The International and Foreign Language program at the US Department of Education has awarded MSU Billings funding for a three-year program for Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Languages (UISFL). MSUB will found the Yellowstone Consortium (YC) for International Studies and Foreign Languages and lead a series of important actions to further develop international studies at these colleges in Montana and northern Wyoming. 

Yellowstone Consortium members:

  • *Montana State University Billings - Billings, MT
  • *Northwest College - Powell, WY
  • Little Big Horn College - Crow Agency, Baaxawuaashe, MT
  • Dawson Community College - Glendive, MT
  • Miles Community College - Miles City, MT

*MSUB and its consortial parter in northern Wyoming, Northwest College (NWC), also received the UISFL grant from 2020-2023, and the new grant will build upon the successes from the previous three years.

Montana and Wyoming have strong historic ties to all world regions -- the European and Asian settlers in Montana in the 19th and 20th centuries joined twelve American Indian tribes, now occupying seven reservations. This legacy of “internationalness” has largely been forgotten in the post-WWII era, but today, as Montana seeks to develop new ties to the world, students from MSUB and members of the Yellowstone Consortium will need global knowledge, skills and know-how to join the international marketplace of commerce, science, and ideas. This new project, funded by the UISFL grant, aims to increase the role and significance of International Studies across all areas of campus partners, in Montana and Wyoming.

The Office of International Studies (OIS) at Montana State University Billings (MSUB) was awarded a major three-year Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) grant from the International and Foreign Language Education program at the U.S. Department of Education. The three-year grant runs from 2023-2026.

Building upon the success of its first UISFL grant (2020-2023), the second redition will help to further internationalize the university and its four consortial partners. The programs and activities are open to everyone within the Yellowstone Consortium.

The UISFL program acitivies comprise of four pillars:

  1. Faculty:
    • The USIFL Project will include opportunities for faculty development at all consortial partners, course development and travel grants to faculty and professional development seminars on COIL, language pedagogy and incorporating international/area studies into new and existing curriculum in all disciplines. Each semester, the Project will develop a Global Studies Seminar on one of the campuses of the Consortium.
  2. Students:
    • With UISFL's focus on East Asian lanugage acquisition, beginning Japanese, Korean and Mandarin Chinese will be offered in a HyFlex manner to any interested student within the Yellowstone Consortium. All students enrolled in these courses are then encouraged to apply to study abroad at one of MSUB's East Asian partner institutions to continue with lanugage learning for a second year.
    • UISFL will provide support for return study abroad students to transition into graduate programs or careers, both in and out of government.
  3. Programs:
    • The UISFL Project will provide grants for academic and non-academic departments to promote global perspectives through special programming.
  4. Community:
    • UISFL supports numerous cultural events open to the public to expand global perspectives and awareness.

Spring 2024 Semester

  • March 3: UISFL Faculty Fellows Grant Proposals Due
  • March 3: UISFL Student Study Abroad Scholarship Applications Due
  • April 3: UISFL Faculty Fellows Grant Awardees Announced
  • April 3: UISFL Student Study Abroad Scholarship Awardees Announced
  • April 5, 11:30AM-1:00PM, Vitual: Yellowstone Consortium (YC)  UISFL COIL Workshop (in-person option from 11AM-1:30PM)
  • April 12, all day, Northwest College - Powell, WY: Spring 2024 Global Studies Seminar
  • April 10 - April 16, Various locations in Billings, MT: Neighbors and Neighborhoods - A Symposium for Billings and the World

 

The objectives of the project are to strengthen and improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages at both institutions. Grant funds are being used to revise and update curricula, develop faculty expertise and add language instruction at both institutions. Some funds support student study abroad in East Asia. The MSU Billings UISFL project is greatly enhancing faculty expertise in international studies, with an emphasis on East Asia, in Montana and Wyoming. Over the course of the grant period, faculty will be receiving funds to revise curricula and to travel to partner universities. Over 6,000 undergraduate students in a largely under-represented area will have full access to the activities and outcomes of the project (International Studies Minor –East Asia Track, Study Abroad, language instruction), thereby increasing their career prospects, especially in relation to service in areas of national need.

The Yellowstone Consortium institutions are using grant funds to increase opportunities for undergraduate students to grow their global skills by: 1) accessing a renewed interdisciplinary International Studies Minor, focusing on East Asian studies and 2) increasing faculty expertise in Global Skills learning outcomes and East Asian studies in service of these programs. There are seven main objectives of this project: 1) increase faculty expertise in global studies, with priority given to East Asia; 2) create new and revise existing MSUB and NWC courses with focus on global studies; 3) integrate newly revised or developed courses into the renewed interdisciplinary International Studies Minor; 4) develop language programs in less commonly taught languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean); 5) increase participation in Study Abroad Programs in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China; and 6) support an annual Global Studies Seminar for faculty development and an annual Global Studies Seminar: Themed Semester to provide a global perspective and cultural enrichment for the entire MSUB and Billings communities.

Summer 2024 Highlights

  • MSUB hosted our newest East Asia partner, Nihon University, in Mary 2024. Nihon is based in Tokyo and will be hosting two MSUB USIFL Scholarship Recipients next year, one for a full year and one for the fall semester.
  • Four MSUB students were awarded UISFL Scholarships to support their study abroad experiences in East Asia.
    • Prefectural University of Kumamoto, JAPAN
      • Noah Lavin, Sophomore - Art: Spring 2024-Fall 2024 UISFL Scholar, (transfer from Northwest College in Powell, WY as part of the UISFL Yellowstone Consortium)
      • Olivia Johnson, Sophomore - English Education: 2024-2025 UISFL Scholar
    • Nihon University, JAPAN
      • Mikieel Mallak, Junior - Business: 2024 - 2025 UISFL Scholar
      • Sarah Boucher, Graduate - MS Clinical Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling: Fall 2024 UISFL Scholar

Student Scholarship Highlights

International Studies was proud to award four UISFL Student Scholarships to MSUB students for the 2024-2025 academic year. Since the start of the UISFL program in 2020, we have supported 13 students with their East Asia study abroad programs.

Faculty Grant Highlights

Since 2020, we have awarded 26 travel grants to faculty at MSUB and NWC in order to build global learning outcomes into new or existing curricula. The amount of impacted courses totals nearly 60 between MSUB and NWC campuses.

 

To learn how to submit a proposal for the 2024 grant cycle, visit the Faculty Information page. Please direct any questions to Dr. Paul Foster.


Students can win a generous scholarship to study Japanese, Korean or Mandarin Chinese. Funding will also help to support students in studying abroad for one year in Japan, South Korea, or China. Learn more about the scholarship and application process!
Funding is available for faculty to help develop global learning outcomes, which includes travel to an MSUB university partner abroad. Learn more about the application process as well as about global learning workshops offered as part of the grant's initiative.
MSUB hosts weekly events throughout the Fall Semester, highlighting a different region or country of the world. All of the events were FREE, unless otherwise specified. Check out previous Themed Semesters and their associated schedules!