Community colleges must share the responsibility for alleviating the ignorance of the U.S. population about other nations and global issues by institutionalizing international perspectives. These students are an untapped resource for promoting cultural awareness on campus and in the surrounding community. Before seeking to enroll large numbers of foreign students, community colleges should ensure that a reliable support system is in place.
Many international students are unprepared to cope with American customs and cultural differences.
The infusion of international content into community college curricula can be accomplished through specially designed courses or the incorporation of lectures or assignments on global themes into existing courses. Bergen Community College is one of the few two-year institutions that continue to require all associate of arts and many associate of science students to take a modern foreign language. The Center for Slavic and Eastern European Studies at Ohio State University has joined with local community colleges in another innovative approach. Short-term study tours usually take place during a semester break or summer vacation. Typically, an enthusiastic faculty member takes a group of students and community members to a foreign country to study a particular topic unique to that area.