It Takes a Campus:

Involving faculty & administration in education abroad

Candace Chenoweth

Director, Education Abroad

& International Credentials

Washington State University

The WSU Education Abroad Mission:

…to assist all WSU undergraduate students with integrating a

successful education abroad experience into their four year degree program.

Current Staffing at WSU Education Abroad Office

Salaried Staff:-Director-EA Advisor & Outreach Coordinator-EA Advisor & Exchange

Coordinator-EA Faculty-Led Program Specialist-International Credentials Specialist-Program Support Supervisor-Two half-time Senior Secretaries

Current Staffing at WSU Education Abroad Office

Student Staff:- 1 Marketing Intern- 1 Outreach & Promotions Intern- 16 EA Peer Advisors- 2 Office Staff (work study)- 40 EA Ambassadors

WSU Education Abroad Growth Doubles in Four

Years

223263

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Education Abroad Growth Across Various Program

Types

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142

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Internship

Faculty-Led

Exchange

Study Abroad

WSU Education Abroad Numbers by Colleges 2005-

2006

16833%

61%

61%

7414%

377%

336%

255%

214%

15229%

College of Liberal Arts

College of Business

College of Engineering &Architecture

College of Sciences

College of Nursing

College of Education

College of Ag, Human, &NR Sciences

College of Pharmacy

College of VeterinaryScience

State of the Education Abroad Office in AY 2001-

2002Low Participation Rates:

– 263 students studied abroad

– 2 Faculty-Led Programs

– 28 Exchanges – most out of balance

State of the Education Abroad Office in AY 2001-

2002Contributing Factors:

– Limited communication with academic units & administration

– EA credit issue creating dissatisfaction across campus

– Ownership for education abroad solely with International Programs

Catalyst for Education Abroad

AY 2001-2002– Provost expressed desire to send

1,000 students abroad each year – President established education

abroad as a university benchmark:• Michigan State University• Texas A&M• UC Davis• Virginia Tech• Colorado State University

Benchmark #1:Number of education abroad participants

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Benchmark #2: % of graduating class studying abroad

Percentage Participation

0.0%

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30.0%

Washington StateUniversity

Colorado StateUniversity

Texas A&MUniversity

Virginia Tech Michigan StateUniversity

Institution

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Necessary Changes

• Campus-wide ownership of education abroad

• Consistent, streamlined processes• Double participation numbers within

5 years• Realize staff positions to match

growth

Developing Influence

“As advisors in international education, your positions probably will never wield power. Therefore, you must become influential!”

Developing Influence

Overarching Goal:To Manage Relationships

Toward Desired Outcomes

But how?

To Develop Influence with Three Main Constituencies:– Administration– Faculty– Advisors

Developing Influence

Developing Influence with Administration

Starting Point: The Education Abroad Credit Issue

Committee with broad presentation across campus:– Registrar, Assistant Registrar, Support Staff– Assistant to the Provost/Acting Director

Admissions– Dean, Honors College– Director, General Education Program– Academic Governess– Catalog Committee

• Committee learned about education abroad while EA developed important allies

• Created buy-in with key offices

Starting Point: The Education Abroad Credit

IssueEAC Committee’s Goals:

– Review best practices surrounding education abroad credit transfer

– Think outside the box– Create system best for WSU

Starting Point: The Education Abroad Credit Issue

Once EAC System was created, EA “Sold” it:– Presented at dean’s and

chair’s meetings– Presented to academic

units– Distributed EA Faculty

Cheatsheets to departments

Linking with the Administration

– Began to include Financial Aid Representatives in presentations

– Developed Emergency Preparedness Plan in cooperation with:• Risk Management Team• Health & Wellness• Attorney General Office

– Presented to various constituencies: Dean’s Council, Chair’s meetings

Beginning to Create a Campus Buzz…

17%Growth2002223 232

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520 20%

Growth2003

14%Growth2004

15%Growth2005

Beginning to Create a Campus Buzz…

Interest grows across campus:– Provost: notices numbers & increases

‘behind the scenes’ support– Faculty: interest in faculty-led

programming begins to develop– Students: contracted with marketing

research class to survey student opinions– Associate Provost: Forms Education

Abroad Task Force to examine barriers and solutions to education abroad

The Education Abroad Task Force

EA Task Force forms in 2004– Broad Campus representation

• Libraries, ROTC, Registrar’s Office• College of Science, Foreign Language, Honors

– Committee studies student survey data

– EA has an opportunity to provide in-depth orientation to EA best practices & curricular integration

– Board of Regents views Committee Report at summer retreat

As Word Got Out…

…interest spreads– Allies voiced support– New allies sought EA out– EA incorporated into Freshman

orientation sessions– Recruiters ask EA to make

presentations – WSU press team writes about EA

Developing Relationships with Faculty

Starting Point: Faculty-Led Program Growth

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Faculty Led Program Growth

1 3

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9

30?

23

2004:

Full Time Faculty-

Led Program specialist position created

2005:

½ time FLP

Clerical Position Created

2007:

Requesting

Additional Full-

Time FLP Specialist

Starting Point: Faculty-Led Program Growth

• Growing Faculty-Led Programs = Growing Pains– No systems or processes in place for

managing Faculty-Led programs– Standards and systems inconsistent

across campus– Faculty used to doing it “their” way –

who needs Education Abroad?– No training assistance for faculty

Developing FLP Guidelines: Collaboration with Other Campus

Offices

Solicit expertise from across campus to create streamlined procedures:– Department Finance Offices– Financial Aid– Student Health & Wellness– Student Conduct– Student Accounts– Risk Management Team– Business Affairs– AGs Office

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Recognized the need for faculty: – Education– Training– Support– Buy-in

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Faculty Education Opportunities:– Site Visits - Secured opportunities for faculty

members to participate in site visit with EA staff• Architecture, Engineering, Nursing, Spanish Language,• Early Childhood Development

– Meetings - Facilitated meetings with study abroad representatives as well as campus contacts (contracts officer, travel clinic, risk management team, AG)

– Workshops - Brown Bag Lunch Workshops– Written Materials – Brochures, “cheat sheets,”

etc.

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Faculty Training:– Workshops: Brown Bag lunches – Co-presented during pre-departure

orientations– Produced manual: How to Design a

Faculty-Led Program

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Manual – How to Design a Faculty Led Program– Spotlighted Provost’s

interest in Education Abroad

– Upscale design created sense of credibility

– Comprehensive nature created expectation of buy-in

– Excellent training tool

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Faculty Support:– Mini-Grant Program for faculty-led

programming initiated by Associated Vice Provost for International Programs

– Small awards of $500-$2000 for new programs– Few strings attached– Facilitated implementation of 12-18 month

timeline– Created expectation of cooperation!– Will offer again in 2007

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Faculty Buy-In:– Small grant through Office of

Assessment to develop assessment tools for faculty-led programs

– Funded part-time position– Literature review, faculty survey – CTLT helped create outcomes, rubrics, &

suggested prompts– Refining administrative and evaluation

processes

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Faculty Buy-in:– Include faculty-led program directors in

Education Abroad Fairs– Include interested departments in fairs– Host events for faculty

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

“The Year of Study Abroad Reception”– Invited Key Faculty and Administrators to

meet EA Program Representatives•Time: Evening before large fall study

abroad fair, immediately after work•Place: Central, on-campus location with

visitor access• Served Wine, beer, & h’orderves • Recognized Faculty for their contributions

while promoting networking with providers

•Wildly Successful!

Involving Faculty in Education Abroad

Bending over backwards…It’s a balancing act!

Faculty Interests & Needs

EA Staffing & Time Constraints

VS.

Maintaining Established Relationships

Organized Courtship Rituals– Education Abroad Fair Breakfast in

Spring– Faculty-Led Program Showcase in Fall– Mom’s Weekend Open House– Faculty invited on site visits– Schedule opportunities for outside

Program Representatives to meet with key faculty

Shifting the Focus to Advisors

Starting Point: Increasing Advisor Awareness of EA

Options• The Education Abroad Office’s Goals:

– Advisors will have a basic understanding of education abroad processes and opportunities

– Advisors will raise the topic of Education Abroad with their students

– Advisors will help students incorporate Education Abroad into the student’s four year plan

Starting Point: Increasing Advisor Awareness of EA

OptionsAdvisors’ Workshop in Late September:

– Invited 300 staff and faculty members who provide advising

– 40 participants attended– Repeated workshop in a.m & p.m– Nice setting, high quality refreshments– Introduced goals of EA, basic information

about studying abroad, benchmarking data

Advisors Workshop Outcomes

Participants response to post-workshop survey:– 100% reported the workshop was helpful!– EA Mission/Curricular Integration - 100% found

useful

– Mock First Timers Session - 91% found useful

– Faculty-led Program Information - 71% found useful

– Financial Aid and Scholarships - 71% wanted to know more

– Providers that offer programs in their academic area - 71% wanted to know more

Making Ties with Advisors

Future projects targeted toward advisors:– “You look like someone who’d

like to study abroad!” buttons– Curricular Integration Worksheets

Making Ties with Advisors

Future Events Targeting Advisors:– Invitation to Spring Fair Breakfast– Panel presentation on EA topics (tutoring

opportunities, living with host families, academic excursions, etc.)

– Advisors only guided tour of fair

Making Ties with Advisors

New Event Idea:

Hot Picks for High Achieving Students: An Evening of

Study Abroad for Faculty & Advisors

Co-Sponsored by Education Abroad &

The WSU Honors College

Perils & Pitfalls

Perils & Pitfalls

Just when you think you’re safe…– Competing Interests rear their ugly

heads!

Perils & Pitfalls

At Times such as these…– Use your network to fight back – the

more the merrier!– Pull out the statistics – there is power in

numbers!

87%

Summary

If we Return to the Desired Outcomes:

• Campus-wide ownership of education abroad

• Consistent, streamlined processes• Double participation numbers within

5 years• Realize staff positions to match

growthHow Did We Get There?

Think Globally.

We promise our students that taking a brave step into a world that is increasingly global and interdependent leads to success and satisfaction.

Think Globally.

At the university level, we must take the same step. Will you:– Develop an understanding of peer roles

on your campus?– Learn new methods of accomplishing

tasks with university administrators?– Plot a dynamic course for study abroad

with your faculty?

Think Globally.

Networking with our colleagues has resulted in:– BETTER service for

MORE students!– MORE successful

education abroad experiences!