Global Partners in Education Journal June 2015, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 15-26 http://www.gpejournal.org/ ISSN 2163-758X 15 In the Classroom and Beyond: Expanding international experience past regular mobility Chris Dolan Lebanon Valley College, USA Abstract This essay uses a case study approach in detailing programmatic changes recently made to the Lebanon Valley College (LVC) International Studies program. We believe our newly revised program (renamed Global Studies) is innovative given its integration with efforts to internationalize the campus and focus on high impact learning experiences, namely study abroad, collaborative undergraduate research, internship opportunities, community- engaged learning, and a global independent research experience. The program might serve as a model for other colleges and universities that value graduating world-ready students and internationalizing their campuses. The overall goal of this study is to highlight the inclusion of deeper learning experiences and stronger alignment with college-wide international goals. Introduction Colleges and universities struggle to keep up with trends in international education and new ways of approaching internationalization. Lebanon Valley College (LVC) recently approved the conversion of its international studies program into global studies as part of an effort to modernize the major and minor and expand high impact learning opportunities for students. The international studies program required students to complete a study abroad experience, participate in collaborative undergraduate research or an internship, take advanced-level language, and choose a general thematic concentration in either international economics/politics or global society/culture. However, assessments indicated there were better ways of connecting the classroom with a wider array of learning experiences that take place well beyond it and to more effectively link the program to new college-wide strategic goals of internationalizing the campus and graduating world-ready students. Assessment reports of the original program revealed that improvements could be made to benefit student learning experiences. First, given that the college was advancing a new vision statement and strategic plan emphasizing the development of skills necessary to compete and contribute in the world with more globalized curricular and co-curricular experiences, recruitment of international students, more high impacting programs, and stronger global career development options, we sought to realign the program with broader campus internationalization goals. Second, given the presence of two distinct concentrations (politics/economic and culture), majors and minors were not being exposed to all content areas in the program. For example, students in international