CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When Chaya Sandler and Katie Shumway first heard of the Staff Global Exchange Program, they didn’t think it applied to them.
However, after doing some research they decided to fill out an application, and in doing so became the first University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign staff members to apply for and complete exchanges in the program.
The Staff Global Exchange Program provides professional development opportunities to enhance global competencies and institutional capacities in alignment with the Vision 2030 Global Strategy.
Vision 2030 focuses on dedicating significant efforts and resources to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships, research and student exchange opportunities on the African continent, Latin America, and parts of Asia—areas that have been underrepresented in the university’s global profile.
This global strategy is comprised of five key strategies—education for global citizenship; engagement for impact in the Global South; leadership for innovative partnership and development; education for inclusive excellence; and global excellence for the State of Illinois—that support the university in realizing its global vision.
The Staff Global Exchange Program is an initiative and outcome of the Vision 2030 strategy. The program is achieved through staff exchanges between Illinois and a partner institution abroad.
The exchange model provides mutually beneficial opportunities to share best practices and expertise, and in turn gain a more global perspective on various university services.
This grant is funded by the Office of the Provost and administratively supported by Illinois International.
Getting to know the participants
Sandler and Shumway shared their experiences and discussed how the program helped enhance their global competency during a Feb. 7 luncheon hosted by Global Relations in Illinois International.
Shumway currently serves as the director of the School of Social Work’s Community Learning Lab, We CU co-director, and Public Engagement Fellow in the Office of Public Engagement.
She utilizes her LCSW to facilitate community engagement, connecting local organizations and the University of Illinois for the mutual benefit of the community and students since 2014.
Sandler currently works as the Experiential Learning Coordinator and Academic Advisor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.
She has been a higher education professional for 12 years working in both student and academic affairs, and she explained that having a program specifically designated for staff is vital.
“We see a lot of faculty members who freely go to international conferences, and we see higher administrators travel all over the globe,” she said. “So having a program specifically for staff is unique because it empowers staff to think about areas in the global education space that they can touch.”
Sandler and Shumway experienced this firsthand.
For example, when Sandler first applied for the exchange program, she initially wanted to travel to Mexico. However, after working with Global Relations, she was matched with Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan because it better served her goals.
The experience, she noted, was monumental in her professional development because it strengthened and enforced her cultural competency, patience, and adaptability.
What stood out the most regarding the experience though was the ability to apply what she learned to her current role and recommend new initiatives.
“One immediate initiative I am taking in my college is setting up a meeting with the ACES Director of Study Abroad to identify the process of staff developing a course proposal for a collaborative online international learning (COIL) project with Kyushu University,” Sandler said. “I believe the faculty and staff I met with in Fukuoka would be willing to work on a few different opportunities to connect University of Illinois students with students at Kyushu University.”
Shumway was matched with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in South Africa, and said her time there profoundly expanded her global knowledge, attitudes, and skills beyond what she could have anticipated.
“This experience shifted my perspective on global issues, particularly around safety and the impact of race,” Shumway said.
Before she went to Johannesburg, Shumway explained that she didn’t specifically see herself in global engagement because her career focus was local, and she devoted her time to those efforts.
That changed following her return from South Africa.
“I realized the global connections I’ve made while participating in this program, and I’m now getting pulled into different global collaborations within social work,” Shumway said. “I’m excited to be pulled into those conversations.”
Shumway said the trip inspired her to create new initiatives alongside her new colleagues at UJ such as organizing an event that promotes a global perspective or the potential collaboration on community engagement, research, and teaching.
To be more specific, she explained how being a member of the planning committee for the Global Mental Health Conference scheduled for October 2025 grants her the chance to explore ways to include UJ representatives, whether through remote or in-person presentations.
Reflecting on the Program
Sandler said she is grateful for the experience provided to her via the Global Staff Exchange.
The time she spent in Japan contributed to her personal and professional developments, and she explained how eager she is to use the skills she acquired to display a more global perspective on various university services.
“Through ongoing partnerships with my colleagues in Japan and potential COIL projects, I am confident that I can carry out the program’s mission to ‘provide mutually beneficial opportunities to share best practices and expertise,” Sandler said.
Shumway highlighted the exchange format of the program, reflecting on the endless possibilities for how someone can partake in different experiences while having the experience be mutually beneficial for the exchange partner.
And she credited her own experience for not only humbling her but also granting her the opportunity to reflect deeply on her own work.
“Although I’ve always felt that my work is meaningful, seeing the resilience and commitment of South African academics has pushed me to consider the depth of impact I aim to achieve,” she reflected. “The trip left me with a renewed sense of purpose and a greater comfort bridging cultural and racial divides.”
Global Relations Director Sammer Jones said the goal of the program is to truly support staff members at Illinois.
Since this is the first time the university has done anything like this, Jones said they hope this could be an institutionalized program that will continue to be an ongoing professional development opportunity for staff.
“This is something that is mutually beneficial for Illinois and our partner institutions,” Jones said. “It’s not only a professional development opportunity for our staff, but it’s a way for them to take an active role in our campus community by bringing back knowledge and skills to share with their departments, schools, colleges and beyond. This is a way for our staff to expand their lives internationally and have a role in the international achievements of our university.”
Visit the Staff Global Exchange Program website for more information on how to apply.
Analicia Haynes is the storytelling and social media specialist for Illinois International and can be reached at ahayn2@illinois.edu.