Tuesday, April 30, 2013

International Education News & Happenings over on IHEC Blog's Facebook Page

Life post dissertation continues to be crazy and, dare I say, even more so.  In the month since I defended (I walk next Thursday, May 9th) I have received a couple of consulting offers, accepted a JSIE submission to review, been asked to facilite some online discussions in advance of a large upcoming international education conference, received an Press invitation to an upcoming international education event that will convene here in Chicago and have fielded vice requests to read my dissertation (Abstract available).

While I have continued to post weekly to IHEC Blog (copy and paste jobs of press releases and embedded videos and conference twitter #hashtag feeds) I spent more time over on Twitter and on IHEC Blog's Facebook page.  I find the opportunities to post and connect in these other spaces to be more economical for my time at the moment and I will continue to be more active in these spaces for the near future.  Following are some of the tings posted to IHEC Blog's Facebook page and if you are interested in coming along for the ride please feel free to do so at https://www.facebook.com/IHECblog:

- Institute of International Education Impact & Results by the Numbers at http://bit.ly/157VGUO

- In collaboration with the University of Chicago, on Monday, May 6, the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board will host a public discussion, Fulbright 2.0 – e-Learning, MOOCs, OERs, and the Future: What Does New Technology Mean for Global Education? A panel of experts will explore the evolving role of e-learning technologies in global education and the potential to apply these within the Fulbright Program, including how such innovations can empower Fulbright participants to share knowledge and resources with audiences around the world. The event will be Live Streamed at http://go.usa.gov/4nvF


- Education Abroad Graduate Students and Young Professionals
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Education-Abroad-Graduate-Students-Young-4948281/about
Twitter https://twitter.com/EAGSYP
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EAGSYP


- Tara Sonenshine, Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, is reported to be leaving State Department in July according to the Washington Post "In the Loop"] at http://wapo.st/17kEAAo

- World Bank Executive Director Ian H. Solomon will join The University of Chicago as the VP for Global Engagement: http://ow.ly/kiEdt

- U.S. Senator Raises Concerns About Student Visas in Wake of Boston Bombing [via The Chronicle of Higher Education] at http://bit.ly/10wMg3r and via Senator Paul Rand's website at http://1.usa.gov/10wMkA9


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP) - A New International Professional Association Supporting and Serving Inernational Credential Evaluation

The Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP) is a new international professional association that has the single purpose of supporting and serving the profession of international credential evaluation. 
“The need for education and training of credential evaluation professionals has a global impact, involving professionals worldwide. An international association will facilitate communication and knowledge, as well as strengthen standards,” Steering Committee member Sandy Gault said. 

“TAICEP is the only association dedicated solely to the interests and needs of the profession of international credential evaluators. Members will have a place to develop their knowledge and skills, interact with colleagues from around the world and contribute to the professionalism of their field. This organization will work cooperatively with the other associations in so far as their activities relate to the profession and the mission of the association,” Steering Committee member Margit Schatzman said. 

A steering committee of professionals came together to take action on ideas that have been discussed among those in the profession for several years. TAICEP is an international association and members from all countries are welcome to join, participate in activities, and take leadership positions. 

The steering committee is dedicated to move the association to the next level of involvement by a larger group of people in the field. TAICEP's Steering Committee includes: 

Darryl Calkins, Northeastern University 
Sandy Gault, University of Missouri-Kansas City 
Nancy Katz, Evaluation Service, Inc. 
Christine Kerlin, retired, Everett Community College 
Margit A. Schatzman, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) 
Linda Tobash, Institute of International Education, Inc. (IIE) 
Kitty Villa, retired, University of Texas at Austin 

The primary goals of TAICEP are to identify and develop theories, methodologies, and best practices used in international credential evaluation and to be an advocate for the profession. The operational principles of TAICEP are collaboration, volunteerism, inclusiveness, and international orientation. 
A small steering committee of current and former professionals in the field is developing a symposium to be held in October 2013. The symposium will bring together a broader group of professionals to assist in the development of TACIEP that will be open to individuals and interested parties worldwide. 

One can become involved in the association by becoming a member, attending the symposium, nominating others to participate in the association, informing colleagues about the association, and by adding ideas to surveys and other forums that will be used to develop the association. 

Please visit the website to obtain information on becoming a member, friend or a supporter of the association. 
WWW.TAICEP.ORG 

Contact: Nancy Katz 
email: nkatz@evaluationservice.net
tel: (847) 477-8569 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Write to your Members of Congress and urge them to support robust FY14 funding for Department of State exchanges at $625 million


The following IHEC Blog post is a copy and paste of an e-mail I received from Lisa HeynPolicy Specialist at the Alliance for International Educational & Cultural Exchange, and it is re-posted with her permission.  Please take a moment to review the information and if you support this effort then please take a moment to send a letter as it literally takes less then one minute to submit the templated message the Alliance has prepared if you don't have time to write your own letter!

The Senate State-Foreign Operations appropriations subcommittee will hold its first hearing on FY14 funding tomorrow (Thursday, April 18th) which is why it is critical that we boost our efforts today and spread our message far and wide via Twitter and letters to Congress!

So far, 161 letters have been sent. While this is a great start, we need to have many more letter sent to lawmakers today, especially to House and Senate appropriators!  Our goal is to have at least 500 letters sent by the end of today!

An editable sample letter is available on the Alliance Action Legislative Alerts and Updates webpage. If possible, please include specific examples demonstrating the (economic) impact of exchanges in your community. You can find your Members of Congress here.

We also need to gather as many Tweets as possible today using the hashtag #ExchangesImpact – please take our message to Twitter and tweet your Members of Congress about the importance of international exchanges, using their individual Twitter handles. For a complete list of Member Twitter handles, refer to these House and Senate lists. Sample tweets are included below for your use.

Thank you for taking action today by tweeting about #ExchangesImpact, and for helping us reach our goal of having at least 500 letters sent to Congress in support of FY14 funding for Department of State exchanges at $625 million.

Sample Tweets

·         Support FY14 funding at $625 million for Dept. of State exchanges, a proven and cost-effective PD and smart power tool #ExchangesImpact

·         Leadership, cultural learning & language study: International exchange programs prepare Americans for the global economy #ExchangesImpact

·         Exchanges teach Americans critical skills and enhance U.S. global competitiveness #ExchangesImpact

·         Exchanges are a cost-effective investment, expanding the vision of current & emerging leaders across the globe #ExchangesImpact

·         International exchanges enhance U.S. national security & smart power by engaging future leaders across the world #ExchangesImpact

·         Exchanges change lives and minds, creating a vast reservoir of goodwill toward the U.S. across the globe #ExchangesImpact
Photo credit:  studentofrhythm

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Forum on Education Abroad 2013 Annual Conference #Hashtag

In honor of the Forum on Education Abroad officially setting their own annual conference #hashtag of #ForumEA13 thought I would post a Twitter search widget so those not in attendance nor on Twitter can follow the back channel from the conference.  For those of you attending I look forward to our paths crossing!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Inaugural Diversity Abroad Conference - "Changing Landscapes: Strategies and Opportunities For Greater Access" Twitter Backchannel

The inaugural Diversity Abroad conference started today in Chicago and runs through tomorrow.  I wish I could attend but my schedule would not allow for me to attend this conference and the Forum on Education Abroad conference here in Chicago that begins Wednesday and runs through Friday!  Those of you going to the Forum conference I hope our paths cross.

While I couldn't attend the Diversity Abroad conference I received in the mail a copy of Charles Gliozzo's article "The International Education of Minority Students" published in Minority Education in 1980.  My research has found that Gliozzo's article is the first piece of literature in the field focusing on underrepresentation in study abroad so this is a great addition to my Bury Book International Education Library & Archive!

If you are not on Twitter and you want to follow the backchannel from the Diversity Abroad conference I have embedded the #DiversityConf13 hashtag!