BASAA Spring Conference

2018 BASAA Spring Conference

“Leading Students Through The Storm”

Friday April 20, 2018

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Location: Simmons College, Linda K. Paresky Conference Center, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115

Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm

*Please note in order to register online you must create a NAFSA log-in account, this can be done at no cost. You do not need to be a NAFSA member to register.

Cost: Registration Fee $30

Directions & Transportation: We encourage attendees to use public transportation if possible, however, discounted parking is available at Simmons for those that need it. More information can be found here.

Please check back for session descriptions and conference sponsors.

2018 Conference Schedule

9:30-10:00 – Check-in/Registration

10:00-10:15 – Opening Remarks

10:15- 11:00 – Keynote Speaker

11:15 – 12:15 – Breakout Session Block #1

12:30 – 1:30 – Networking Lunch

1:45 – 2:45 – Breakout Session Block #2

2:45 – 3:00 – Closing Remarks/Announcements

3:30 – 5:30 – FEA/BASAA Scholarship Fundraiser
*This event will be held at Landsdowne Pub. See our event page for more details.

2018 Keynote Speaker

Cheryl Hamilton serves as the Director of Massmouth, a non-profit organization that promotes the timeless art of storytelling, in addition to her communications consulting work. Previously, she worked at the International Institute of New England, RefugePoint, The Center for Preventing, among other humanitarian institutions.

Since graduating from Clark University, Cheryl Hamilton has devoted her career to advancing refugee protection, immigrant integration, and storytelling. A relentless storyteller, Cheryl routinely appears in productions throughout New England, including on The Moth MainStage, Soundbites, and The Corner. Cheryl is currently responsible for curating the national television show ‘Stories from the Stage’ in partnership with WGBH and World Channel. She is also the creator and curator for Suitcase Stories, a performance series that honors refugees and immigrants. To learn more, visit www.cherylhamilton.com. Cheryl will also be joined by two Suitcase tellers.

Massmouth (http://www.massmouth.org)

A Boston-based non-profit organization that promotes the timeless art of storytelling. Massmouth organizes storytelling events throughout Greater Boston and surrounding communities, including competitive slams, monthly special features, and custom events. In 2016, Massmouth partnered with WGBH and World Channel to produce the first national television show featuring live storytelling called Stories from the Stage. The organization also leads storytelling workshops for businesses and non-profit organizations, as well as private coaching for individuals.

2018 Breakout Sessions

International Higher Education Research Panel
Presenters: Joe Stanley, Simmons College; Lisa Unangst, Boston College; Lauren Kettler, University of Pennsylvania; Elizabeth Galvin, Lesley University
This session brings together graduate students conducting vanguard research in the field of International Higher Education. Panelists represent various institutions and will present on themes that resonate with the interests of study abroad administrators, faculty, and scholar-practitioners. Topics include an assessment of external forces that impact internationalization strategies at HEIs, the continuing dialogue between urban universities and foreign consulates, as well as international alumni networks and student mentorship.

International Travel Workshop: Preparing Faculty, Administrators, and Trip Leaders to Lead Students Through the Storm
Presenters: Alex Nesbeda, Babson College; Elise Beaudin, Babson College; Renee Graham, Babson College
Are you or your institution looking to prepare your staff, faculty, or trip leaders to lead students on programs abroad or away? These “trainings” can often be information heavy and frankly boring. At Babson College, we designed an international travel workshop for all faculty and administrators traveling abroad with student groups that meets the needs of our participants, is engaging, and experiential. The workshop was designed using Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and adult learning theory. Come hear about our workshop design, experience workshop activities, and think about how you can re-vamp your own risk management “trainings.”

Tough Talk: Navigating Political Discussions Abroad
Presenters: Katie Rycik, CAPA The Global Education Network; Briana Sicard, CAPA The Global Education Network
Currently, political climates around the world are actively changing and in many cases becoming more polarized. This session investigates whether students feel prepared to engage in political discussions abroad and how this may have affected their engagement with the host culture along with their personal sense of national identity. We surveyed current students and alumni to gauge their level of comfort with such discussions as well as what those discussions entailed.

Pre-Departure Orientation: Planning, Revamping and Executing
Presenters: Amy Holland, Massachusetts College of Art and Design; Jill Meleedy, Emmanuel College; Rebecca Bacon, Colleges of the Fenway
This round-table discussion highlights a new learning plan that the Colleges of the Fenway’s Study Abroad Council is developing, and encourages colleagues to share their successes and tribulations with study abroad learning content. Our Study Abroad Learning Plan addresses travel planning, academics, professional skills, cultural understanding, and personal development as well as staying safe and healthy while abroad. From this plan, we developed a new in-person pre-departure orientation, and are currently rewriting the pre-departure manual and creating new online learning modules. We will share the framework of our plan to create a jumping off point for lively discussion!

Truthful and Effective Communication for Gen Z
Presenters: Holly Oppel, CAPA The Global Education Network; Sara Dart, International Studies Abroad (ISA); Taylor Nolan, CAPA The Global Education Network
Truthful and thorough pre-departure advising puts the student first and is essential to the well-being of our students abroad. As Generation Z replaces millennials as the prevalent demographic on our campuses, it’s crucial to know how to best reach and support this new population, especially as we set realistic expectations for life onsite. By using truthful advising as a preventative rather than reactive approach, we, as study abroad advisors, are ultimately putting out fires before they begin while also catering to this unique Generation Z demographic. This session will explore what defines this new generation, how they are different from millennials, and how we, as study abroad professionals, can effectively engage and communicate with these students (and their parents) during the pre-departure advising phase.

Building & Continuing a Career in Education Abroad
Presenters: Julie Maddox Korenko, MIT; Debbie Miller, Boston University Study Abroad; Kerry Smith, CISabroad; Sean Williams, CEA Study Abroad
A panel of hiring managers and supervisors in education abroad briefly discuss job classifications, professional competencies and interview questions using resources from NAFSA, The Forum on Education Abroad and other professional organizations for higher education administrators. A round-table discussion will follow to share best practices. This session is ideal for both job hunters and hiring managers.

The Aftermath of the Storm: A Student Panel on Re-Entry
Presenters: Kelly Cronin Sachleben, Babson College; Lauren Chow, College Year in Athens/Lessons From Abroad; Student Panel TBD
Re-entry is increasingly being recognized as an essential part of the education abroad process, requiring professionals to deliver resources and programming to students. However, what exactly does re-entry mean to our students? What are their challenges and opportunities in re-entry? How can we utilize best practices to support their return to our campuses? In this session we present a panel of students, representing a range of program types and identities, who will share their firsthand perspectives on their re-entry processes. These stories will help to frame best practices for professionals to provide effective support for students returning from experiences abroad.

Title IX in Study Abroad: Myth vs Reality
Presenters: Rose Francois, Hult International Business School; Karen Van Dyne, Hult International Business School
This session will look at Title IX myths and realities and answer questions for study abroad administrators, department leads and anyone who works in student mobility and is unfamiliar with Title IX, the SaVE Act, and the Clery Act. Topics will include: recent changes to Title IX, how to manage Clery Act compliance outside of the US, best practices when dealing with emergencies abroad, and how to work with study abroad partner organizations and other institutions.