Criteria for International Partnerships
When submitting your proposal form for a new international partnership, WMU will prioritize international partnerships that meet the following principles:
- Alignment with WMU vision and goals
- Quality and integrity of potential partner
- Sustainability
- Fit with range of WMU's existing partnerships
- Academic Requirements (particularly for dual-degree or exchange agreements)
- Additional criteria (exchange only)
Alignment with WMU vision and goals
- Strength of alignment with WMU/HIGE’s goals, and specific College/Department goals.
- Compatibility of WMU with Potential Partner: Similar areas of excellence (building synergy), Complementary areas of excellence (filling gaps)
- Clear learning, academic, and/or research objectives to be achieved through the potential partnership
Quality and Integrity of Potential Partner
- Ranking and accreditation of the international institution
Sustainability
- Fiscal resources available to engage in this international partnership
- Strength of interest and recruitment methods to support levels of participation
- Evaluation mechanisms to determine the success of the partnership
- Faculty and programs already have connections with potential partner
- Partnership will be of mutual benefit to both institutions
- Partnership would fit a range of constituencies at WMU
Fit with range of WMU’s existing partnerships
- Build on areas of strength
- Fill in identified gaps
Academic requirements (particularly for dual-degree or exchange agreements)
- Strength of pairing between existing WMU undergraduate or master degrees and those of the international institution
- Strength of pairing between existing WMU academic requirements and those of the international institution
additional criteria (Exchange only)
- Two department chairs, and at least one dean must sign off on the partnership
- It is our preference that two colleges support the partnership; this would make it a priority proposal
- The proposal should demonstrate academic merit and institutional compatibility for a long-term relationship. Show evidence that this particular partnership would enhance or expand opportunities for faculty and/or students
- If the potential partner is located in a region or country where we already have exchange partners, it should provide new or different opportunities