Successful Models of Cross-Border Programs: Challenges and Opportunities

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1 Successful Models of Cross-Border Programs: Challenges and Opportunities John J. Wood Senior Associate Vice Provost for International Education University at Buffalo, SUNY

2 Brock University-University at Buffalo Equidistant from the US-Canada border Easy commuting distance only 50 km apart by car Longstanding faculty links going back to 1960s Comprehensive institutional agreement in 2007; renewed in 2012 Strong support from Canadian Consulate in Buffalo until its closure in 2012

3 Brock University-University at Buffalo Cooperation across variety of fields, including Canadian and American Studies Alternate hosts for annual Crossing Borders student conference on Canadian-American relations and issues Collaboration around data collection and analysis to support policy development relating to bi-national Buffalo-Niagara Region Hosted faculty visits to each other s campus to explore research collaboration

4 Brock University-University at Buffalo Initial agreement called for development of joint academic programs in Canadian-American Studies Advanced Certificate in Canadian Studies launched in 2011 at UB involved courses jointly taught by Brock Jointly organized short courses addressed border issues for academics and policymakers alike UB participation in the Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences at Brock in 2014

5 Joint M.A. in Canadian-American Studies Builds upon existing strengths in Canadian Studies at Brock and American Studies at UB, and strong faculty ties Unique offering drawing on respective resources and taking advantage of border location Multi-year process to develop and obtain approval (on both sides of the border) of the Joint Master of Arts Program

6 Joint M.A. in Canadian-American Studies Close cooperation between counterparts at Brock and UB in making this happen Separate new program applications submitted through institutional channels and then through respective state and provincial review processes Ongoing effort to align programs and course offerings to realize goals of joint program External peer review process; submission to accrediting agency

7 Joint M.A. in Canadian-American Studies Challenges Discrepant academic calendars Duration of program; role of thesis Admissions criteria and decisions Availability of financial aid (asymmetrical) Insurance issues Impediments caused by border and immigration status (especially for 3 rd -country nationals)

8 Joint M.A. in Canadian-American Studies Challenges Limited faculty resources; over-dependence on lead faculty Enrollment distribution and balance Recruitment challenges; smaller student market than anticipated Transitions in leadership at each campus Awarding a joint co-branded certificate

9 Joint M.A. in Canadian-American Studies Benefits and Opportunities: Students Near-abroad mobility: studying abroad while staying at home Integrated curriculum featuring best of both programs Richer classroom experience, with more diverse faculty perspectives Unique credential attractive to employers, particularly in the cross-border region

10 Joint M.A. in Canadian-American Studies Benefits and Opportunities: Faculty Access to larger community of scholars and potential funding sources in other country Distinctive opportunities for collaboration and research Special teaching opportunities such as binational team teaching Opportunities for contextualizing scholarship in new ways

11 Joint M.A. in Canadian-American Studies Benefits and Opportunities: Institutions Strengthens institutional partnership and creates new opportunities for cooperation Powerful cross-fertilization effect from intensive engagement Prestige value of mounting a unique program Pioneering initiative in SUNY a precedent for other collaborative academic programs

12 Canadian-American Studies at Brock: Challenges, Opportunities, Successes Marian Bredin Associate Professor Director, MA in Canadian-American Studies Brock University

13 Canadian-American Studies: Origins Steering Committee at Brock: Motivated by shared faculty interests in Canadian Studies, American Studies, North American politics, at Brock and UB Collaboration with UB grew out of memorandum of understanding signed by both institutions in the autumn of Research, teaching, and civic engagement at both universities; emerging recognition of the binational Niagara community.

14 Canadian-American Studies: Objectives equip students to consider the interplay between discipline-specific topics and broader issues relevant to the Canadian, American, or broader North American landscape equip students to explore their field of research from both a Canadian and an American perspective equip students to approach their studies from an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspective equip students to undertake comparative analysis of social, economic, political, and cultural issues in the two nations

15 Canadian-American Studies: Context Joint MA runs parallel to undergraduate combined major in Canadian Studies. Interdisciplinary programs rely on participation of several faculty and departments in course offerings (resource sharing) : Successful cross-border course at Honours level (CANA 4P90 Advanced Topics In Canadian Studies) co-taught, alternate sites.

16 Student Intake: First three years : 11 students registered at Brock 9 Canadians, 2 international students UG from Brock (3), York (2), Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier, Michigan, Zhytomyr Ivan Franko (Ukraine). Background: History, Canadian Studies, English, French, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Transnational Studies, North American Studies

17 Faculty participation Teaching and supervision across Social Sciences and Humanities programs Communication, Popular Culture, Geography, Political Science, Social Justice & Equity Studies, History, English, Dramatic Arts Major Research Project has joint Brock-UB supervision.

18 Course offerings Students take courses at both campuses every week; 3 core courses (Fall), 3 electives (Winter), supervised teaching credit (two terms), research project (three terms). Core Courses: CDAM 5P00 Interdisciplinary Methods and Field Research in the Binational Niagara Region (Alternates) CDAM 5P01 An Overview of Canadian Studies (Brock) CDAM 5P02 Topics in American Studies (UB) Electives CDAM 5P10 Canadian-American Relations (UB) CDAM 5P15 Borderlands Understanding the Binational Niagara Region (UB) CDAM 5P28 The Political Economy of North America CDAM 5P50 Abolitionist Movements and the Underground Railroad CDAM 5P82 Canadian Politics CDAM 5V31 Performing Quebec in the Global Age CDAM 5V39 Place (Re)branding in the Cultural Economy

19 Challenges Logistics of daily border crossings, classes at both campuses on one day. Different term lengths, breaks and holidays. Discrepant local and institutional requirements for graduate programs. Multiple channels of communication and administrative complexity. Transnational and interdisciplinary research and scholarship.

20 Opportunities Transnational and interdisciplinary research and scholarship! Supervised teaching in undergraduate Canadian Studies, applied concepts. The binational research laboratory: student fieldwork, data collection and analysis in a cross-border context.

21 Successes Strong support for CDAM at Brock, across faculties, in multiple disciplines. Access to graduate courses in other programs. Solid research supervision and mentorship. Contribution of Brock s Fulbright Fellows Student participation in conferences (Crossing Borders, ACSUS)

22 Future considerations Integrating experiential learning, professionalization, career mentoring. Building ties with regional community organizations, local policy participation and relevant research. Improving sustainability without appointed faculty or departmental affiliation.

23 Canadian & American Dual JD Program: Three Years, Two Degrees, One Distinctive Program University of Windsor & University of Detroit Mercy Clayton Smith, University of Windsor, Ontario

24 Unique Features Receive the educational background necessary to practice law in 2 countries: Canada and the U.S. Close proximity of the 2 law schools Students involved daily with the 2 nation s laws, cultures, societies, news, sports, recreation and politics Learn unique comparative and analytical skills Develop a comprehensive understanding of the transnational nature of their 2 degrees through clinics, externships and student employment opportunities

25 Courses Cover U.S. & Canadian Law (taught at Windsor Law or Detroit Mercy Law) Constitutional Law Civil Procedure Comparative Legal Writing & Research Cross Border Sales & Financing Transactions

26 Courses Taught at Both Schools (same semester) Business Organizations Contracts Criminal Law Evidence Professional Responsibility Property Torts

27 Menu of Cross Border Courses Planned Criminal Law Human rights Immigration Family Law Intellectual Property Real Estate and other areas

28 How it Developed 2 faculty members (Windsor Law and Detroit Mercy Law) with common teaching interests...who were friends Interests of Windsor Law: Access to justice Canada-US legal relations (now called transnational) An ongoing arrangement whereby students at Windsor Law, Detroit Mercy Law & Wayne State could enrol in courses at the other law schools

29 How it Developed (Cont d) Creation of the Intellectual Property Law Institute (created in 1987) involving the 3 law schools and the bars of Detroit/Southern Michigan and Windsor/Essex County

30 How it Developed (Cont d) Convenience Detroit Mercy Law is blocks away from the entrance to the Detroit- Windsor tunnel Permits students to take courses at both law schools in the same day (e.g., one course at Windsor Law in the morning, another course at Detroit Mercy Law in the afternoon)

31 How it Developed (Cont d) Concurrent Program (late 1970s to early 1999) Cross recognition of courses plus additional courses during the summer at Detroit Mercy Law Both degrees completed simultaneously in 3 years Mostly a one-way program for Canadians looking to obtain an American law degree Discontinued after the ABA changed the residence requirements for U.S. JD programs

32 How it Developed (Cont d) Integrated Program (early 2000s to present): Maintains completion in 3 years plus a few courses in a summer at Detroit Mercy Law (note: other Canadian law schools take 4 years) Emphasizes the comparative law experience (similar content US and Canadian law courses taken at the same time) Courses designed specifically for the joint program

33 Applications & Enrolments: , , , , , , , , Applications New Registrations Total Enrolment

34 The Students Our students/alumni are from: United States At least 9 different states Canada 6 different provinces China, Israel, Bolivia, Switzerland, Korea, Russia, Syria

35 A Bit About the Class of 2018 Age Age range: Average: 24 Gender 41 (44.6%) male 51 (55.4%) female States/Provinces of Residence Alberta, 4 (4.3%) British Columbia, 4 (4.3%) Ontario, 82 (89%) Quebec, 1 U.S., 1

36 A Bit About the Class of 2018 (Cont d) Countries of Citizenship Canada, Iran, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, U.S. Countries of Birth China, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania Selectivity Median LSAT score: 155 Median GPA: 3.08

37 Class of 2018: Undergraduate (Canada) Brock University (4) Carleton University Dalhousie University Humber Inst of Teach & Adv Laurentian University McGill University (2) McMaster University (3) Queen s University (6) Ryerson University (4) Simon Fraser University (3) University of Alberta University of British Columbia University of Calgary (4) University of Guelph University of Ottawa (2) University of the Fraser Valley University of Toronto (18) University of Waterloo (4) University of Windsor (2) Western University (12) Wilfrid Laurier University (2) York University (8)

38 Class of 2018: Majors Represented Anthropology Architecture/Env Design Arts & Contemporary Studies Biology (5) Business/Commerce (11) Classics Communications Criminal Justice Criminology (11) Finance Geography Global Dev Studies Health/Kinesiology (4) History Humanities (4) Industrial Relations International Business International Relations Law (4) Paralegal Studies Philosophy (2) Political Science (15) Psychology (5) Religion/Religious Studies Russian & East European Studies Social Sciences (2) Sociology (5)

39 Student Achievements In school: Moot Court Detroit Mercy Law Windsor Law Law Review Detroit Mercy Law Windsor Law In the workplace: U.S. placements: MI, NY, IL, FL, CA Canadian placements: Toronto Edmonton Calgary Ottawa

40 Firms Miller Canfield Paddock Stone (US and Canada) Clifford Chance (NY) Shearman & Sterling (NY) Paul Hastings (NY) Fitzpatrick, Cella Harper & Scinto (NY) Bowman & Brooke (MI) Maduff & Maduff (Chicago) WeirFoulds BLG Miller Thomson Ogilvy Renault Torys McMillan LLP Goodmans Cassels Brock & Blackwell Osler Hoskin Harcourt Lang Michener McCarthy Tetrault Stikeman Elliott

41 For More Information

42 Comments & Questions Clayton Smith, Ed.D. Vice-Provost, Student Affairs & Dean of Students University of Windsor

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