PVGoesGlobal: Reimagining Intercultural Learning & Global Student Mobility at Prairie View A&M University

Abstract

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the United States met the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and increased social unrest caused by George Floyd’s death head on to provide quality instruction and to support students in and out of the classroom. For many of these institutions, global and intercultural efforts struggled as administrators, faculty, staff, and students pivoted to online instruction. Through storytelling, ethnography and narrative analysis, this essay describes how Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) navigated the continuing challenges presented by COVID-19 by reimagining what global education and student mobility could be. This case study highlights the impact of intentional collaborations with stakeholders within and outside of the university, the development of a themed living and learning communities focused on glocal learning, and the infusion of global competencies into core curriculum courses through faculty development. Data indicate learning gains and improved satisfaction with programming. By employing a glocal framework, PVAMU has demonstrated how an HBCU can bring the world to their students when confronted with a global shutdown.