Providing Leadership in International Education

Founded in 1986, the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP) has experienced years of success and is currently composed of 28 institutions plus one consortium with 9 additional institutions.

ICISP Executive Board Members FY24-FY25: 

Officers
Co-Presidents:
Amy Munson-Pawlik, Heartland Community College
Katherine Schuster, Oakton College

Vice President:
Brandie Windham, Morton College 

Membership Secretary:
Sue Kerby, College of DuPage

Host Liaison:
Gavin Lee, Heartland Community College

Sudy Abroad Program Coordinators:
Canterbury, UK                  Zacha Petrea, Heartland Community College
Carlow, Ireland                  Lauren Nehlsen, Elgin Community College
Dijon, France                      Jody Littleton, Parkland College
Salzburg, Austria               Amanda Cook Fesperman, Illinois Valley Community College
San José, Costa Rica          Sue Kerby, College of DuPage
Seville, Spain                      Nataliya Marchenko, Joliet Junior College

Other Executive Board members:
Two Week International Professional Exchanges Coordinators:
Finland                                Paul Edleman, Sauk Valley Community College
Netherlands                       Sangeeta Kumar, South Suburban College

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Committee Coordinator:
Sherri Morrow                   Joliet Junior College

Scholarship Committee Chair:
Angelica Rackow               Harper College 

Curriculum Committee Chair:
Morgan Langer                 Kankakee Community College  

MISSION AND VISION: 

Mission: ICISP serves as a collective of institutions of higher education to facilitate and promote campus globalization through equitable and inclusive study abroad, curriculum development, and professional development.

VISION: ICISP champions and supports a globally engaged society by providing access to global resources for all members of our greater college communities, through developing and leveraging consortial knowledge, expertise, and local and international partnerships.

Membership in this consortium is open to all Illinois public and private two-year colleges, and by invitation to four year colleges and universities in Illinois, as well as two and four year institutions and consortia in contiguous states. Click here for a list of member institutions.

Membership in ICISP enables its member colleges to offer students and faculty international opportunities. Some of ICISP’s accomplishments over the past years  include:

  • Participation of almost 3000 study abroad students from member colleges in several countries  including Austria, China, Costa Rica, England, France, India, Ireland and Spain.
  • Participation of more than 850 faculty and administrators from member colleges in professional 2-week exchanges abroad in China, Finland, the Netherlands, & Switzerland.
  • Participation of approximately 190 Illinois faculty and staff from member colleges in visiting faculty, academic escort or assistant director positions for summer and semester study abroad programs
  • Recipient of a $70,000 Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) Grant
  • Prestigious national grants awarded to approximately one-third of our members

ICISP is unique in its organic structure. It has the ability to reinvent itself as an organization in order to stay current with ever-changing demands. Leadership is provided within the organization by the executive board and the governing board representatives.

On January 29, 2021, ICISP adopted the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Statement as follows:

The Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP) recognizes that systemic racism is pervasive within our society and actively commits to advancing anti-racist practices by creating an environment that is inclusive to all, celebrates and honors diversity, and promotes individual growth and social responsibility for success in a global world. ICISP strives to eliminate structural racism and inequities within the organization, education abroad, global professional development programming, and campus internationalization efforts. 

Guiding Principles

  • The lens of diversity, equity, and inclusivity should be embedded within the structure of the organization and integral to its practices.
  • The inclusion and celebration of a diversity of voices and experiences enriches our organization and is essential to our success.
  • International education and professional development are tools for cultivating anti- racist, anti-biased, and decolonial thought in students.
  • Safe and brave spaces, communication, and sharing and learning promote a sense of belonging, value, and meaningful contribution.
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion are on-going endeavors that require reflective practitioners willing to support and challenge one another.

How We Manifest This:

ICISP will make our policies and practices more equitable, actively encourage member colleges to diversify representatives and program participants and develop engaging programs with particular consideration of historically marginalized or minoritized groups.  ICISP will engage with the greater field of international education by employing equity- minded practices, analyzing disaggregated data, and contributing to the body of relevant scholarship and discourse.

 -Adapted from the Forum on Education Abroad

 

 

 

 

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