BHCC Head of International Center Earns Spot on Two Global Boards

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Apr 09, 2010, 02:41 ET

BOSTON, April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vilma M. Tafawa, Executive Director of the International Center at Bunker Hill Community College, has been appointed to the Global Council of the Center for Global Advancement of Community Colleges (CGACC), BHCC President Mary L. Fifield announced this week. The Center's mission is to help community colleges both attract students from around the world and increase global opportunities at community college campuses.

"As a member of the Global Council I will work to create even more international opportunities for students and faculty at Bunker Hill Community College," Tafawa said. "I am thrilled to represent the College in this capacity."

Under Tafawa's leadership, BHCC has pioneered study-abroad programs that combine rigorous academic work with travel. For a new study-abroad course created last year students travel to Senegal to work on community service projects such as teaching computer skills and planting trees to reclaim arid lands. Recognizing the needs of community college students, BHCC provides scholarships covering up to 80 percent of the costs of the programs, including air fare.

Working with the Global Council, the CGACC will focus on expanding programs for student recruiting and for training students and faculty to succeed in a globalized economy. Projects will include increasing grant opportunities, in particular for the federal Fulbright Scholars Program, and identifying local workforce opportunities that match global market needs.

Tafawa was also elected to serve on the Board of The Midwest Institute of International Intercultural Education (MIIIE) for 2010-2012. MIIIE, a consortium of two-year colleges in the Midwest region, supports curriculum and professional development by organizing workshops, fall and spring conferences, overseas projects for faculty and students, assistance with grant development, faculty mentoring and professional networking. Midwest Institute for International Intercultural Education Inc is a private company categorized under Educational Cooperative Organizations and located in Kalamazoo, MI. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $120,000 and employs a staff of approximately 3.

Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts. The College enrolls more than 11,700 students on two campuses and at five satellite locations. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Six in ten students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls more than 690 international students who come from more than 95 countries and speak 75 different languages.

SOURCE Bunker Hill Community College