Central State University empowers students through a global education

Central State University is committed to providing a global education that prepares students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

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In the fall of 2022, the University had 131 international students from seven countries and four continents. Some of these students attend online through Central State Global, and many attend in person, bringing their unique perspectives and experiences to campus.  

As international students transition to life in Wilberforce, Ohio, the Center for International Education helps with the necessary visa and other legal requirements, as well as finding employment on or off campus.  

In addition to supporting a diverse, international student body, the Center for International Education runs Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) services, study abroad programs, and the annual International Education Week in November.  

A 2022 Fulbright HBCU (Historically Black College or University) Institutional Leader, Central State has for the past several years hosted FLTAs (Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants) from across the world to teach languages. In 2023-24, Central State will have two FLTAs — one will teach Russian, and the other will teach Chinese.  

Emphasizing the value of international exchange, Central State encourages students to study abroad.  

“Before the pandemic, 114 of our students participated in study-abroad programs to countries such as China, India, Guyana, Italy, Ghana, and Peru,” said Fahmi Abboushi, Ph.D., director of the Center for International Education. 

Associate Professor of Studio Art Erin Smith Glenn is working to re-energize the study-abroad program by taking her Global Perspectives class to Paris during spring break of 2024. The program will complement the curriculum by exposing students to the art and locations they are learning about in the classroom.  

Many of Central State’s academic programs emphasize the value of a global education. The English literature major requires a class on world literature, and the history major requires several global elements including the Global History Seminar, an Africana history course, and a non-Western history course.  

The Department of Communications, Composition, and Languages houses minors in Spanish and international languages and cultures (ILC). According to María del Mar Gámez García, Ph.D., assistant professor of Spanish, the department offers language, culture, literature, cinema, creative writing, virtual exchange, and study-abroad courses. 

The ILC program also hosts the International Languages and Cultures Club, which meets regularly to deepen and broaden students’ understanding of other countries and cultures as well as global issues. 

In the last year, two ILC students, Michael Lorenz, a Central State Global student, and Danielle Darkenwald, a rising senior Honors College student, have won fully funded nationally competitive scholarships for language study. Lorenz was selected to participate in the Spark Program offered by the Critical Language Scholarship to develop his Russian skills through online classes. Darkenwald received the prestigious Boren Award, funding intensive language training in Swahili and a semester in Tanzania.  

“A global education, one that prepares students for the challenges of working and engaging with people from across borders and cultures, must include second language education proficiencies. Our programming does just that. It also helps students develop the intercultural competence needed for leadership in international, intercultural environments,” said Roger W. Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor of international languages and cultures.