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Last June
I spent five fun
days at Michigan State University in Lansing, attending their Advanced
International Business Institute. The presentations were informative,
exciting, challenging (and somewhat sobering from the standpoint of
where we are "not," so far as a curriculum in international business is
concerned).
Several dozen
community colleges have well-established course and certificate programs
in place, some of which entail faculty and student activities with
overseas businesses and/or universities, along with study trips to
numerous countries (hosts already include, for example, China, Brazil,
and England). Most of the programs involve a variety of divisions on
campus. To help us revive our program, we have been offered support for
our initial efforts (a mentor and coach) from MSU until December this
year.
The Business
Division Chair, Linda Serra, and I (along with Brett Miketta on
occasion), have met with our administrators and have been offered full
support in our efforts to restore an international business program at
GCC. With the number of international businesses in Glendale and
surrounding areas, the proximity to Los Angeles Harbor and its large
trade volume, and our increased relationship with local universities,
the potential for improving our enrollment and enhancing GCC's already
fine reputation cannot be overstated.
Our initial
need is a dedicated committee, working to assemble all the necessary
ingredients for a successful program. We hope for the program to be
multi-divisional, with as many participants as there are divisions with
concomitant interests. the premise is that the more divisions that are
represented on the committee, the more comprehensive will be the program
offerings. The first meeting of the GCC International Business Task
Force has met and formulated initial plans for the renewed program. Some
of these plans include the offering of appropriate courses, along with
the potential for our students attaining one of two different
international business certificates.
Thus, this
appeal: If you feel this prospect of renewing a program at GCC,
multi-divisional in nature and focused on world trade and international
business, has interest for you and your division, please call Seda
Melikyan at ext. 5484.
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