Faculty Voices
This section of the Rostrum is dedicated to publishing the personal stories and perspectives of individual faculty members from community colleges around the state. The statements and stories included in this section come directly from the writers and may not reflect the positions or views of the ASCCC. Although these selections must meet the ASCCC’s publication standards, they will be edited less than other Rostrum articles in order to more fully preserve the writers’ personal voices.
Assistant Professor Jill M. Humphries of Compton College is an alumni of the Fulbright program and shares her firsthand experience to encourage community college faculty to avail themselves of this professional learning opportunity.
When I first learned about the Fulbright Program, I assumed it was meant only for faculty at major research universities. After all, those institutions often have entire offices dedicated to supporting international fellowships. As someone who has spent most of her career teaching as adjunct faculty at R1 universities, I knew the challenges of applying for prestigious awards without that kind of institutional support.
However, Fulbright is not just for R1 faculty. It is also for community college faculty, who work every day to provide accessible, high-quality education for their students. In fact, Fulbright has a dedicated pathway designed specifically for this sector: the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards for Community College Faculty (Fulbright, n.d.).
I have had the privilege of serving as a two-time Fulbright Scholar to South Africa, a Fulbright Specialist, and a U.S. Department of State Ambassador Distinguished Scholar to Ethiopia. These experiences transformed my professional and personal life. They gave me opportunities to teach, conduct research, and collaborate with international colleagues that would have been unimaginable had I relied solely on the resources available to me as contingent faculty.
For me, Fulbright was not just a career achievement; it was an equity milestone. It showed me that even without the safety net of tenure or a full-time position, I could still contribute meaningfully to global education and diplomacy.
What Fulbright Offers Community College Faculty
The Fulbright Community College Faculty Awards provide the following opportunities:
- Teach and collaborate abroad. Faculty can design projects that bring their teaching strengths into international classrooms, from curriculum development to new pedagogical approaches.
- Engage in applied research. Even if one’s teaching load leaves little time for traditional research, Fulbright values projects that connect directly to real-world practice.
- Bring the world back home. Perhaps most importantly, Fulbright allows faculty to enrich their classrooms by integrating global perspectives into the courses they teach, inspiring students to see themselves as part of a larger world.
This program affirms the extraordinary contributions of community college educators, whose institutions often lack the infrastructure to support international engagement but whose impact on students is profound.
Why You Should Apply
Community college faculty know how eager students are for opportunities that expand their horizons. Many of these students are first-generation college students, immigrants, or adult learners who may never have imagined themselves as part of global conversations. By participating in Fulbright, faculty can give them that vision.
At the same time, faculty benefit tremendously. Fulbright offers a chance to step out of one’s routines, recharge intellectually, and collaborate with colleagues across the world. It affirms that the work faculty do—teaching, mentoring, and building accessible pathways for students—is essential not just locally but globally.
Demystifying the Application Process
Applying for Fulbright can feel intimidating, but it does not have to be. Some practical steps are as follows:
- Identify the right award. [1] Start by browsing the Fulbright catalog and focusing on the Community College Faculty Program.
- Craft a compelling proposal. Think about what you do best in your classroom and how that could translate internationally. Proposals do not need to be overly technical; they need to show impact.
- Align with host country needs. Fulbright projects are strongest when they address a local priority in the host country.
- Secure recommendations and support. Even if you are part-time or contingent, you can ask supervisors, colleagues, or partners to vouch for your teaching and expertise.
Writing multiple applications taught me that persistence matters. You do not have to get everything perfect the first time. Each draft brings clarity, and each attempt strengthens your case.
What to Expect from Fulbright
Fulbright is immersive. From pre-departure orientations to teaching or research in a host country, one will be challenged and inspired. One must often make adjustments—different teaching styles, cultural differences, limited resources at times—but those very challenges deepen the experience.
One of my most memorable moments was designing and co-teaching an Honors Sociology Research Methods course with my South African colleague at the University of Fort Hare. Together, we integrated ChatGPT into instructional design and pedagogy, showing postgraduate students how generative AI could be used as both a research tool and a teaching aid. We also intentionally structured the course so that it was taught in both English and Xhosa. This bilingual approach embodied decoloniality and epistemic justice in practice, affirming that knowledge produced in African languages is as valuable as scholarship written in English and modelling how global south and north scholars can co-create knowledge on equal terms.
This collaboration was transformative, not just for the students and faculty we worked with but also for me. I returned home with renewed energy for my teaching and a deeper appreciation for the global dimensions of the work of educators. That project has now grown into a book chapter titled “Decoloniality and Generative AI in Higher Education: A Pedagogical Intervention from the Global South” that was recently accepted for publication in the forthcoming volume Transforming Higher Education Through AI by the University of KwaZulu Natal Press.
In addition, my presentation has been selected for the 48th Annual Fulbright Association Conference in Miami, Florida from October 24–26, 2025. My poster presentation, “Decolonial AI Pedagogy in Practice: Lessons from a Fulbright Scholar’s Intervention in South African Higher Education,” will extend this work into a broader conversation with Fulbright colleagues worldwide. To ensure the collaboration remains authentic and inclusive, I am developing an interactive English–Xhosa speaking avatar so that my South African colleague can participate through immersive technology in the poster session. This innovation reflects both the spirit of Fulbright collaboration and the creative use of technology to bridge borders, languages, and epistemologies, bringing international partners directly into scholarly exchange.
Together, these opportunities draw a clear line from classroom innovation to global scholarly recognition. This trajectory—moving from a Fulbright classroom collaboration abroad to bilingual teaching practices, a peer-reviewed scholarly publication, and an immersive avatar-supported international conference presentation—illustrates how Fulbright experiences can enrich one’s teaching, elevate one’s scholarship, and amplify the contributions of community college educators to global conversations on education.
Continuing the Work After Fulbright
The Fulbright journey does not end when you return. You join a powerful alumni network and gain opportunities to keep sharing your experiences. For community college faculty, the real magic happens there. By weaving your Fulbright experience back into your teaching, you help students—many of whom may never travel abroad—see themselves as global citizens.
I currently serve as co-secretary of the Greater Los Angeles Fulbright Alumni Chapter, where I support alumni engagement and advocacy for underrepresented Fulbright awardees. I also contribute to the Fulbright in the Classroom program, a national initiative that connects Fulbright alumni with K–college students to share global experiences, spark curiosity, and build intercultural understanding.
Beyond the power of alumni networks and classroom impact, Fulbright can also serve as a professional catalyst, opening doors to new opportunities for recognition and income. Fulbright is also a platform to build long-term professional and financial opportunities. By leveraging my Fulbright experience, I was able to elevate my status as a Council on Foreign Relations Higher Education Ambassador, secure guest speaking engagements, and expand into global consultancies. These roles not only affirmed the value of my scholarship but also generated new professional pathways and income streams.
For community college faculty, Fulbright can be more than a fellowship; it can be a launchpad for recognition, influence, and sustainable career growth. With these opportunities in mind, I am eager to collaborate with colleagues across the California Community Colleges system to expand awareness and access.