Building University Frontline Capacity: A Virtual IaH Initiative to Enhance Professional Staff’s Email Skills for International Engagement in a Global South context

Abstract

The rapid internationalization of higher education underscores the need for an empowered workforce capable of meeting its emerging demands. Yet, professional development initiatives in most universities often overlook the vital role of professional staff who form the critical human infrastructure of global engagement. To address this gap, this case study examines an 8-week online English training, framed as a Virtual Internationalization at Home (IaH) initiative for a cohort of professional staff at a public university in the Philippines. Taught by a US-based instructor through blended online modalities, the training focused on enhancing the staff’s email communication skills and providing them with low stake international exposure. Data from post-program survey revealed participants’ high satisfaction on all key dimensions of the program, including content relevance, instruction, accessibility, engagement, and learning outcomes. They also expressed strong acceptance of the international instructor and reported feeling comfortable expressing themselves and seeking clarification in class. Consistent with these positive perceptions, pre- and post-test analyses showed statistically significant self-reported learning gains. These findings suggest that this Virtual IaH model may serve as an equitable and effective mechanism for developing global competencies among professional staff, particularly when travel or physical mobility is constrained due to limited institutional resources and travel funding. However, these promising outcomes should be interpreted in light of the study’s limitations, including its reliance on self-reported data, single-institution scope, and participant attrition, underscoring the need for stronger institutional support structures.