Internationalization of Work Content and Professional Networks

Abstract

American academics seem no more likely now than they were 15 years ago to bring international perspectives into their teaching and research or to collaborate with international colleagues in research and publication. In both 1992 and 2007, American professors emerged near the bottom of the distribution of professors from 19 nations in both of these areas—in 1992 sharing the bottom with Russia and Brazil and in 2007 sharing the bottom with China, Brazil, and Japan. Beyond their continued overall insularity, our analyses suggest that internationalization is more likely a multidimensional than a unidimensional construct. Integrating an international perspective in one’s teaching seems to be largely independent of doing so in one’s research. Moreover, the attitudinal integration of an international perspective seems independent of its behavioral expression, that is, faculty may collaborate with foreign colleagues in research and publication, but may not report that they integrate international perspectives into their teaching and/or research.

This chapter was prepared in collaboration with Elaine Walker and Rong Chen, both of Seton Hall University.

Appendix: Coding Summary of Variables in the Study

Variable name	Original name(s) in CAP	Description
In your courses, you emphasize international perspectives	C4_05_QC4	1  =  “yes” (1, 2); 0  =  “no” (3, 4, 5)
Collaborate with international colleagues	D1_1_02_QD1_1	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Your primary research is international in scope	D2_05_QD2	1  =  “yes” (1, 2); 0  =  “no” (3, 4, 5)
Coauthor with foreign colleagues	D5_03_QD5	1  =  “yes” (>0); 0  =  “no”
Publish in foreign countries	D5_04_QD5	1  =  “yes” (>0); 0  =  “no”
Male	F1	1  =  “male”; 0  =  “female”
Have children at home	F6	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
US birth citizenship	GRQF9_1_01_QF9_1	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Highest degree obtained in the USA	A1_01_A1_2; A1_02_A1_2; A1_03_A1_2; A1_04_A1_2; A1_05_A1_2; A1_06_A1_2 (1)	1  =  “yes, highest degree is from USA”
		0  =  “no”
Years abroad postbaccalaureate (1–2 years)	F13_02_QF13	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Years abroad postbaccalaureate (3+ years)	F13_02_QF13	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Discipline: STEM	A2_02_QA2_1	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
International student increase	C4_09_QC4	1  =  “yes” (1, 2); 0  =  “no” (3, 4, 5)
Institutional type: research or doctoral granting	A9	1  =  “yes, research or doctoral granting”
		0  =  “no, comprehensive or baccalaureate”
Faculty drive campus international initiatives	E1_11_QE1	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Administration supports of research	E4_08_QE4	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Years since first faculty appointment	A6_01_QA6	From “1” to “50s”
Tenure status: tenured or tenure eligible	A11	1  =  “yes, either tenured or tenure eligible”
		0  =  “no, other”
Primarily teach undergraduates	C1_01_QC1_1	1  =  “yes, 2/3 or more of my instruction time is spent on undergraduate students” 0  =  “no, less than 2/3 of my instruction time”
Orientation primarily to teaching	B2	1  =  “yes, either tenured or tenure eligible”
		0  =  “no, other”
Primary research is “basic”	D2_01_QD2	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Primary research is “applied/practical”	D2_02_QD2	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Primary research is “commerce or technology”	D2_03_QD2	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Primary research is “socially oriented” for the betterment of society	D2_04_QD2	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Primary research is based in one discipline	D2_06_QD2	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Primary research is multidisciplinary	D2_07_QD2	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
High involvement in research	D4_01_QD4; D4_02_QD4; D4_03_QD4; D4_04_QD4; D4_05_QD4; D4_06_QD4; D4_07_QD4; D4_08_QD4; D4_09_QD4; D4_10_QD4; D4_11_QD4	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”
Collaborate with others in research	D1_02_QD1	1  =  “yes”; 0  =  “no”