Abstract
Internationalization has become a foundational factor in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as it shapes knowledge production, student learning, institutional reputation, and outcomes such as faculty recruitment, graduation rates, and community engagement. Faculty members are central in advancing global education, yet their engagement in internationalization efforts remains limited. This qualitative, comparative multiple-case study explores faculty perceptions of their engagement in faculty-led study abroad (FLSA) and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiatives in HEIs in the United States, Ecuador, and Spain. This study is based on document analysis, field notes, and semi-structured interviews. It was framed by the Faculty International Engagement and Transformation (FIET) model to examine how FLSA and COIL impact faculty’s professional identity and pedagogical practices. Findings revealed that faculty engagement in FLSA and/or COIL programs is a cyclical, transformative process that occurs across multiple levels and is shaped by disorienting dilemmas, reflective practices, institutional support, and intrinsic motivation. This transformation leads faculty members to rethink their roles from being sources of content to facilitators of global learning through teaching, scholarship, and leadership. This study highlights the need for more effective institutional structures and stakeholders' collaboration to support and expand faculty engagement in advancing internationalization in HEIs.
