Understanding Cooperative Extension Directors' Conceptualizations of, and Perceived Roles in, Internationalization

Abstract

The Cooperative Extension System has been engaged in internationalization for decades. Ludwig and Barrick (1996) outlined five indicators of an internationalized Extension system. In the broader higher education literature Knight (2003) has conceptualized internationalization as a process. Extension directors have been identified as key leaders of internationalization within the Extension system. This dissertation investigated directors' conceptualizations of internationalization and their roles in such pursuits. I conducted semi-structured interviews with directors from across the U.S. to ascertain their understanding of internationalization as a phenomenon. I used Knight's (1994) internationalization cycle as a primary analytic framework and also drew on additional arguments from the higher education and Cooperative Extension System literatures. The study participants revealed a lack of a shared definition of internationalization. They articulated a perceived imperative that domestic audiences receive the primary benefits of internationalization and financial considerations as prevailing lenses for considering engagement in such initiatives. They suggested process-based, position-based, rationale-based, and system leadership-based rationales for such efforts. They also acknowledged the mediating impact of university priorities and resources on whether their systems would become involved in internationalization.