Currently viewing the tag: "Forum on Education Abroad"

Professional Development: Alternatives to NAFSA and the Forum

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So many international educators and graduate students are eager to attend international education conferences.  The challenge, of course, is funding.  It has become increasingly difficult, unless you work for a very well funded university or other organization, to receive approval to attend the two main conferences in our field – NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad.  They are such outstanding events, but the average educator is challenged with the cost of paying “out of pocket.”

To address this, MelibeeU will be offering several affordable, online professional development workshops during the weeks of both of these conferences.  All you need is a computer and phone line or mic.  There is no hotel charge, per diem for meals, or flights.  In fact, you can even wear your jeans to these events – they are all online – YET interactive (we use chat and voice technology for dialogue.) MelibeeU is also all about participation – so you will have opportunity to communicate, network and learn – even if you can’t be at NAFSA or the Forum this year.  (And if you are attending those conferences and still want to participate – even better!)

Please know that I do understand how hard it is to scrape up thousands of dollars to attend these face to face conferences.  It is important to me to ensure that no one else misses out on professional development because we ALL need it, even if your employer is facing budget cuts or you’re a student and simply can’t swing the additional expense.

I’d greatly value your input about what topics you would like covered online.  Please email me at info@melibeeglobal.com or comment below.  I really do value your input!

If you haven’t heard much about MelibeeU yet, here is some feedback from our first two evaluations of workshop:

“This was my first webinar and while the overwhelmingly positive experience I had makes me want to participate in so many more, it will be difficult for future ones to live up to this one!  Very much exceeded my expectations.”

“The exercises … were very well chosen and implemented.”

“You handle yourself like a pro.”

“…You are obviously people who have thought deeply about these topics. I liked how the sessions were divided. Each one had clear PowerPoint with wonderful examples and other resources/recommendations.”

“Incredibly valuable information from both a philosophical and practical viewpoint.  You did a great job convening and facilitating the discussion throughout.”

“Your little examples here and there were so great – they were thoughtful and a variety of audiences could relate.”

 ”It was obvious that my opinion was heard and valued.”

“Very good presenters and information.  The resources shared are extremely helpful!”

“Resource guide is really great…very helpful…”

Be sure to check MelibeeU in the coming weeks for the schedule!




Study Abroad “Bill of Rights”

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This past month, I attended the Forum on Education Abroad’s conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. I participated in the Standards of Good Practice Institute “Beyond the Basics of Health, Safety and Security.” Being in the US, much of the conversation included liability and as a result, the dialogue, as it often does, turned to “what not to do, rules, policies and regulations.”

Before I continue, I must share a personal experience. This past weekend, I was trusted by a dear friend to participate in her family’s gathering at the beside of her husband who was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).  Sadly, he passed away early on Saturday morning and it was a rough weekend.  During our time in the ICU, I repeatedly found myself encouraging my friend to push back at the multitude of medical people (and maintenance people) who kept entering her husband’s sacred space as he simply tried to heal and rest.  I kept repeating to her – “Where is the patient’s bill of rights? You can remind the staff that you have the right to refuse treatment and to know what the intent of these people is when they enter his space.”  Every time she felt weak, I reminded her of her rights. The hospital often reminded her of what they “couldn’t or wouldn’t do”, which appeared to come from a place of fear and potential liability.  Despite all of their intent to provide care, it was hard not to feel the liability issue driving many of their actions.

In my life experience, I have learned that decisions and actions made from a place of fear are never the best for growth.

My experience at the ICU this past weekend reminded me of my reaction to comments about legal issues discussed at the Institute.  Liability issues kept surfacing, leaning the conversation toward what students should not do versus what they could be encouraged to do.

I kept thinking – what if we flipped the script?  What if we focused on what students CAN and SHOULD do to more fully experience another culture?  What if we ignored liability, our legal advisers, our fear of lawsuits….and created a bill of rights for students?  What would your bill of rights for your students look like?

Would your fantasy student bill of rights include these?

1) You have the right to receive respectful support in an environment free of fear driven U.S. legalese.

2) You have the right to ride a moped without a helmet, take local transportation even if it means riding in the back of a pickup truck without a seatbelt, and to drink alcohol responsibly  – knowing that you could get seriously injured and remembering that you do represent your own personal character, integrity, family, college and country.

3) You have the right to ask your mom, dad and/or guardian not to try to fix all of your problems for you.  You have the right to think for yourself (even if your brain is not fully developed), practice problem solving skills, reflect, work through your “stuff” and talk with your peers about what challenges you abroad.  And if you feel that you need help, you are warmly encouraged to talk with your program’s support team – in your home country, host country or both.

4) You have the right to travel outside your host country if that is what you feel you will most enjoy and learn from at this stage in your young life.

5) You have the right to not fill out an evaluation if you believe that it is too soon to properly reflect upon your experience abroad.

Now, I realize that these may be seen as a bit extreme to most – but wouldn’t it be interesting to explore the concept of a study abroad student bill of rights?

What are your thoughts on the subject?  Please comment so that we can generate some meaningful dialogue.




Forum on Education Abroad Conference: Women Leaders and the Future: An Expanded Vision for Education Abroad

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This morning’s Breakfast Plenary was the most sobering, yet inspiring, keynote presentation.  The Honorable Linda Tarr-Whelan is a Former Ambassador and a Demos Distinguised Senior Fellow and Director of the Women’s Leadership Institute.  She recently wrote the book :  Women Lead the Way: You Guide to Stepping Up ot Leadership and Changing the World.

As I’m trying to publish this post before the next session, I’ll simply provide some bullet points:

- She spoke of the 30% solution: Tipping Point at the table of decision makers when voice of WOMEN can be heeded.

- The need for the “echo chamber” – often being the lone woman at the table requires someone to reiterate and support our valid points.

- example of how the US has not come far in terms of women leadership:  1st female film director won at the Oscars this month, yet the % of women behind the camer is the SAME as 46 years ago!

- she quotes a colleague:  “Do you think that if it had been Lehman Brothers & Sisters that it would have been less successful?”

- French study indicated that less companies fail when they have at least 30% women on the Board of Directors.

- In a nati nonal survey (Girl Scouts) , only 30% of girls think that they can be leaders while 65% of boys stated that they could.

-  Business research shows that women take a longer time to make decisions, have a stronger focus on teamwork and leadership, and increase flexibility in the work environment.

- Research also shows that GDP of the US would INCREASE by 9% if women had the same opportunities and pay as men. However, this hasn’t driven policy or change in this country.

- 101 other countries have legislation to change the % of women in leadership. This includes South Africa, Cuba, Angola and Rwanda.  Interestingly, Rwanda is the only country in the world with the majority  of women in their Congress.  Torn apart by war, women knew something needed to be done differently.

- In the US , only 3% of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies.

Something to think about!

Session is about to start….will post more on this important session as soon as I’m available to….




Forum on Education Abroad Conference: Day 1 (March 24, 2010)

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I must begin this post by commending the Forum on Education Abroad  for starting this conference off on the right foot.  I attended the Standards of Good Practice Institute (Beyond the Basics of Health, Safety and Security) and it easily met my expectations.  The depth of knowledge was exactly what I had hoped for while the format of a mix of roundtable discussions, panels and case studies did not let me down.

Before I go any further, I must describe the scene in Charlotte.  I arrived to a rambunctious group of Mexican soccer fans at the Westin Hotel! Apparently the Mexican soccer team is playing against a friendly game against Iceland tonight. This photo is of fans outside the hotel today, waiting for the team to leave the hotel. There were HUNDREDS of fans!

Fans of the Mexican soccer team await their heroes outside the hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina

 

I attended the day long Standards Institute – each session was 90 minutes with a plenary over lunch.  As much was covered, I will simply share some highlights.

Session 1:  ”You be the Judge: Case Studies in Risk, Negligence and Risk Management” was an excellent overview of legal terms and the definition of negligence. Presenter Julie Friend, JD, International Analyst for Travel, Health, Safety and Security for Michigan State University schooled us in legal terminology. She spoke about negligence (the careless performance of a legally required duty or the failure to perform a legally required act) and how a plaintiff must establish 4 elements:  duty, breach, causation and damages. She explained that if you plan not to follow a State Department travel alert suggestion, you must carefully document why you did not heed the government’s recommended standards.  If you do not do so effectively, you could be considered a breech of duty because the institution failed to conform to recommended standards. She recommended an article by Hoye (2006) :  “Legal Issues Influencing International Study Abroad Programs.” 

Session 2:  ”Where Does Student Responsibility for Student Health and Safety Begin and End?” That is the million dollar question for many of us in this field.  Of course, we all think that students should generally be more responsible than they are!  The highlight of this session was the presentation by a student, Ms. Sarah Hager.  She studied abroad in Morocco Fall 2009 and reflected on her orientation and how useful many of the tips and suggestions were.  She provided examples of using logic and following carefully doled out advice.  Then she spoke about the challenges of the rules of her program – for example, students were not permitted to surf even though there were free surfing lessons available. She could not ride a motorbike even though it was common practice in the country.  

Sarah chose to conduct research on the treatment of homosexuals in Morocco.  She and her translator traveled to Casablanca to go to an underground gay party, where she intended to conduct interviews for her research. After her first interview, the manager of the establishment kicked her and the translator out, afraid that they were investigating his property. Upon reflection, she realized that she could have been arrested and how that would have been a very difficult situation. Isn’t hindsight ALWAYS 20/20?

Her experience and perspective were refreshing – she was home, safe and sound and could articulate, diplomatically, why she felt the need to “break” some rules along the way. I smiled, and while slightly horrified at the thought of dealing with any issues related to her decisions, I was educated by hear her frank remarks, youthful perspective and solid determination to study a sensitive subject abroad.

Study Abroad student, Sarah Hager

Sarah Hager presents on her experiences in Morocco.

 

Keynote:  Dr. Eric Shaw. “Risk Measurement, Management and Mitigation as Best Practices Before, During and After.”  Dr. Shaw is an Associate Professor in the US Naval War College and a very engaging speaker.  He covered a lot, but I might suggest that you take a look at the GAR model, a risk assessment tool used in the US Coast Guard.

Dr. Eric Shaw (US Naval War College) and Bill Frederick (School for Field Studies)

 

Session 3:  ”Assessing Adequate Coverage: Case Studies in Disability Accomodations and Insurance Planning.”  This session covered some very useful gems:

 - the new health care bill does not apply to study abroad programs because it is considered a supplementary insurance plan.

- accommodation is a very fine line – it is often obligatory to provide accommodation in the classroom, but there is much more leeway with non-academic issues such as housing.  

-be creative about excursions.  Nine of out ten times, you can find a great excursion that will be more inclusive for all of your students.

Session 4:  ”Beyond the Basics: Case Studies Amidst Psychological Challenges.” 

Dina Nunziato, Director of Counseling Services at Sarah Lawrence College, spoke about the human brain and how it actually continues to develop into our early 20s.  The late adolescent brain is designed to be impulsive and respond with a “gut reaction.”  This prompted much discussion in our break out groups about how the freshman experience abroad really IS more demanding and how we can restructure orientation and communication to better support the young, developing brain!

I must digress for a moment – I hear many cars honking outside – I think Mexico won that game!  :)  Will do my best to blog tomorrow. I look forward to your questions and comments meanwhile.




Melibee Global Partners with Digital Strategy Works: International Education Web Strategy

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As the founder of Melibee Global Educational Consulting, I am delighted to announce our partnership with Digital Strategy Works (DSW). 

DSW designs best of class web sites, blogs, social media widgets and mobile solutions that will make an impact. They can measurably improve your Google, Yahoo! and Bing search engine rankings, resulting in an increase in traffic and conversions through SEO (Search Engine Optimization), social media and online marketing strategies. In addition, their reputation management service will help your brand or business discover what customers are sharing about your service or site online.

The Melibee Global/DSW partnership has been formed with the goal of making these tools and services available at a price point that is economical and results driven.  Special pricing is available to not-for-profit educational institutions.

I will be working closely with DSW on any international education related proposals and/or projects.  My expertise in international education combined with DSW’s talent in user experience on the web, will bring tremendous value add to the web strategy process.

If you are interested in meeting at the Forum on Education Abroad Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) from March 23rd – March 26th to discuss your web strategy, please email me at info(at)melibeeglobal.com.