Scholar of Global Distinction Program
The Scholar of Global Distinction program is a partnership between community colleges and UNC World View.
As part of this partnership, community colleges and their faculty commit to develop and offer globally intensive courses and activities through which students can earn a global distinction credential. UNC World View mobilizes the international resources of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to help community colleges create truly global campuses.
It is a national model for university-community college collaboration in global learning.
World View and its UNC partners – including UNC’s five U.S. Department of Education-funded area studies programs, called National Resource Centers, and UNC University Libraries – provide support and access to knowledge, networks and grant funding needed to develop those course offerings and support students’ global education.
Scholar of Global Distinction Student Competencies
- Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment, framing significant problems and conducting well-crafted and age-appropriate research
- Recognize perspectives, others’ and their own, articulating and explaining such perspectives thoughtfully and respectfully
- Communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences, bridging geographic, linguistic, ideological, and cultural barriers
- Reflect critically on their role as a member of the global community and pursue ways to create positive change
Global Distinction Requirements
Students who attend community colleges with Global Distinction programs can earn a “Graduated with Global Distinction” notation on their transcripts by:
- Completing 15 credit hours of globally intensive courses
- Participating in eight international activities and dialogues
- Gaining 30 hours of global experience in a study abroad or domestic intercultural experience
- Alternative study experiences with the Study Abroad Association and Institute of Study Abroad Ireland can also be submitted for credit*
- Completing a capstone presentation related to their two-year global learning experience
UNC World View and UNC National Resource Centers Sponsored Programs for Global Distinction Campuses
The 3rd annual Scholar of Global Distinction student and educator program featured a talk from Dr. Graeme Robertson, a professor of Political Science at UNC-Chapel Hill and the director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies. On February 9, 2024, Dr. Robertson provided a critical update on Russia’s war on Ukraine and answered important questions on the war’s impact on the rest of the world. Scholar of Global Distinction students have an opportunity to earn 4 hours towards the 8-hour international activity requirement of the Scholar of Global Distinction program.
Program Components
- Globally intensive courses
Scholar of Global Distinction institutions have agreed that foreign language courses, as well as courses with “World,” “Global,” “International,” “Comparative” or “Cultural” in the course title, as well as Geography 111 and General and Cultural Anthropology are inherently global. Each Scholar of Global Distinction campus creates their own process for designating globalized courses. World View and its pan-university partners offer course-development grants and coordinates University research visits for individual instructors to create modules that infuse global connections, context and content into courses they teach. - International activities and dialogues
Scholar of Global Distinction campuses offer international activities and dialogues to students as part of the program. World View and its partners provide support by helping colleges identify speakers, films, webinars, webcasts and other activities and resources that educate faculty and students about global regions and issues. - Faculty professional development
Scholar of Global Distinction campuses commit to offering professional development to its faculty. World View offers year-round global education professional development, including fall symposium, global study visits, and global is local and leadership programs, that help educators broaden their global perspective and develop strategies and action plans for globalizing their classrooms and campuses.
Assessment
This report highlights how graduates of the Scholar of Global Distinction program are impacted in several areas regarding academic and career trajectory. Community colleges can use this information to better meet the needs of students who are interested in expanding their knowledge of cultural competence, which will positively impact them in the workplace and in diverse academic environments beyond the community college.
This report highlights the benefits derived from community colleges offering students global educational opportunities that traditionally have only been provided to four-year students. The community colleges profiled in this report provide global experiences to student populations that do not frequently access international education, such as students from low-income backgrounds. As is evidenced by the survey and focus group data, these opportunities can have a tremendous impact on students’ future career trajectories and personal development.
Scholar of Global Distinction Campuses
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Cape Fear Community College
Catawba Valley Community College
Central Carolina Community College
Central Piedmont Community College
College of the Albemarle
Craven Community College
Davidson-Davie Community College
Durham Technical Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Forsyth Technical Community College
Florida State College of Jacksonville
Gaston College
Greenville Technical College
Guilford Technical Community College
Isothermal Community College
Johnston Community College
Martin Community College
Nash Community College
Piedmont Community College
Pitt Community College
Roanoke-Chowan Community College
Robeson Community College
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Sandhills Community College
South Piedmont Community College
Stanly Community College
Surry Community College
Vance-Granville Community College
Wake Tech Community College
Wayne Community College
Western Piedmont Community College
Wilkes Community College
Contact
Associate Director Hazael Andrew
hazael@email.unc.edu
*Disclaimer: Links on this web page to commercial websites do not represent, and should not be interpreted as, an endorsement by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.