By Nicholas Allen | October 5, 2020
“I have always enjoyed my experience at these [UNC World View] symposiums as they have helped create globalized learning modules as well as given me a platform to provide professional development for faculty who wish to globalize their curriculums.”
Brian Bookout is a history and sociology instructor at Gaston College in Dallas, North Carolina. Additionally, he serves as the faculty coordinator for the N.C. Scholar of Global Distinction campus chapter and the faculty coordinator for global programming. Located west of Charlotte, Gaston has three campuses spread out between Dallas, Lincolnton, and Belmont, serving over 9,500 students.
Bookout has been attending UNC World View programs since 2013. No matter the context of his global professional development, he never loses sight of curriculum integration and finding ways to share global at Gaston. “I have always enjoyed my experience at these symposiums as they have helped create globalized learning modules as well as given me a platform to provide professional development for faculty who wish to globalize their curriculums,” he explained. Besides serving as a window to the world, Bookout noted that his UNC World View experiences helped him connect to North Carolina as well. “World View symposiums and workshops have also helped me network with many great faculty members and administrators across the state at the community college level and at UNC.” In addition to conference-style events, Bookout received a N.C. Scholar of Global Distinction Curriculum Grant to globalize SOC 220 (Social Problems) and completed the Global Education Leaders Program (GELP) in 2016. When it comes to expanding and deepening global perspectives at Gaston College, he isn’t doing it alone; his goals are shared by his colleagues across the disciplines. The Global Imprints team is made up of committed faculty and staff from English, History, Religion, Psychology, Business/IT, Biology, Early Childhood Education, and Library Services.
Bookout expounded upon a multi-faceted effort to infuse global content across the college’s curriculum. For one, they are targeting more applied programs, such as Business/IT. “Faculty in those areas have globalized their curriculum, received World View curriculum grants, recruited students to the Global Distinction program, and attended World View symposiums,” he stated. They’re also thinking outside the box when it comes to organized events, attempting to make as many of the events on campus, both in-person and virtually, as globally-focused as possible, even when the original topic is not global, in order to help more students meet their eight international activity and dialogue requirements for their Global Distinction certificate. “For example, I recently moderated a Constitution Day event on Zoom that focused on Constitutional issues such as search and seizure, the right to assembly, and possible disputed elections,” Bookout explained, “While this focused on the US Constitution, we included a discussion of the European Union and the various issues facing the EU including Brexit and migration across borders for global distinction students.” By providing students with web resources and guided questions to work through on these topics, he’s turning remote learning into an opportunity rather than letting it be a setback. Although global travel isn’t an option at the moment, Gaston College has supports in place for students interested in studying abroad. “The Gaston College Student Government Association has graciously made scholarships available for students wishing to travel globally with director Bob Blanton and the Gaston College Study Tours Program,” Bookout noted. Despite the setbacks caused by COVID-19, Gaston College is keeping their global focus strong and pivoting in more ways than one.
Events and meetings with N.C. Scholar of Global Distinction students and faculty have had to go virtual, along with a slew of other global opportunities for students. “With global programming, we typically plan eight events per year including an International Education Week celebration each November,” Bookout remarked. “These events include screenings of foreign films, documentaries from POV films with a global focus, and various discussions and passport events. [Pivoting] has its benefits as it has required us to investigate new possibilities for our students.” Gaston College, as well as other community colleges, is developing virtual study abroad modules that help students meet their 30 hours of global experience to complete their Global Distinction requirements.
Our virtual study abroad modules include travel videos, language learning opportunities, lessons on history, literature, religion, and art. Instead of having events on campus, we have moved them online to Zoom and this has been relatively smooth. Students have been able to watch foreign films and documentaries asynchronously and then meet in our Global Forum Friday Zoom sessions to discuss the films and filming. We are also doing some screenings synchronously and having follow up discussion.
Plans at the college to celebrate International Education Week this November will also include many virtual events. From virtual museum tours, film discussions, to a synchronous virtual screening of the POV film In My Blood It Runs (2019), enthusiasm for bringing global experiences to North Carolina students has not been diminished by virtual formats or other issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The UNC World View team is inspired by Brian Bookout’s and Gaston College’s enterprising spirit towards innovating global education during trying times and excited to see where his work goes next. Thank you for your dedication to global education, Brian!