Forum Focus January 2017 - Volume 3, Issue 1

The

FORUM

Focus

January 2017 | Volume 3 | Issue 1

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President’s Corner BrianWhalen, President & CEO,The Forum on Education Abroad Appreciating the Varieties of Education Abroad and Its Students

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ant to start an animated conversation in the hallways at The Forum’s 13th Annual Conference in Seattle?

Voice your opinion about the ideal education abroad experience and why you think it delivers the best outcomes. You are sure to attract a group of colleagues ready to offer their views.

We sometimes take for granted how many distinct approaches there are to education abroad.

It is a marvel that education abroad appears in so many shapes and sizes, a rich tapestry of variations that are well-represented among the nearly 800 Forum member institutions and organizations.

One of the joys of my position is the opportunity to learn about the tremendous variety of education abroad opportunities that our field has created. It is an astonishing achievement and a strength of what we do that there are so many distinct approaches to education abroad. And it ensures that conversations at our conferences will never be dull. How will you respond when asked to articulate your view of the ideal education abroad experience? Is there such a thing?

International educators are fortunate to work in a field that values and respects differences. In general, ours is a profession made up of people who are open-minded and who value perspectives that are different from their own. It is a view that helps us to appreciate that no one particular model of education abroad is necessarily the best. And, by the same token, there is not an approach that should be considered the worst.

Short-term education abroad often seems to be a convenient target, and is frequently lambasted as being a superficial experience when ∙3∙

compared with longer-term education abroad. But should we make such a blanket judgment about a particular approach to education abroad? Surely there is room for a wide variety of approaches. What we should really discuss is whether or not it is a high quality learning experience for the participating students.

In our hallway discussions, impassioned as they might become, we should not lose sight of an important truth: our education abroad models provide the opportunities for students, but in the end students themselves will shape what the experiences mean for them over the long term. It is of “...Our education abroad course essential that we do all that we can to continue to improve education models provide the abroad to make it the best possible opportunities for students, learning experience. We certainly should but in the end students strive to enhance the education abroad themselves will shape what experience in ways that we know, through research and practice, help adthe experiences mean for vance student learning and developthem over the long term.” ment. But ultimately, the student will determine its long-term value.

Like education abroad itself, students are vastly different and distinct from each other. In higher education, we sometimes lose sight of the uniqueness and complexity of students as individuals. I’ve thought recently that one of the dangers that we need to guard against is a tendency for us to see students always as being part of a group, cohort, or “generation.” On the contrary, students are, and should be encouraged to be, unique, individual learners, a quality that I think education abroad brings to light more dramatically than any other educational experience.

It follows that we should have a robust variety of education abroad opportunities for these distinct individuals, our students. Rather than assert the dominance of a particular approach, let’s agree that whatever form education abroad takes, it should be of the highest quality possible.

Respecting the distinctive mission and goals of education abroad espoused by an institution or organization is the first of The Forum’s nine Standards; our hallway conversations should be based on that principle. ∙4∙

It is possible, and in fact desirable, to achieve adherence to high quality standards while preserving the tremendous variety of education abroad that characterizes our field. This is a core belief of The Forum. We would do well to take time to appreciate the varieties of education abroad, both its multiplicity of approaches and its diversity of students. In doing so, we might think of Miranda in The Tempest and alter her declaration to read: How beauteous education abroad is! O brave new world, That has such programs and students in it! 

Confronting the Challenge of Rationalization in Education Abroad David English, Co-Founder, Study Abroad Mendoza Part 1: Efficiency

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n his book, The McDonaldization of Society, sociologist George Ritzer details four characteristics of the highly rationalized organizations that have become prominent in our increasingly globalized world: efficiency, predictability, calculability and control.

On the surface, these sound like admirable goals for any institution, especially when the health and wellbeing of students are involved. Indeed, many of the recent developments in education abroad, such as The Forum’s Standards of Good Practice, are clearly well-intentioned measures to reduce risk and unpredictability for students, faculty, administrators and service providers.

Nonetheless, we must be careful to apply rationality in the appropriate ways, so as to not threaten the core values at the heart of our field.

At first glance, this may seem like an irrational statement. Don’t efficiency, predictability, calculability and control help to ensure the quality of any product, service or experience? As Ritzer details, yes in some ways, no in others. ∙5∙

In this essay, the first in a series of four essays based on the four characteristics posited by Ritzer, we will examine efficiency. Since the very meaning of efficiency is choosing the optimum means to an end, we must define our end goal with great care and precision if we are to be as efficient as possible in reaching it. And when we define our goal, we must be certain it reflects our core values—our reason for existing. No doubt this is why The Forum’s very first standard of good practice calls for the articulation of goals for education abroad programming and why its second standard prioritizes student learning and development. However, if we unduly emphasize other objectives, forgetting that learning and development are our ends, our means will actually be inefficient and irrational. They will not be aligned with our reason for existing. They will undermine our core values.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom serves as a cautionary example to education abroad of what results when ends other than learning and development, ends other than those our name and image imply, take precedence in an efficient organization. When I recently took my son to the park, I was struck by the systematic rigidity and formalized fun of a place that markets itself as magical. Upon arrival, we were channeled into security checkpoints and then to computer kiosks to select three rides where we could Photo credit opt to “bypass long lines” (immediately a bad sign). These initial experiences generated worry and frustration rather than feelings of magic and fun. Once in the park, we were efficiently processed through rides by being put on a boat, car or train and pulled for several minutes along a track that hasn’t changed course since Disney World opened in 1971. The rides inevitably and unavoidably offloaded us straight into gift shops where employees welcomed us with one of several scripted greetings. For my son and me, Disney was, ∙6∙

as journalist Bob Garfield has written, “a calculated, unvarying, meticulously engineered entertainment experience.” It occupied us without engaging us—the kind of experience that appeals to everybody while challenging nobody. Surely, this is not the type of efficiency we want for education abroad.

Despite its name and public image, Disney’s Magic Kingdom is an uncreative, unimaginative, and ultimately inhuman experience. Yet, given Disney’s end goal of maximizing profits for shareholders, it is the very definition of efficiency. The shallow Disney experience is simply the result of an obsessive focus on the optimum means to a specific end, which is no crime. This highlights how efficiency can be a double-edged sword. Imagine if education abroad adopted and prioritized Disney’s operating principles—we would have a mismatch between the field’s priority of learning and development and the means being utilized to achieve this end. It would be as if policies and procedures (Standard 6) and health, safety, security and risk management (Standard 8) took priority over student learning and development (Standard 2). This would be the very definition of inefficiency. What might overseas programs look like in such a case? The “It’s a Small World” ride in the Magic Kingdom pulls visitors in boats past scenes of singing motorized mannequins dressed in the traditional clothing of various nationalities. There is no interaction with the mannequins, the boat travels along a fixed track hidden under the water, and the weather is always nice since the experience takes place within a building. If education abroad was simply a more intense version of the “It’s a Small World” ride, why Photo credit would students go overseas when they could just go to Disney? This would obviously be an irrational situation, and one we must therefore be ever vigilant to avoid in our field.

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In my role as an in-country service provider, this past May I teamed “If our aim is to educate fifteen students from Belmont Unistudents rather than versity in Nashville with 15 students merely entertain them from Cuyo National University here in within the confines of a Mendoza, Argentina. For the academpredictable, safe bubble, ic part of the program, the students we must be efficient in worked jointly to develop ideas for the right ways.” new business ventures and pitch them to a panel of local judges. This Entrepreneurial Challenge was a key component of the students’ learning and development, but so was the offprogram time they spent in each other’s company. For example, one Saturday the Argentines hosted their North American peers for a day at a nearby lake. This was an unsupervised, spontaneous excursion that involved transportation in private cars and non-motorized water activities like swimming and windsurfing. It was also by far the activity most highly rated by students and repeatedly extolled in feedback as an even more meaningful and educational experience than working on teams with Argentines for the Entrepreneurial Challenge. In a field with the name of education abroad I do not believe being efficient should mean playing it so safe that we sacrifice the days at the lake, the afternoons at a local’s house, or even the nights dancing under the stars at the club—especially if these are not only the types of activities that students most enjoy, but that in some ways provide them with opportunities for personal learning and development through interaction with locals that go well above and beyond purely academic objectives.

To be clear, I am a supporter of and advocate for all of The Forum’s standards. But if our aim is to educate students rather than merely entertain them within the confines of a predictable, safe bubble, we must be efficient in the right ways. We must confront the “Disney Dilemma,” and create a field dominated by enchantment, magic, mystery and genuine learning and development, instead of one in which, out of fear-guided priorities, everything is clear, cut-and-dried, logical, and routine. We must remember that even highly efficient Disney can’t keep out all the alligators. Crime does occur in the park, and so do accidents and deaths. Even with the best ∙8∙

of systems, protocols and processes in place, risk can never be reduced to zero—and trying to thus reduce it can come at the price of our ultimate goals. It’s the right balance that we must strive for in order to be truly efficient in our field, and its Mission and Goals (Standard 1) and Student Learning and Development (Standard 2) that we should use to help us do so. This is the only way to ensure that our efforts at efficiency are actually rational and do not undermine our goals and values. This is the only way to avoid the disenchantment of Disney.

But there is a characteristic of rationalized organizations that is even more inimical than efficiency to enchantment, and student learning and development. Nothing destroys an enchanting experience so assuredly as making it predictable or making it recur in the same way time after time.

So, it is to predictability that we will turn in the next issue of The Forum Focus. 

Evaluating Study Abroad Campuses in a World of Risks Jim Hutton, Chief Security Officer, On Call International

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ducation abroad programs are more popular than ever, as 68% of public institutions have stated their abroad participation has increased since 2010 (The Forum on Education Abroad’s State of the Field Survey Report, 2015). As this number increases, it’s now more crucial than ever “...Its now more crucial for academic institutions to evaluate how than ever for academic they can best promote a world of opportunities in a world full of risks for their students institutions to evaluate completing an education abroad. how they can best It is vital for an institution to react efpromote a world of fectively if a student finds themselves in a opportunities in a world threatening situation, not only on campus at full of risks …” home, but also abroad. Administrators must also take proactive measures to evaluate international campuses in order to determine the potential threats and how to best mitigate them. ∙9∙

To accomplish this, here are several steps your institution can follow in order to properly evaluate the risks associated with campuses abroad, while also ensuring students feel safe and protected in their new home away from home.

Define your level of risk tolerance An institution must define two things before a campus evaluation takes place—their risk profile and their risk tolerance. Risk profile refers to the threats an institution faces. This covers everything from crime to natural disasters and terrorism, all unique to each international program.

Risk tolerance is the level of risk the student or institution is willing to operate in. Determining an institution’s risk tolerance requires more than a security assessment—it needs input from a variety of individuals including the university’s insurance administrator, risk management, international affairs, public relations, marketing, finance and academic leaders. All stakeholders must come to a consensus on what the institution collectively defines as their degree of risk tolerance and how that risk tolerance will affect oversight of its international programs and campuses.

Perform an assessment audit Once these risk profiles and tolerances have been defined and documented, institutions should perform a comprehensive safety audit. What goes into these audits is dependent upon the institution’s level of risk tolerance; however, they should cover everything from basic fire codes and the likelihood of crime, to the possibility of a geopolitical event affecting the perception of U.S. affiliated organizations in the country.

Terrorism and natural disasters have become top concerns for many students, parents and administrators, given recent tragic events such as the attacks in Brussels and Paris, the earthquakes in Italy and

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Hurricane Matthew ravaging the Caribbean. Therefore, it is essential for institutions to be prepared if the campuses associated with its international programs are located in regions with known safety risks: earthquake and hurricane zones, areas with political instability and locations with poor infrastructure, to name a few.

It is important to examine the vulnerabilities of the campus relative to the most prevalent risks in that area. For example, say an institution is evaluating at a campus in central Italy. With the recent earthquakes in mind, are the buildings on campus up to the appropriate code? Are they earthquake resistant?

Then there are general safety concerns such as crime and assault.

Does the campus have restricted access or is it relatively open to the public? What kind of campus security is there, if any? What neighborhood is the campus in, and are there troublesome neighborhoods nearby?

Some of the questions come easily, some not so much. A proper campus assess“...It’s important to ment takes into account not just basic buildconsistently reassess ing and site security but should also assess and update the the destination country and city as a whole, well beyond the immediate areas surroundinformation gathered in ing campus. Other factors to evaluate inthe safety audit… clude the safety of local public transportation ensuring the information and whether the area is open to students of is current, credible and different religions, races, national/ethnic backgrounds and LGBTQ community memspecific.” bers. Most students spend significant time exploring their destinations, and will likely take advantage of free time to travel to other regions or countries altogether—so having a firm grasp on the cultural norms and expectations in the destination and its surrounding areas is an important aspect of any assessment audit.

Information is power Regardless of how many times an institution has conducted an international program in the past, it’s important to consistently reassess and update the information gathered in the safety audit. This means ensuring ∙11∙

the information is current, credible and specific. Remember: muscle memory doesn’t make up for proper research. Quality and depth of research are essential; since every detail of a student’s trip should be examined, utilizing all available resources will help institutions perform a comprehensive evaluation. This should include sourcing information from trusted local contacts, government agencies and vetted third-party travel risk management firms.

Another effective way to source information is networking with other professionals who have experience operating in the destinations being evaluated—for example, The Forum on Education Abroad is a useful way to meet other practitioners and administrators. The State Department via OSAC and the local U.S. Embassy are also great resources for country information, especially for insights and perspectives outside the education abroad space. The key is leveraging a wide variety of resources when evaluating the safety of international campuses and using this information to formulate measures and policies aimed at mitigating risks to better protect students abroad.

Conclusion The time a student spends abroad should be one of the most unforgettable experiences of their lives—for the right reasons. Institutions that take the time to properly evaluate the risks associated with campuses abroad and educate their students accordingly will have the most success in achieving this. 

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FROM the forum COUNCIL Chair: Calling All Members to Provide Input on The Forum’s Next Strategic Plan Nick J. Gozik, Director of the Office of International Programs and McGillycuddyLogue Center for Undergraduate Global Studies, Boston College

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t is astonishing to realize how much The Forum on Education Abroad has grown and accomplished in the mere fifteen years since its inception. The organization continues to fill a critical niche in our field, allowing us to come together for dialogue and to share best practices. The development of the Standards of Good Practice and subsequent training and programming that have been created—including the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) and Professional Certification in Education Abroad— have provided members with tools to deliver high quality and safe opportunities abroad for U.S. students. It is necessary for us to take a moment to applaud the extraordinary successes of The Forum, made possible through the hard work of staff and volunteers. At the same time, we are at a key juncture with the development of the organization’s next strategic plan, designed to plot growth over the next three to five years. Here, we must rely on the wisdom, expertise, and creativity of members to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders are being met.

I have been fortunate to be involved in the development of the strategic plan as Chair of the Forum Council, the elected body that represents the membership, as well as a member of the Strategic Planning Team, chaired

by Mary Anne Grant and including representatives from the Board, Council, and staff. The planning process has taken place over the past year, involving significant input from members at various stages. Interviews with seasoned professionals, many of whom have been with The Forum since its inception, have helped to reaffirm the principles and values of the organization, ∙13∙

“The Forum was founded to create a space for dialogue, hence the name, as well as to develop a set of standards to bolster the quality and safety of our programming.”

outline trends in the field of education abroad and higher education more broadly, and pinpoint areas for future growth. Additionally, participants have provided feedback in conference sessions in Atlanta, GA, and Athens, Greece.

In developing the proposed plan, the Strategic Planning Team, Board, and Council attempted to consider relevant shifts in higher education in the next five, ten, and fifteen years. We asked a number of questions. For example, will the types of students and institutions we serve change in any significant ways, particularly given the changing demographics in the U.S.? Will internationalization efforts continue to expand and, if so, in what ways? Will education abroad necessarily remain at the heart of such initiatives or will other types of programs and activities gain precedence? How might education abroad be required to advance in order to keep up with student and institutional needs? In addition, are there other broader political, social, and economic forces that need to be considered in preparing for the future of education abroad? These are just a few of a much longer list of questions that were asked.

Developing the plan also necessitated that we consider the short and long-term needs of institutional members. The Forum was founded to create a space for dialogue, hence the name, as well as to develop a set of standards to bolster the quality and safety of our programming. We asked ourselves whether we were filling both goals adequately and/or whether there are other areas in which we can improve. Likewise, we asked if there were other services and types of training that are not being provided that are integral to the development of professionals in the field and the institutions that they represent. No one organization can be all things to all people, yet we do want to make certain that The Forum is doing everything possible within the scope of its mission and in line with available resources.

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The planning process has also required us to keep in mind that The Forum is a member-driven organization. The vast majority of projects completed come out of the work of the standing committees and working groups, comprised of volunteers. Having personally helped to build out resources such as the Outcomes Assessment and Research (OAR) Toolbox, along with other members of the OAR committee, I know firsthand how much effort goes into these endeavors. Other initiatives are developed by Forum staff with substantial contributions from the membership. Effective planning ensures that we, as members, are using our time wisely in developing services and resources to address the daily concerns in our respective institutions. At the same time, the planning process allows us, both as an organization and field, to position ourselves wisely to keep up with current trends and stay relevant within higher education, ultimately for the benefit of the students we serve.

It is exciting and rewarding to see the strategic plan take shape. With a first version nearly completed, it is now time for the plan to go back out to the membership for review. In a few weeks, institutional representatives will receive the draft plan. It is hoped that they will share it with others on their campus and direct any feedback to the planning committee through an online form. Those who are not designated as institutional representatives, and would like to share feedback directly, will be able to do so by sending a message to The Forum’s email address: info@forumea.org. On behalf of the Strategic Planning Team and the Council, we welcome your feedback. 

Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of The Forum on Education Abroad.

The Forum encourages responses to the perspectives in this issue.

Reflections, topic suggestions and other correspondence are welcomed, and all contributions will be considered for future publication.

Please send correspondence to: info@forumea.org

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© The Forum on Education Abroad Dickinson College P.O. Box 1773 Carlisle, PA 17013 info@forumea.org +1 717 245-1031 ∙16∙