At what point does a faculty member consider an international collaboration between self, students, and community partner finished? Upon return to the university setting, most faculty members who engaged in EIESL dialogue sessions expressed a concern that ending an program at the airport would be pedagogically and, potentially, ethically unsound. Considering the critically important role of reflection in all definitions of transformative education and formal service-learning program, faculty will allocate due process to planning the program’s short-term conclusion and long-term continuation.
As in all other areas of international engagement, the specific requirements of a return program will vary according to context but the areas of focus would be on critical intrapersonal reflection (students, faculty and community partners each reflecting individually on their personal role in the process) and critical interpersonal reflection between the different stakeholders.
