An Internalization Project to Develop Global Competency across the Disciplines

The purpose of this article is to describe an internationalization project that was developed at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida to provide faculty across the disciplines with assignments they can use to foster the development of their students' global competency. After describing the project and the series of assignments they developed, the authors focus on one of the assignments, a cultural interview, and describe how it was adapted in two disciplines: hospitality management and political science. Overall, the students found the experience to be a positive one. They gained confidence as a result of conducting the interview and developed a broader perspective on their chosen profession. Finally, many students reflected on the fact that before completing the interview they thought their level of cultural competence was much greater than it actually was. The interview assignment is a valuable tool for faculty who wish to help their students develop their global competency whether the primary motivation is to help students become more competitive in the job market or to foster students' development as engaged global citizens. As shown by the findings of this study, the assignment has the potential to do both simultaneously.