Goals

The International Faculty Seminar encourages participants to identify common interests with others from disciplines across campus and to help the University of Richmond deepen relationships in the host country. Faculty are encouraged to draw on their seminar experiences to enrich their teaching and research. The seminar also helps to establish a platform for the University of Richmond to engage with places relevant for UR global priorities. Since the faculty seminar trip to Cuba in 2016, visits by UR President Ronald Crutcher and 12 faculty and staff have advanced UR’s connections in the country. President Crutcher and two faculty musicians performed a series of concerts in Havana in the autumn of 2017, including the debut of a composition by Cuban composer Daniel Guzmán Loyzaga at the National Library of Cuba. Mr. Guzmán will be a visiting scholar at UR in Spring 2018.

The faculty seminar helps to create community both in the host country and on the UR campus by deepening connections between scholars who otherwise often work alone and may not be aware of shared interests. Faculty who participate are more likely to co-teach and co-write with other local regional experts. Virginia Commonwealth University adopted the faculty seminar model from the University of Richmond, and since 2017 the two universities in Richmond share membership in the seminars so that faculty members can also work together across local campuses.

Recognition

The University of Richmond Faculty Seminar has been recognized as an exemplary practice in international education.

2016: University of Richmond recognized as one of eight national partner institution for Cuba by the Institute for International Education.

2009: University of Richmond Faculty Seminar was a case study in The 21st Century University: Developing Faculty Engagement in Internationalization by Lisa K. Childress.

2006: University of Richmond Faculty Seminar was highlighted in the "Spotlights of Institutional Success" section of the NAFSA Association of International Educators Internationalizing the Campus 2006 publication.

2002: University of Richmond Faculty Seminar received an honorable mention for Outstanding Faculty Program in the Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education presented by IIE (Institute of International Educators).