International Educators Do It All
Kerry Geffert
Product Evangelist, Terra Dotta
In elementary school, teachers seem to be fond of asking their students what they want to be when they grow up. There is the usual litany of responses: a sports star, a movie star, a doctor, a lawyer, a firefighter, a teacher, etc. I don’t recall ever hearing of a child saying, “I want to be an International Educator.”
I was not any different. Even in college, and as much as study abroad impacted my life, the thought of being an international student advisor or a study abroad advisor never entered my mind. Nor did I begin graduate school with that intent; I was preparing for a career in private secondary education. However, it was during my graduate program in College Student Personnel when I had the opportunity to work with the international student population at Findlay College (now University) that I found my career.
Many have come upon their careers in international education in similar fashion. The paths were different, but they may have been similarly unintentional. Catherine Born of NAFSA: Association of International Educators refers to the “accidental manager” – those who became managers more out of happenstance than by purpose. Similarly, there have been the “accidental international educators” – the registrars, the language professors, the administrative assistants, the international student spouses who showed themselves both capable and interested. Before they knew it, they were in charge of the international students or the study abroad programs.
That was then. To our credit, we apparently have matured as a profession. A sign of the change has been the increase in academic programs that prepare graduates specifically to work within international education. Today a growing number of universities, both in the United States and abroad, offer graduate programs with degrees and/or concentrations in international education. A quick search on GradSchools.com results in more than a dozen programs that specifically “prepare students to become leaders in international education” as the American University entry puts it; there are probably more.
The importance of the advanced degree has become increasingly clear. Alan Dessoff penned a 2006 article for NAFSA’s International Educator entitled, “Master’s Degree: A Key to Your Career?”. In his article, Mr. Dessoff examined the growth of graduate programs in international education, the minimum criterion of the Master’s degree for job seekers and the benefit of work experience prior to study. While the degree alone was an important ticket to finding a position in the field, programs varied from those emphasizing comparative and international education to those that combined theory and practice.
The academic threshold, however, has not painted the full picture of today’s preparation for a career in international education, particularly for those positions at the mid-level and higher. Today’s professionals draw upon a full range of skills to carry out their job responsibilities. We no longer simply rely on our skills in intercultural communication though these skills remain foundationally important. Instead we must have an understanding of the full range of operations in higher education – both on the academic and the student services sides. We must be diplomats, problem solvers, financial wizards in multiple currencies, decipherers of government regulations, and on and on. Speaking another language may no longer be sufficient; we also must be able to communicate in the languages of registrars and faculty, business officers and legal counsel.
In response to these broad expectations, NAFSA took on the herculean task of synthesizing this information into one resource. This resource, the NAFSA International Education Professional Competencies™ (NAFSA, 2015), serves as an excellent resource for anyone looking to enter or advance in the profession of international education. A brief overview from the NAFSA website:
“…..the NAFSA International Education Professional Competencies™ forms the basic building blocks of the international education profession. This inventory is intended to define the professional knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of international education professionals working in the United States, regardless of their area of specialization or role within the field. From adviser to manager to policy maker, the International Education Professional Competencies offer everyone working in international education a direction for professional success.”
Never before has the profession had so many resources to assist professionals with their career trajectories. Academic training, skills and experiences all combine to form the foundation for the international education professional of today, and likely into the future. Given these resources, however, what are the themes that stand out at this juncture of the profession? Where is the current forefront of international education and the profession? And where is it headed?
Study abroad has always been an academic venture, despite what students may have reported back to their friends. However, the increased attention to assessment and learning outcomes, as well as program development, have altered both the role of the study abroad advisor and sometimes the placement of the office within the institution’s organizational structure. As Daniela Ascarelli, Assistant Vice Provost for International Programs at Drexel University, puts it, “we aren’t about ‘trips’ overseas but about academics and learning.” Thus the study abroad office finds itself more and more within the academic side of the university, often reporting to the Provost.
As the pool of short-term faculty-led programs grows (and not just for academic reasons), those within the study abroad office increasingly find themselves working in tandem with faculty to develop these programs, requiring familiarity with the institution’s – and often the department’s – academic standards. Plus they may be depended upon to provide translation, not to another spoken language, but to another system of course and/or credit equivalencies.
Of course the expectations do not end with the academic structure of study abroad. International education professionals find themselves being currency translators as well. Helping students figure out the currencies of their destination countries has now grown into forecasting exchange rates for programs in the next academic year.
For many years, study abroad offices tended to operate below the radar of the business side of the university. This is no longer the case; and it’s not just about currencies. As students, parents and legislators have demanded greater accountability of the institutional funds, so too, study abroad advisors have had to increase their institutional financial acumen. As Ascarelli asserts, one must have a “clear understanding of how budgeting works at [one’s] specific institution.” She wonders if exchange programs will become more popular for institutions since they are viewed as being “revenue neutral.”
Study abroad programs that add to the institution’s bottom line generally receive a better welcome than those that lose money. But the program that loses money may also provide a necessary academic experience for students. Herein lies an oft overlooked role for the international educator – that of the advocate. Advocacy is a skill that many international educators have developed almost subconsciously out of self-preservation. Being an effective advocate draws upon most of the international educator’s other knowledge of academic structure and priorities, financial processes, and understanding of higher education cultures.
Being an effective advocate also draws upon the international educator’s knowledge of cross-cultural communication. Different cultures need not be national or ethnic groups; they can also be occupational “groups” such as faculty or business managers, or they can be parents. These interactions are just as important. More and more professionals within our field – whether from a campus or a private organization – tell me that study abroad promotion is about building relationships. It is about establishing trust and confidence in the institution, the program and the representatives of both.
At no time are those relationships more important than when crises occur. The international educator of today, and the future, must keep one ear tuned to worldwide events. Today’s professional must have developed skills in risk management according to Ascarelli. Further, it is important that these skills be developed and practiced by all staff. Paul Watson, Executive Director of AIFS Study Abroad, asserts that staff “training involving protocols for managing student health and safety is very important.”
Risk and crisis management training is often focused on education abroad; however, international educators working with incoming international students and scholars must be equally prepared. In fact, international educators share many of the same skill sets regardless of the individual’s focus on international student and scholar services (ISSS) or education abroad. Historically ISSS professionals have needed to develop more regulatory skills related to visas and immigration regulations than their education abroad colleagues. This may no longer be the case as education abroad professionals now need to understand other countries’ visa policies and understand US immigration regulations governing an increasingly diverse study abroad population. The key for anyone entering the profession is finding experience, according to Dr. Pia Wood, Associate Provost and Director of the Center for International Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
At one time, merely having participated in a study abroad experience moved a resume toward the top for a position in international education. This may no longer be the case. Wood pointed out that for a recent study abroad entry level advisor position, “all had studied abroad. Many had Master’s degrees.” The candidates that stood out were those with direct experience. “Volunteer [opportunities] or internships (if not direct experience) [are] critical because so many other people have experience.”
Watson recommends that those considering an occupation in international education consider Master’s programs overseas “that can provide graduates with in-depth cross-cultural experiences and language acquisition…..It is certainly something that can set them apart.”
So the international education professional of the future must have studied abroad, pursued advanced studies, have experience, know everything about higher education institutions, be knowledgeable in regulatory issues worldwide, and be ready to manage a crisis at any moment. What could be missing?
Of course, the missing piece is technology. If you kept your ledgers on paper or know what a CRT is then chances are you have had to develop your technology skills at a pace that seems faster than any other skill set. Both Ascerelli and Watson urge anyone interested in the international education profession to maintain their technology skills; with systems, software and, of course, social media. “An ability to understand social media and how it is being used by the current student is important,” says Watson.
When asked what skills would be required for your successor that weren’t required when you were hired, Douglas Upton, Assistant Director of the Global Education Opportunities Center at the Colleges of the Fenway commented, “skills in helping to develop and implement information management and automation are definitely required now much more so than when I was hired.” Upton goes on to say, “International education involves complex information and lots of data points. Automation can help simplify the management of that information and aid both students and administrators to make better decisions.” If you are not sure what he means, talk with one of your students, or better yet, contact Terra Dotta!
The role of the international education professional is certainly different today than what it was in 2000. Many of us became hooked in circuitous ways through a study abroad experience, a Peace Corps experience or just happenstance on campus. Communication with overseas colleagues took longer and our offices were filled with files upon files of paper. Sometimes we could solve an immigration issue with a telephone conversation. There were the natural frustrations, but we felt good about what we were doing because we were providing life-changing experiences.
World events this century have affected us more than perhaps any other profession within higher education. There continue to be the discussions and debates of the financial impacts of hosting international students for degree or short-term programs, or sending students on any type of study abroad program. Our skill bases have necessarily grown to include budgeting, politicking, advocating and crisis intervention among others. Keeping up with advances in technology keep us awake at night just as much as do the world news reports.
Whether because of, or in spite of, these additional skills, we still feel good about what we are doing. We are still providing those life-changing experiences. At the core of our profession remains the interest in other peoples and other cultures. This core remains for those entering the profession now and will likely remain for those who come years after us. Even though he was really speaking about processes and workflows, Upton’s advice to those entering the field has broader application – “Learn about how to get people to collaborate on a shared vision for new ways of working together.”