in Port Antonio, Jamaica. Objective 2 - Strategies to analyze specific experiences, courses, or teaching techniques will continue to be developed and evaluated for integration into the project. In addition, a pre- and post-experience assessment strategy will be pursued, as will the consideration of two additional independent variables - guided student reflection and student integration within the host population.

Impacts
When asked about his experience in Japan and China, Steven Hallett responded that the experience had positively impacted his outlook as well as his work. He noted that it had provided new contacts with Chinese researchers and a new perspective on Chinese science. Hallett expressed the value of being able to witness the new infrastructure for biological research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and to see first-hand the work in environmental problems and remediation. It also enabled him to coordinate new study abroad opportunities for his students with both China and Japan. John Lumkes expressed similar enthusiasm for the experience in Japan and China: 'This was my first visit to China and Japan and it has significantly impacted my perspective on international collaboration and activities. China is in a phase of incredible growth resulting in unique agricultural, industrial, energy, environmental, and cultural interactions. The interactions, in many cases, are both promoting and opposing continued growth, and are exerting a global influence. Through education and research, China's universities are in a position to influence each area and there are many opportunities for international collaboration. Japan is home to many global companies and technologies and there are also many opportunities to work with universities in Japan.'

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 07/01/06 to 12/31/06

Outputs
The project has built momentum in the first six months, including: Objective 1 includes five initiatives. In the category of improving relations to partner institutions, Mike Dana, Horticulture, traveled to four partner institutions in Europe to deal with curriculum issues. With funding from ISE and his department, he visited the Royal Veterninary and Agricultural University (KVL), Denmark; the Swedish Agricultural University (SLU) Alnarp Campus; IN-Holland near Amsterdam; and Hannover University, Germany. Under the international agribusiness forum initiative Dr. Heny Pineda, Technical Institute of Costa Rica, and Dr. Eliecer Vargas of the Tropical Research and Higher Education Center (Spanish Acronym is CATIE) spoke to thirty three people who attended a seminar on the Purdue campus on Oct. 23. They discussed the state of Costa Rican agriculture, agribusiness success stories in the country, issues in developing agriculture economies, and additional ways that Indiana agribusiness can pair with Costa Rica for trade. Another initiative focuses on international experiences for graduate students. Eleven Food Science graduate students went on a two week study trip to China. Six other graduate students took advantage of other short term study abroad trips. Several students spoke to classes about their study abroad experience. The first Purdue College of Agriculture international service learning course took students to Ecuador in the summer of 2006. Objective 2 - Purdue faculty and staff, Mark Russell, Mark Balschweid, Kirby Hayes, Jon Dillow and Linda Vallade, created the International Experience & Interest Survey instrument during the summer of 2006 and this was used in conjunction with an introductory course for incoming College of Agriculture students in September. This resulted in almost 450 usable responses detailing incoming students' experiences, expectations, and perspectives. To assess the impact of specific experiences, courses, or teaching techniques expected learning outcomes are being defined. With outcomes pre-and post-experience assessments can be selected or created. The group prefers a validated and reliable instrument based on scholarly theories to an internally designed instrument. The independent variables include not only the length of the experience, but also independent or group experience, touring or service-learning, guided reflection questions or no reflective intervention, language barriers, student interactions, etc. The dependent variables are the expected learning outcomes, ie language, technical growth in their discipline, comfort living and traveling abroad, cultural awareness and sensitivity, etc. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) based on M. Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity was chosen for initial testing to determine if it is best used for assessing change in how individuals process their experiences of interacting with different cultures. Pam Morris and Mark Russell are qualified to administer the IDI. It can also be used to determine the intercultural sensitivity of students who enter the COA or those who self-select to do international experiences. PRODUCTS: Funding started in mid-2006. No products yet. OUTCOMES: Funding started in mid-2006. No outcomes yet. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Funding started in mid-2006. No dissemination yet. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Objective 1 - Efforts will continue in all five areas: strengthening links to partner institutions, agribusiness and extension forums, involving returned students in the classroom and in extension, finding graduate student study abroad opportunities and encouraging service learning. Four Purdue Ag faculty and staff members plan to visit East Asia in early 2007. Steve Hallet, Botany and Plant Pathology; Steve Yaninek, Entomology; John Lumpkes, Ag and Biological Engineering, and Linda Vallade, International Programs in Agriculture hope to reinforce ties to agricultural universities in Japan and China. Lumpkes is particularly interested in finding intership possiblities to ABE students with multinational companies doing business in Japan and China. Christine Wilson, Ag Economics, and Cale Bigelow, Agronomy, will visit University College Dubline, Ireland, and Wilson will continue to France to visit PURPAN in Toulouse. Bigelow hopes to identify internships with golf clubs and other turf related businesses in Ireland. Opportunities have opened up for senior undergraduates or graduate students to do internships in animal feed companies in China in 2007. For the agribusiness and extension forum, the plan is to invite the director of extension in Poland to campus in the Spring Semester, 2007, and in the Fall Semester 2007 to hope to have someone from Jamaica. Objective 2 - The International Experience and Interest Survey data from the Fall 2006 incoming College of Agriculture students will be analyzed. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) instrument will be tested in the spring of 2007 to determine its best use as an assessment instrument for international student experiences. The use of the IDI will be launched with students participating in Maymester courses. The plan is to use the IDI will all incoming Purdue College of Agriculture students starting with the Fall 2007.

Impacts
Funding started in mid 2006. It is too early to measure impact.

Publications

• No publications reported this period