International Institute

Focus Series

Each year, the International Institute coordinates a campus-wide focus on one cultural region of the world or one global theme. Through special coursework and a variety of campus and off-campus events, students and others explore the culture, politics, economics and history of the featured region and its relation to the rest of the world.

Instructors in many courses and departments introduce materials related to the theme, and also encourage their students to participate in learning opportunities such as those listed below.

All these events are free and open to the public.

Focus Presentation Series

A popular component of the Focus Project has been the Focus Presentation Series. Launched in January 2004 the Series sponsors talks by faculty from colleges and universities, leaders in area community organizations as well as other experts speaking on a wide variety of topics about the focus region. This series, free and open to the public, has featured nearly a dozen presentations each year. These presentations are videotaped and available to students and instructors at Schoolcraft's Bradner Library.

GlobalEYEzers

GlobalEYEzers meets twice each semester to discuss current events that are relevant to the current SCII Focus geographic region. Discussions are held in an informal social setting. Faculty and staff, as well as students and members of the community are invited to be a part of this group.

For more information about GlobalEYEzers, contact:

Sandy Roney-Hays (248) 559-8264
Anna Maheshwari (734) 462-4400 ext. 5296

Focus Series Partnerships

The regional focus projects have added a new dimension to student learning, and helped create a greater appetite for international and intercultural studies among many different groups on campus. As a result, SCII membership has grown and collaboration expanded across campus and within the community. Partnerships on campus have included:

  • Instructors from nearly two dozen disciplines, who have included region materials in their coursework
  • Writing Fellows whose website featured focus region material to facilitate the sharing of educational resources and course assignments.
  • Season for Nonviolence Committee, our cosponsor for a variety of films and events
  • Pageturners whose intercultural selections we support
  • Phi Theta Kappa and Student Activities, our co-sponsors for the Multicultural Fair
  • International Student Relations our co-sponsor for Focus Series events and the Multicultural Fair

Support for the Focus Series has come from The Schoolcraft College Foundation which has provided generous grants since 2003.

Flyers for upcoming Focus events, a compilation of sources specific to the geographic Focus regions as well as samples of class assignments are available to Schoolcraft instructors and staff at U:\International in any of the Focus folders. The U:\drive is accessible from computers on campus.

Focus Regions

  • 2004: Middle East
  • 2005: Latin America
  • 2006: Africa
  • 2007: Europe
  • 2008: East Asia
  • 2009: South Asia
  • 2010: Middle East
Schedules for Focus Events