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A
unique Educational Opportunity for the International
Student
The
American Council on International Intercultural Education
(ACIIE) is an affiliate council of the American Association
of Community Colleges (AACV), with membership comprising
of more than one hundred colleges involved in international
and intercultural education. ACIEE shares expertise
and provides information on topics such as cultural
diversity, multicultural relations, foreign student
recruitment and exchanges, faculty exchanges, professional
development programs ands funding opportunities for
international and intercultural activities.
 ACIEE
helps community colleges cultivate educational partnerships
and participate in programs with organisations worldwide.
ACIEE pursues this mission through annual conferences,
a newsletter, website, teleconferences and other programs
and activities which foster the dissemination of information
and networking among members. ACIIE's member institutions
are located in 36 states and territories, and include
international institutions from England, Canada, Japan
and the Netherlands.
The
international student may not be familiar with US community
colleges, since few countries have higher education
institutions that offer the same range of programs and
services. ACIIE's member colleges are noted for their
higher quality career and transfer associate degree
programmes, certificate programs and job skills related
training, as well as adult education programs including
adult basic education, adult high school and the GED
(secondary school equivalency programs) International
students who enrol in community colleges will thus have
access to a wide variety of programs not typically available
in traditional colleges and universities, in addition
to courses of study which parallel the first two years
of a university education. Many of our career and technical
programs include a practicum or internship experience,
providing students with real-world experience in the
workplace.
Students
who come to the US to study in a community college will
be able to choose from many different locations and
environments, from large, urban colleges, to suburban,
to small, rural institutions. Community colleges offer
an educational experience of exceptional quality at
convenient times and locations. Outstanding faculty,
including many practitioners in their fields, deliver
instruction to small classes, with ample opportunity
for dialogue and individual attention. As they research
the educational opportunities available in community
colleges, prospective international students will see
that these institutions have developed a sophisticated
array of support services from them: special advisors,
housing assistance, instructional support services,
co curricular and extra curricular activities, student
clubs and organisations, and instruction in English
as a Second Language.
Over
the past twenty-five years more and more community colleges
have expanded their global education missions to provide
study abroad programs for their students, international
faculty development opportunities, exchanges and contractual
training agreements with educational institutions and
governments abroad. They embrace the presence of international
students on their campuses as yet another way to enrich
the college experience for native and international
students alike.
In
delivery educational programs, community colleges recognise
that individual learning styles are different and require
various methods of instruction. Therefore, instructional
delivery is implemented through self-instructional programs,
specialised curriculum materials and customised learning
modules utilising multimedia resources for individualised
instruction. The range of instructional media/materials
include workbooks, slides, films, audio and videotapes,
computer assisted instructions and the use of the Internet
and World Wide Web.
Community
Colleges have much to offer the international student
- outstanding faculty, quality instruction in a vast
array of disciplines, reasonable cost, and convenient
locations. An ACIIE member college is ready and waiting
to meet your higher education needs.
Contributed
by: Linda Korbel
Executive Director ACIIE
A
respective list of programs of study at ACIEE member
community colleges includes:
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