Adjunct Faculty
Visiting Professor Christopher McShane specializes in cross-cultural communication, international staff management, citizen diplomacy and supervises students on Practicum.
He spent most of his career as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State. As a Public Diplomacy specialist, he worked as a Public Affairs Officer, Press Attache or Cultural Attache at U.S. missions overseas. Postings included Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Tunis, Tunisia; Cairo, Egypt; Manama, Bahrain; Copenhagen, Denmark; Maputo; Mozambique and Pretoria, South Africa. In Washington, DC he headed international exchange programs for the Middle East, Latin America and Africa divisions during three assignments in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. He also served as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of African Affairs.
He contributed to the book An Introduction to Modern Arab Culture, published in September 2019. Professor McShane has also guest lectured at Claremont McKenna College, spoken at the University of California, Davis and presented at various NAFSA conferences. He is active in the field of Citizen Diplomacy, engaging people outside official channels to encourage and promote international understanding.
IEMG 8650 Current
IEM and IEM/MPA PracticumCourse Description
While undertaking an approved professional practicum in the International Education Management field, students will be responsible for rigorous academic performance, equivalent in quantity and quality to the requirements for equivalent on-campus coursework. Students will demonstrate their application of theory to practice through completion of multiple deliverables.
Terms Taught
IEMG 8663
Onsite PerspectivesCourse Description
On-site Perspectives: US
This in-class course will expose students to onsite design and management of international education programs in the greater Monterey Bay region. The course will alternate between in-class coursework, asynchronous coursework, and onsite visits. Participants will explore and evaluate varied approaches to international education through observations and conversations with administrators and professionals, including MIIS alumni. Students will apply their learning related to advising, student services, recruitment, budgeting, management, program design, and assessment. Through coursework, guided reflection and onsite visits, students will gain a deeper understanding of international education and professional practice at a variety of institutions in the region, including UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, California State University Monterey Bay and Cabrillo College. The course will also include visiting a local K-12 school and learning about professional network organizations. Throughout the course students will co-construct a resource bank to deepen their learning and to model standards-based good practices. Course hours posted are approximations and will be refined once onsite visits are confirmed.
Terms Taught
I am passionate about educating tomorrow’s leaders. I hope to provide them with concepts and skills that will help them develop personally and professionally in order to meet the challenges of our complex world.
Being a part of this rich environment at MIIS motivates me. I see firsthand how ideas, cultures and experiences combine to create a place for reflection, learning and growth. After a 25-year career in international relations, I am grateful to be able to share my experiences with students, and I learn new things in every interaction with them. The global approach to every aspect of MIIS makes it a perfect fit.
Professor McShane has been teaching at the Institute since 2013.
The Middlebury Institute’s International Education Management degree program was well represented at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Region 12 Conference in Pasadena, CA in November 2019.
