BASAA Spring Conference

2017 BASAA Spring Conference

Friday April 21, 2017

REGISTER NOW

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

Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm

Cost: Registration Fee $25 *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.

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.

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 & Poster Sessions

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

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

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Michael Woolf is Deputy President of CAPA: The Global Education Network. Mike has had much of his career in an international context. Prior to working in mainstream international education, he completed a PhD in American Studies and taught literature at the universities of Hull, Middlesex, Padova, and Venice. For four years he worked as a researcher-writer for BBC radio. He has held leadership roles in international education for many years and has written widely on international education and cultural studies. Much of his work has focused on areas of strategic development with a particular focus on the status and credibility of education abroad within the wider academic community. He serves on a number of boards and was a member of the Board of Directors of The Forum on Education Abroad from 2006 to 2012. A selection of his short essays may be accessed at: http://capaworld.capa.org/thoughts-on-education-abroad.

Breakout Sessions

Checking In! A Student-Led Panel
Chair: Alisha Cardwell, Brandeis University
Presenters: Becca Joseph, Zoila Coc-Chang, Yini Rong (Brandeis University)
This student-led panel will discuss ways to effectively engage and check in with your students before, during, and after studying abroad to meet their emotional, mental, and academic concerns and best deliver a wide-range of information and resources to them. Study abroad returnees will discuss their perspective on using various methods of reaching students and engaging with them in new ways. From advising students, to effectively using peer advising programs to social media and events, they’ll offer tips to best reach today’s students.

9 Days + 15 Weeks = A Model for Embedding Short-Term Study Abroad in a Semester-Long Course
Chair: Sarah Dietrich, Salem State University
Presenters: Sarah Dietrich (Salem State University), Kenneth Reeds (Salem State University)
Presenters will share lessons learned and recommendations for “best practice” for embedding a short-term study abroad experience in a semester long course, based on their own experiences with an undergraduate course on “Culturally Responsive Teaching” which included a nine day trip to the Dominican Republic. Throughout the session, the focus will be on discussion; participants will share resources and explore opportunities and challenges for implementing similar courses in their own contexts.

Meeting Their Needs: Offering On-Site Support Through Program Design
Chair: Alanna Dick, Education New Zealand
Presenters: Alanna Dick (Education New Zealand), Candace Ruta (CIS Abroad)
As education professionals, we work hard to design programmes to better support students on-site while in their host country to encourage participation in study abroad or international experiences. Are there programs for specific groups of students to meet their needs while abroad? Program providers and a government representative will share case studies of working with specific student populations that do not traditionally study abroad in high numbers. The presenters will explain how initiatives through new semester programs and orientation activities offer better support on-site for students. This session is a hybrid of a panel presentation with an interactive portion so the audience can share best practices.

Simplifying Study Abroad for F-1 Students
Chair: Rose Francois, Hult International Business School
Presenters: Rose Francois (Hult International Business School), Ross Glover (Hult International Business School), Susannah Marcucci (Emerson College)
This session will cover the process of preparing your students and administrators for studying abroad and ensuring they obtain work authorization. The session will touch upon third party visa vendors, CRM management, creating workshops/PowerPoints for the visa process of the study abroad country and communicating with students so that they can maintain status.

The IE Freedom Trail: Maximizing Professional Development Opportunities in Your Career
Chair: Alida Gomez, Wheaton College
Presenters: Alida Gomez (Wheaton College), Nora Larkin (CAPA), Zachary Macinnes (Trinity College), Kerry Geffert (Terra Dotta)
This session aims to provide an overview of professional development resources available to new and developing professionals within the field of international education. Creative avenues for finding funding support will be discussed, along with volunteer and networking opportunities.

The Trump Effect and Student Mobility: What’s Next?
Chairs: Chelsea Couture (CIS Abroad), Craig McDonald (SIT Study Abroad)
Presenters: Chelsea Couture (CIS Abroad), Craig McDonald (SIT Study Abroad), Zack Brower (UMASS Amherst), Devin Foxhall (School for Field Studies)
This presentation aims to take a deeper look at American’s current political climate, and how the Trump Effect may impact study abroad enrollment and student mobility. Will it motivate students to study internationally as part of a renewed effort to interact with the world? Will it decrease participation amid concerns over new policies and the risk of rising anti-American sentiment? How can we better prepare students for possible tension? How much of an impact do local news sources play on experience and how students acclimate? What affect do we predict this will have on incoming student mobility and perceived experience? As political shifts and tensions arise, how are both incoming and outbound students directly experiencing being abroad. This session will explore how study abroad offices and third party providers are navigating the new political environment and its impact on study abroad, and a discuss strategies study abroad professionals can pursue to maintain and strengthen student interest amid anxious times.

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors!