The Places and Spaces I’ll be during the 2010 NAFSA Conference

I wanted to prepare this post some time ago but life did not permit.  I typed most of this post on my iPhone on the shuttle down from Milwaukee to Chicago and then my father called and the blogging application I was using lost my post so now I sit here at O’Hare watching and listening to the storm blowing through.  We’ll see if I am delayed in my departure!

During the NAFSA conference I hope to post to IHEC Blog frequently but internet connectivity is an issue as I’m only going for free internet.  I will be taking videos with the flipcam I won from ExchangesConnect and uploading them to IHEC Blog’s Facebook page.  Specifically, I’m thinking of a “three questions with IHEC Blog” type of flipcam interview.  We’ll see how that goes!  For the most part I’ll be micro-blogging on IHEC Blog’s Facebook page (http://tinyurl.com/IHECBlogFacebook) and via Twitter (http://twitter.com/DavidComp)

I wasn’t sure I would be attending this NAFSA conference due to cost as my attendance at NAFSA and related conferences are predominately/totally on my own dime.  As a result I did not join any panels or submit any proposals.  However, since I determined I would be attending the conference I have been invited to serve on four panels (at a general session, at a roundtable, at a meeting, and at a seminar).  Only one of my sessions/meetings is listed in the conference program as I was a late addition.  Here is a list of the scheduled sessions I have committed to (please note that I may not have the full or exact title of the session as I’m typing this from my notes):

Tuesday, June 1^st

The U.S. Army Approach to Exchanges: Sharing Best Practices with Colonel Steven Boylan at 2:30pm.

Wednesday, June 2^nd

Technology Forum at 1:15pm

Grad Student Roundtable at 3:$5pm

Friday, June 4^th

TLS Research Seminar at 8:00pm

Assuming my flight makes in on time tonight I’ll find myself at both the TLS and Education Abroad networking receptions.  Additionally, I’ll be at the opening reception and a few of the receptions (seems I received a few more invites this year ~ perhaps I’ll post to Facebook and Twitter about these receiptions!).  I want to attend the GOSAT meeting on Wednesday, June 2^nd from 5:00pm-6:00pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel City Bar (main lobby) but I have the Research & Scholarship subcommittee meeting at the exact same time so I hope there are some stragglers at the GOSAT meeting.  Finally, I plan to attend the 2^nd Tweet-Up on Thursday, June 3^rd from 5:00pm-6:00pm in the Education Abroad network center!  In addition to all of my scheduled activities I do plan to attend many sessions and open meetings…I hope our paths cross and I wish everyone a safe and productive #nafsa10. as these will be easiest for me to do via my iPhone.  Stayed tuned to those new media outlets for more and I hope you find interest in my posts.

I wasn’t sure I would be attending this NAFSA conference due to cost as my attendance at NAFSA and related conferences are predominately/totally on my own dime.  As a result I did not join any panels or submit any proposals.  However, since I determined I would be attending the conference I have been invited to serve on four panels and/or lead discussions (at a general session, at a roundtable, at a meeting, and at a seminar).  Only one of my sessions/meetings is listed in the conference program as I was a late addition.  Here is a list of the scheduled sessions I have committed to (please note that I may not have the full or exact title of the session as I’m typing this from my notes):

Tuesday, June 1^st

The U.S. Army Approach to Exchanges: Sharing Best Practices with Colonel Steven Boylan at 2:30pm.

Wednesday, June 2^nd

Technology Forum at 1:15pm

Grad Student Roundtable at 3:$5pm

Friday, June 4^th

TLS Research Seminar at 8:00pm

Assuming my flight makes in on time tonight I’ll find myself at both the TLS and Education Abroad networking receptions.  Additionally, I’ll be at the opening reception and a few of the receptions (seems I received a few more invites this year ~ perhaps I’ll post to Facebook and Twitter about these receiptions!).  I want to attend the GOSAT meeting on Wednesday, June 2^nd from 5:00pm-6:00pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel City Bar (main lobby) but I have the Research & Scholarship subcommittee meeting at the exact same time so I hope there are some stragglers at the GOSAT meeting.  Finally, I plan to attend te 2^nd Tweet-Up on Thursday, June 3^rd from 5:00pm-6:00pm in the Education Abroad network center!  In addition to all of my scheduled activities I do plan to attend many sessions and open meetings…I hope our paths cross and I wish everyone a safe and productive #nafsa10.) as these will be easiest for me to do via my iPhone.  Stayed tuned to those new media outlets for more and I hope you find interest in my posts.

I wasn’t sure I would be attending this NAFSA conference due to cost as my attendance at NAFSA and related conferences are predominately/totally on my own dime.  As a result I did not join any panels or submit any proposals.  However, since I determined I would be attending the conference I have been invited to serve on four panels and/or lead discussions (at a general session, at a roundtable, at a meeting, and at a seminar).  Only one of my sessions/meetings is listed in the conference program as I was a late addition.  Here is a list of the scheduled sessions I have committed to (please note that I may not have the full or exact title of the session as I’m typing this from my notes):

Tuesday, June 1^st

The U.S. Army Approach to Exchanges: Sharing Best Practices with Colonel Steven Boylan at 2:30pm.

Wednesday, June 2^nd

Technology Forum at 1:15pm

Grad Student Roundtable at 3:$5pm

Friday, June 4^th

TLS Research Seminar at 8:00pm

Assuming my flight makes in on time tonight I’ll find myself at both the TLS and Education Abroad networking receptions.  Additionally, I’ll be at the opening reception and a few of the receptions (seems I received a few more invites this year ~ perhaps I’ll post to Facebook and Twitter about these receiptions!).  I want to attend the GOSAT meeting on Wednesday, June 2^nd from 5:00pm-6:00pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel City Bar (main lobby) but I have the Research & Scholarship subcommittee meeting at the exact same time so I hope there are some stragglers at the GOSAT meeting.  Finally, I plan to attend te 2^nd Tweet-Up on Thursday, June 3^rd from 5:00pm-6:00pm in the Education Abroad network center!  In addition to all of my scheduled activities I do plan to attend many sessions and open meetings…I hope our paths cross and I wish everyone a safe and productive #nafsa10.

International Competitiveness and Education: A Conversation with Arne Duncan

Yesterday I posted to IHEC Blog's Facebook page with a link to the transcript of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations meeting yesterday.  If you are interested in watching/listening to Secretary Duncan's remarks you can do so on the Council on Foreign Relations website here.

Photo credit: U.S. Department of Education

CAMPUS (Central American Program of Undergraduate Scholarships) 1988-1999

As I was reading the book The Culture of Freedom: The Small World of Fulbright Scholars (1992) by Leonard R. Sussmann this weekend I came across something that reminded me of my college days at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (see my previous video of the week on the ESL program at Eau Claire).  What specifically caught my interest was Sussman’s description of the CAMPUS (Central American Program of Undergraduate Scholarships) pilot program and recommendations that this highly successful program continue.  The Campus program was created in response to the insurgencies in Central America during the 1980’s and brought undergraduate students to the United States from 1988-1999.  The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire participated in the CAMPUS program hosting several undergraduate scholars from Central America, many of whom I personally knew.  Sussman highlights some of the assessment findings by Development Associates, Inc., who was under contract by the United States Information Agency (USIA), identified that returned CAMPUS participants from El Salvador created an exchange program with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. 

Further research took me to the LASPAU website where I have copied and pasted some interesting historical information about the program as well as some more specific information about the CAMPUS program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire:

"The Fulbright Program initiated CAMPUS to enable academically gifted students to obtain bachelor’s degrees at U.S. colleges and universities. CAMPUS provided scholarships for students to complete 30 months of academic course work, including intensive English language training, general education courses, and specialization in disciplines including business administration, communications, computer science, education, natural sciences, and social sciences. Over the course of the program, 795 young people from Central America studied at 28 institutions and returned home to pursue professional careers."

“In 1988, the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire held a three-day conference on Latin America attended by over 400 delegates, including four Latin American ambassadors, a representative of the U.S. State Department, and CAMPUS students themselves. The university subsequently set up a Latin American Institute, providing undergraduate courses on Latin American history, geography, economics, and political studies, as well as field trips to Latin America.” (my note: I personally benefited from the Latin American Institute established at UW-Eau Claire as I majored in Spanish and minored in Latin American Studies)

You can read more about the CAMPUS program on the LASPAU website here.

A Place for Bloggers at International Education Conferences

Wouldn't it be great if international education related conferences offered a special place just for bloggers with free wi-fi (or even better a few desktop computers with internet access)?  There are not many of us bloggers out there but I hope this changes over time.  Yes, we have our smart phones that makes blogging a little easier (see my iPhone post from my travels last week in Houston) but it's not great as phones are best for e-mail, Twitter, LinkedIn and mobile Facebook posts.  The "media" get free conference registration (which I'm not asking for but would be great as most of my conference attendance the last several years has been on my own dime) and a special room dedicated specifically for them (I believe that is the case at at least one international education conference.  A "new media" space dedicated to us "new media" folks would be great and I think the conference/organization would get some great promotion as well, no?

While I will be lugging my heavy laptop around the NAFSA conference and hope I can find free wi-fi close by to upload posts from the conference I imagine I will resort to a more micro blogging via my iPhone to IHEC Blog's Facebook page so stay tuned to that "new media" tool I frequently use.

Photo credit: RealEstateZebra

The U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange

Good things are happening at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai!  During Secretary Clinton's remarks today at the signing of the U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange she reaffirmed President Obama's bold plan to send 100,000 U.S. students to China to study abroad.  Additionally, Secretary Clinton announced that 10,000 Chinese students will be supported to get their Ph.D.'s in the United States.  In addition to establishing the U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, Secretary Clinton and Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong renewed the the Implementing Accord for Cultural Exchange and as well as the Agreement for Cooperation in Educational Exchanges.

I won't go into all the details in this post as you can read more information in the fact sheet as well as text of Secretary Clinton's remarks at http://www.state.gov/headlines/142186.htm.
Embedded photo credit via @KateAtState at http://yfrog.com/5cj4yj

Videos of the Week - Interview with NAFSA President Chris Viers

As the NAFSA: Association of International Educators annual conference approaches next week I thought I would highlight several videos of one interview with NAFSA President Christopher Viers.  In these interview segments Chris talks about NAFSA's past, present and future as well as shares his thoughts on NAFSA's strategic plan.  I first met Chris back in February 2005 when we were members of the Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Task Force and I've always liked the way he thinks about NAFSA and advancing international education.  I'm not sure I have the videos in the correct order but I think that is okay.

Video of the Week - Welcome to Our World - UWEC

I chose the following video as my video of the week as I went to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) for my undergraduate studies and was a Resident Assistant for the ESL program for two summers.  Eau Claire has a long history in international education activities and it is the reason I decided to attend UWEC.

IIE Annual Report Archive (1920-2009) Available Online

I just learned that the Institute of International Education (IIE) established an archive of all of their Annual Reports (1920-2009) and made them available on their website in .PDF format.  There are many things I like about this and for those of you who are interested in the history of international education you will find these publications to be very interesting and helpful in your research.  IIE's Annual Reports not only provide valuable information on the organization and its work but they also provide an excellent historical timeline of the field of international education.  The Annual Reports from the early decades are perhaps the most interesting to me as these publications are such valuable pieces of historical literature on the field of international education.  You can access the IIE Annual Report Archive here.

"Connecting Our World" - NAFSA's New Grassroots Advocacy Effort

Next Monday (May 24^th) NAFSA: Association of International Educators will launch a new website for their grassroots advocacy efforts called “Connecting Our World.”  According to an e-mail sent to me (and everyone else who has taken action on an international education related policy issue through NAFSA’s ACT) by Kari Lantos (Manager of Grassroots Outreach at NAFSA):

Connecting Our World will make it easier than ever for you to directly support grassroots advocacy initiatives, share your passion for international education with others, and participate in ongoing conversations about the advocacy topics in international education that matter most to you. Connecting Our World is designed to build on the success of your grassroots efforts and, with your help, attract an even broader global community of advocates to NAFSA's efforts to support international education.

As the new destination for all aspects of our grassroots advocacy efforts, Connecting Our World will replace what you currently know as ACT (the Advocacy-Centered Team). Beginning on Monday, "ACT" will become "Connecting Our World."

I'll post briefly about the new website next week!

Photo credit:  Muffet

Are you listening?

I'm very pleased to present this guest post by Nicolle Merrill from Global Campus.  I've gotten to know Nicolle via various social media networks and I'm a big fan of what she is doing in the field of international education.  Here is Nicolle's post:

"Join the conversation” has been shouted from the virtual rooftops of thought leaders, bloggers and online communities throughout the social media landscape. Facebook tells us to stay connected. Twitter asks us what we’re doing. LinkedIn tells us relationships matter.

If you’re reading this, you already know social media is a hot topic in US higher education. Recently, I came across a brilliant find on mycollegeguide.com: a list of over 200 universities and colleges using Twitter and Facebook. While comprehensive, the focus is mainly on domestic outreach for US universities and colleges with no representation from institutions abroad. The list left me wondering, where is the conversation for international higher education?

The upcoming NAFSA (#nafsa10) annual conference will feature two workshops on social media use in international education. If previous higher education conferences in the past year are any indication, many will be attending these sessions.  It would be beneficial to those of us in international higher education to start the discussion before we get to NAFSA.

The best way to learn about social media is to observe others in your field. Twitter and Facebook are different tools with different audiences. As we grow to understand social media and its uses for international education, we should be paying attention and “listening” to each other.

In an effort to jumpstart the social media for international higher education, I’ve started a list. Using Google, Twitter and Facebook targeted searches, I found 53 schools with international departments on Facebook and 32 on Twitter. Many departments on the two lists are international admissions, though some are International Student and Scholars Services, international programs and study abroad. Some of these institutions are located outside of the US. Searching for international departments on social networking sites is challenging. Organizational structures and communication responsibilities vary by institution and often international outreach takes place on a single Facebook or Twitter account. However, as this list shows, some international departments have branched out on their own.

Check out this list. See what others in international education are doing. How do their social media activities compare to yours?

Not on this list? Leave a comment below with your university’s international social media accounts (Twitter and/or Facebook) and we’ll add it to a list to share with the international higher education community.

International departments and programs on Facebook:

Aarhus University School of Business

Anglia Ruskin University

Australian Catholic University

Brunel University West London

Cardiff University

Carelton University

Farleigh Dickinson University

Golden Gate University

Grand Valley State University

Highline Community College

InHolland University of Applied Sciences

International Balkan University

Iowa State University

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Maryville College

Minnesota State University Mankato

Montana State University

Murdoch University International Study Centre Dubai

Northcentral Technical College

Northwestern University

Nova Scotia Community College

NY Institute of Technology

Ohio State University

Oklahoma City University

Polytechnic Institute of Bragança

Portland State University

Purdue University

San Francisco State University

Sonoma State American Language Institute

St. Joseph's University

SUNY at Brockport

Tiffin University

UC Davis

Universidad de Navarra

Universitas Gadjah Mada

University at Buffalo

University de Huelva

University of Alberta

University of Arkansas Fayetteville

University of Arkansas Little Rock

University of Berkley

University of Bridgeport

University of Dhaka

University of Glasgow

University of Groningen

University of Herfordshire

University of Huddersfield

University of Minnesota

University of Oregon

University of Otago

University of San Francisco

University of St Thomas

Wakaito International

Western Kentucky University

International offices and programs on Twitter:

Arizona State University

Capilano University

Cardiff University

Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Filton College

Harvard University

Hawaii Community College Intensive English Program

Indiana University

Institute of Technology Carlow

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

Maryville College

Michigan State University

National College of Ireland

Nova Scotia Community College

Portland State University

Queen's University International Centre

Saxion University

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

Universitas Gadjah Mada

University College London

University of Adelaide

University of Huddersfield

University of Limerick IED

University of Minnesota Duluth

University of Mississippi

University of Missouri

University of Nottingham

University of Otago

University of York

Vancouver Community College

Waterford Institute of Technology

Nicolle Merrill helps universities and colleges run global online recruiting campaigns on GlobalCampus. She spends a ridiculous amount of time running two Twitter accounts, @pdxnicolle and @GlobalCampus, and loves #hashtags.

Photo credit: webtreats

Is it a good thing to send 1,000,000 U.S. students abroad?

I asked this question over on IHEC Blog's Facebook page last week and thought I would ask here as well.

For the record, I support the Simon legislation and the goal of sending 1,000,000 U.S. students to study abroad. For the sake of discussion I wonder, from a public diplomacy perspective, if it a good thing to send so many students abroad?

What are your thoughts on this?

Note: I'm trying something new with this post as I'm using a blogging application on my iPhone as I'm sitting here at Houston Hobby airport on my way home from a meeting at IIE Houston today. I can't add links nor upload photos/videos so I probably won't use this much but I'm trying to find something useful for NAFSA/other conferences as I don't want to carry a heavy laptop around.

Video of the Week - African Student Exchange Program

For this video of the week I found this video about the Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) that highlights three young high school students from Africa including a young Muslim a student from Kenya who is living with a Jewish host family to be of interest.  I'm a big fan of high school level exchange programs (having participated two times on my high school's exchange program with a high school in Rosenheim, Germany) and I plan to most more about this level of exchange in the coming months to IHEC Blog.

Conference Tips for NAFSA Newbies

Today I pleased to have a second guest post here on IHEC Blog by Frank Merendino.  You can read Frank's previous post "Twitter + NAFSA's Advocacy Day: A Perfect Match" here.

I am a recent newbie myself (DC 2008) so hopefully my perspectives will be useful to newcomers and it is possible some experienced NAFSAns may benefit from this advice as well.

I.         I.  Seek the wisdom of the silver-haired NAFSANs--Someone told me this in DC and it was great advice. I sat down next to silver-haired woman for lunch, struck up a conversation, and the next thing I knew I had an invitation to be picked up in a limo and driven to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial for a private tour and five-star dinner that night (all free!). Fantastic experience.

II.       Take time to breathe--There is a lot going on and it can be overwhelming. Try to soak in as much networking, time in the expo hall, and attending sessions that you can handle, but don’t be afraid to take an hour off here and there to collect your thoughts and relax.

III.     Take part in the social events at night--NAFSA national is a great opportunity to network with colleagues and meet new people and sometimes the best way to do this is over a drink after all the sessions have ended. Make friends with people working the booths at the expo hall to find out where the “scene” is each night.

IV.    Utilize something you learned--Whether it is from a stellar session you attended or from an interesting conversation with a colleague about best practices, capitalize on the revitalized feeling you have when you return to work and implement a new idea. Change is good.

V.      Have fun!--This is your conference experience so make the best of it. If it’s your first time I recommend attending a wide variety of sessions to gain a better understanding of the field in general. It will help you become a better professional throughout your career if you know what other people involved in different areas of international education do on a day-to-day basis...and you might make some new friends along the way too.

I will be presenting with colleagues on Going Green in International Offices on Wednesday, June 2 at 8:00am. If you can fit it into your schedule we would love to have you!

Cheers,

Frank J. Merendino

NAFSA Region VI State Rep-Ohio

International Student Advisor

Miami University

Frameworks for Higher Education in Homeland Security

During my research activities last night I came across an interesting report entitled Frameworks for Higher Education in Homeland Security (2005) the Committee on Educational Paradigms for Homeland Security, Policy and Global Affairs of the National Research Council and available for reading on the National Academies Press website.  It's an easy and quick read (68 pages) and of particular interest to me, and perhaps many IHEC Blog readers, is chapter/section four entitled "Parallels Between Homeland Security and Area Studies, International Relations, and Science Policy" (pages 9-14) which discusses the National Security Education Program among other matters.  Just thought I would mention this report and highlight that you can access it for free.  Click on the book cover below to be taken to the website.

Dissertation Proposal Writing -Stage 2

There will be a limited number of IHEC Blog posts (and Facebook and Twitter posts) this week as I'm on the second stage of my dissertation proposal writing (all is getting down to the wire) and all my focus outside of my family and job is on reading and writing.  The photo to the left are the books I had the pleasure of consulting last night and will revisit again tonight.  It will be a late one again tonight!  We'll see what happens...

#NAFSA2010 Tweet Up x2

Those of you attending the upcoming NAFSA 2010 annual conference in Kansas City and are interested in attending the #NAFSA2010 Tweet Ups here are the details:

Tuesday, June 1, 2010
3:00pm-4:00pm
EA Networking Center, Kansas City Convention Center

Thursday, June 3, 2010
5:00pm-6:00pm
EA Networking Center, Kansas City Convention Center

I won't be able to attend the first Tweet Up as I'm a late addition to the "The U.S. Army Approach to Exchanges: A Dialogue with Colonel Steven Boylan" session which overlaps the time.  More on this session in a later post.  I do plan to attend the second Tweet Up and hope to meet many new people in person that I have connected with online.

There are many ways for conference attendees to network and you can learn more about these networking opportunities here.

Photo credit:  Webtreats