The NAFSA Committee on Research and Evaluation (1958)

Many colleagues and IHEC Blog readers know that I have a strong interest in the history of the field of international education and predominately its history in the United States. I'm no historian. I just find it quite interesting and worthwhile to study.

During my three year tenure on NAFSA's Subcommittee on Information Management (focused primarily on publications) from 2006-2008 I had meetings in Washington, D.C. after NAFSA's Winter Leadership Meetings (WLM) and then a two and a half day meeting in the NAFSA library of their main office each August. I would always try to arrive to the NAFSA office as soon as possible in the morning and would spend breaks searching though their bookshelves for interesting and historical pieces of literature. I came across some really great stuff and would scribble quick notes before the meetings would resume. Just the other day I came across some of my messy notes and thought I would share as I think those interested in research and evaluation (and history) in the history of the field will enjoy. Of special note, similar efforts are currently underway by the Teaching, Learning & Scholarship (TLS) team at NAFSA and these efforts have a very nice connection to one of the members of this 1958 committee listed below. Stay tuned to IHEC Blog for more on this (as we approach the upcoming NAFSA conference in Kansas City) and in particular the TLS sessions during the conference!

Here is a little bit of historical information that I found to be of interest:

In 1958, the Committee on Research and Evaluation of the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers embarked on a project to publish reviews of significant research studies in inter-cultural exchanges, together with a discusion of their implicaitons for campus foreign student programs. ~ M. Robert B. Klinger, Chairman of Committee, 1959-1960

Committee members:

- Arthur Feraru, Chief, Office of Operations, Research Evaluations, IIE

- Russell G. HAnson, Assoc. Counselor, Internatioanl Center, University of Michigan

- Erin Hubbeit, Internatioanl Educaitonal Exchange Service, Department of State

- M. Robert B. Klinger, Counselor, International Center, University of Michigan

- Virgil R. Lougheed, Foreign Student Adviser, Wayne State University

- Joseph A. Mestenhauser, Asst. to Foreign Student Adviser, University of Minnesota

- Lois D. Novas, Foreign Sudent Adviser, Columbia University

- Robert D. Porter, Foreign Student Adviser, University of Washington

- Werner Warmbrum, Foreign Student Adviser, Stanford University

Source: NAFSA Studies and Papers Research Series, Number 1

Research Studies in Inter-cultural Education: Reviews and Implicaitons for Exchange of Persons

Edited by Werner Warmbrum

Published by NAFSA, New York, 1960

Photo credit: Brittany G