International Cooperation: USA

The Department of Sociology and Social Work and International «Integration» Center for Professional Partnerships have been developing partnership cooperation with Frederick Community College, Maryland, USA since 2007. 
Frederick Community College (FCC) is a public college accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. FCC is distinguished by its quality and affordability, making it attainable and valuable for students. Accredited programs, comprehensive instruction, and affordable costs of attendance have made FCC the learning destination for more than 200,000 students since 1957. Currently the College offers the following education programs:

• «Arts and Humanities»
• «Education and Children Care»
• «Business»
• «Healthcare»
• «Hospitality, Culinary and Tourism»
• «Public Safety»
• «Social Sciences»
• «Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics».

The main partner of the American-Ukrainian cooperation is Dr. Marshall Botkin, Professor of Social Sciences at Frederick Community College, the author of numerous scientific publications. 

Veteran Services are the outstanding achievement of FCC acting on its base. Veteran Services strive to provide a respectful and inclusive link for returning veterans to become successful in civilian and College life. Their focus is on wellness and helping guide veterans to adapt the skills they developed from military training and combat experience to the classroom. Veteran Services provide a «one-stop-shop» where veterans and their families can get all needed information and assistance in one place. Ms. Rachel Nachlas is Head of Veteran Services at FCC. 

Main events of the Ukrainian-American cooperation: 

June 2007 — International scientific and practical conference «From conflict to agreement: The theory and practice of civil society» held at Lviv Polytechnic, based on the Department of Sociology and Social Work. Attended by Prof. Marshall Botkin. Acquaintance with the representatives of the Department of Sociology and Social Work. 

July 2008 — Visit to the United States by Dr. N. Hayduk, Head of the Social Work Program, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Dean of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Lviv Polytechnic.
April-June 2009 — at Lviv Polytechnic, based on the Department of Social Work and Sociology, with the American mediators-practitioners involved — Mr. Martin Kranitz (Mediation Services of Annapolis, Maryland) and Ms. Kate Cullen Palmisano (Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center, Frederick, Maryland), the following events took place: 

• International scientific and practical conference «Perspectives of mediation: From theory to practice of reaching agreement in working with children and families»; 
• «The PD program on the mediation technology application in working with children and families» for supervisors of Social Work students’ practical training and other practitioners — representatives of social service agencies in Lviv and Kyiv.

Prof. Marshall Botkin became the initiator and co-organizer of the above events, as held at Lviv Polytechnic, with the representatives of the Mediation Centers of the state of Maryland, USA involved. 

September 2009 — Visit to the United States by Dr. L. Klymanska, Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, and Ms. Olesya Bik, Instructor of the Department of Sociology and Social Work.

February 2018 — Involvement of Prof. Marshall Botkin in the Editorial board of the scientific journal «The Humanitarian Vision» at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of Lviv Polytechnic.

March 22-30, 2018 — Visit to Lviv Polytechnic by Prof. Marshall Botkin. The following three lectures were delivered for students of the «Social Work», «Sociology», and «International Relations» specialties: «The American Class System», «Understanding President Donald Trump», and «Modern Idioms». 
April 23 — May 04, 2018 — Ms. Olesya Bik participated in the «Implementation of the Business Initiative» program, where she acquired necessary knowledge and skills to support combatants having experienced PTSD, with the objective of creating opportunities for veterans’ adaptation to civilian life in Ukraine. 

September 21-28, 2018 — Visit to Lviv Polytechnic by Prof. Marshall Botkin and Ms. Rachel Nachlas (Head, Veteran Services, FCC). The lecture «Privacy in the USA» was delivered for students by Prof. Marshall Botkin. The American colleagues took part in the Round Table discussion «On the establishment of Veteran Services for combatants and their family members based on Lviv Polytechnic» and presented the experience of Veteran Services operating at FCC. 

Vice-Rector for Science and Education Korzh, R.O. welcomed Prof. Marshall Botkin and handed him The Appreciation Award and The Diploma of Lviv Polytechnic National University for his personal outstanding contribution to the development of the American-Ukrainian cooperation. The Acknowledgement Letter was also handed over to the top administrators of Frederick Community College.

May 2019 – The visit to Lviv Polytechnic by Prof. Marshall Botkin and Dr. Hatem Akl, Vice-Rector for International Relations at the Ocean County College (New Jersey, USA). New opportunities for the Ukrainian-American partnership cooperation and the experience of Lviv Polytechnic in the field of social inclusion and inclusive education were discussed. The issues of rehabilitation of war veterans and providing services to these people in higher education became particularly topical.

March 10-12, 2020 – The visit to Lviv Polytechnic by Prof. Marshall Botkin. The lecture on the topic “Icons of music and history (How popular music represents political issues and historical facts of the times)” was delivered to students of the “Social Work”, “Sociology”, and “International Relations” specialties. Dr. Roman Korzh, Vice-Rector for Research, Education and Social Development presented Prof. Marshall Botkin with the Certificate of Honor awarded to him by Lviv Polytechnic National University for his outstanding personal contribution to the long-term and successful Ukrainian-American cooperation.

Certificates of Honor of Lviv Polytechnic National University were also handed over to be passed along to other American colleagues: mediators Mr. Martin Kranitz and Ms. Kate Kranitz, and Ms. Rachel Nachlas (Head, Veteran Services, Frederick Community College, Maryland, USA).