We are pleased to announce that an article authored by Vincent Strategies team members Drs. Natasha Gordon-Chipembere, Aileen Bumphus, Gregory Vincent, and Eric Dieter has been published in the peer-reviewed Frontiers: The International Journal of Study Abroad.
Since the COVID pandemic, virtual exchange (VE) programming has become increasingly important in offering cultural exchange opportunities to students of all ages. Vincent Strategies partnered with a well-known, highly regarded Washington, D.C. nonprofit organization for more than 18 months on a project to study the impact of VE on historically marginalized students in the U.S. and (Southwest Asia and North Africa) SWANA region. The resulting research report was the basis of the journal article.
Our team interviewed VE scholars, staff from the nonprofit offering VE programming, external evaluators and VE staff in SWANA. We found an absence of discussion and assessment related to racial or ethnic identity, religious identity, LGBTQ+ students, or students with disabilities. There was a perception that discussion of these topics is taboo in the quite diverse SWANA region.
Summary of Findings
In brief, findings focused on five areas:
- The need for participants to experience a sense of belonging to buy into VE programming;
- Recruitment of participants should focus on race and diversity, including nationality, religion, language, economic background, and LGBTQ+ and disability status;
- Understanding the backgrounds of students in the US and other countries is necessary to develop a culturally inclusive curriculum including a shift to include a focus on languages other than English;
- The need for a focus on shifting power dynamics and imbalances away from US/Western centricity; and
- Issues around technology must be addressed in how virtual exchange addresses or exacerbates larger societal inequalities and the digital divide.
“We are firm believers in the importance of both study abroad and virtual exchange, but see virtual exchange as a way for students from all backgrounds to gain the cultural competencies needed in the global workplace and become future leaders,” said Dr. Gregory J. Vincent, CEO for Vincent Strategies. “We also recommend more research on virtual exchange outcomes as well as on VE curriculum for students around the world.”
More About Our Team
The Vincent Strategies work on the virtual exchange project involved five core VS team members.
Dr. Natasha Gordon-Chipembere has won numerous awards as a writer, including two Fulbright Fellowships and three PSC-CUNY Research Awards. She has taught for more than 25 years and is the founder and host of Tengo Sed Writing Retreats in Costa Rica for BIPOC writers. Dr. Gordon-Chipembere was the lead author on the VS report and resulting article.
Dr. Aileen Bumphus has been a classroom teacher, a school principal, a professor, and an Associate Vice President at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Bumphus was key to the UT Austin study abroad program that focused on students from diverse backgrounds and has traveled with students to China, South Africa and Costa Rica many times. She led the research team for the VE project.
Dr. Eric Dieter has a long career in student support services at the University of Texas at Austin, higher education institutional assessment, program design and curricular development. He has taught at various levels for 25 years. Dr. Dieter was on the research team for the VE study and involved in the focus groups.
Leslie Blair has worked for Vincent Strategies since it began. She was project director for the VE project, conducted much of the secondary research for the literature review, and edited the final project report.
Dr. Gregory J. Vincent is CEO of Vincent Strategies and has overseen many DEI portfolios in this 30-year career in higher education. The first study abroad program for students from diverse backgrounds was part of his portfolio at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Vincent worked closely with the nonprofit organization that engaged Vincent Strategies in the VE project and oversaw all aspects of the project.
Read the article online at Frontiers Journal: https://frontiersjournal.org/index.php/Frontiers/article/view/791/675