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Equitable Narratives on Race & Ethnicity in Spain: Onsite Perspectives for Study Abroad Students

by | Apr 19, 2022 | Education Abroad Resources, Support & Advising

Equitable Narratives on Race & Ethnicity in Spain: Onsite Perspectives for Study Abroad Students

Tuesday, April 19 at 3:00 PM EST 

Session Description:

This webinar will update advisors, directors, and other international education office staff on the current social, political, and legal climates surrounding racial and ethnic identities in Spain from an intersectional perspective. The webinar is meant to complement Diversity Abroad’s DEI climate country reports. Our guest speakers, recruited by the Diversity Abroad Task Force – Education Abroad: Student Support and Advising and based in Spain and the U.S., will be sharing their particular expertise and experiences on the current state and perception of race and ethnicity in Spain. Participants will learn about challenges BIPOC students have experienced while studying abroad in Spain, and about how connecting with local organizations, programming and academics for Afro-Spaniards and other underrepresented groups in Spain creates equitable narratives. Attendees will also hear about the personal experiences of an Afro-descendent woman growing up in Barcelona, and the study abroad experiences of four Chapman University alumni. This webinar is intended to enhance understanding of Spain as a study abroad destination, so that international education professionals can better advise and support students of color studying abroad in Spain.

Moderator:

  • Christina Thompson – Founder of Compear Global Education Network, Director of Partnership Development and Diversity Initiatives, Barcelona SAE

Presenters:

  • Adil Qureshi, PhD – Supervisor at Mindgram, Lecturer at Geneva Business School and IES Abroad, Research Consultant in Transcultural Psychiatry, Psychotherapist at Istituto Europeo di Design
  • Paula-Adjo Soli Consuegra – Coordinator of EU-funded project on the rights of migrants and undocumented peoples for City Rights United; Writer for Afroféminas; International Relations Coordinator, Community Manager, and Editor at Abarka
  • Nicole Williams – Alumnus of the Spanish Studies Abroad – Integrated Studies in Seville, Spain Program, Chapman University ‘20
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Maximizing Support for Students with Disabilities in Study Abroad

by | Apr 5, 2022 | Articles

Posted: August 5, 2022

By: Sub-group of 2021-2022 Fundamentals of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force

Catherine Clark Ph.D., Associate Professor of French & English, Director of Study Abroad, Averett University

Johileny Meran, Program Coordinator, Mobility International USA

  • Audience: Education Abroad professionals
  •  Addressing the presence of disability in DEI
  •  Challenges: Varying degrees of “visibility”of disability related resources and support in international exchange.

Conversations around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) continue to grow in the field of education abroad and international exchange. As the work continues our Task Force wondered in what ways disability inclusion is represented in DEI work. It is worth noting that students with disabilities can also hold other identities that may be underrepresented in study abroad programs, and yet they represented a particularly underserved population in global education. So how do we maximize support for students with disabilities? One place to start is integrating disability inclusion into DEI efforts that are already in place. 

Considerations for Inclusive Support

Establishing inclusive support is about taking a proactive approach to building an infrastructure that’s prepared to welcome and accommodate disabled students from program recruitment to re-entry after participation.

Consider that disability often overlaps with health and wellness: lean into a cooperative/supportive relationship with all related associates and offices to share both domestic and on-site resources. Along the same lines there are cultural differences to understanding disability and access. It is important to acknowledge this and discuss how it may impact a student’s experience. 

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) does apply to international education programs that are credit-bearing at an institution of higher education. Education Abroad offices bear responsibilities to reasonably accommodate disabled students; this also means they can reasonably demand resources to this end. For example, “Staff need to analyze each request for an accommodation on a case-by-case basis and avoid making assumptions about a disability. For instance, a person with vision loss may not be able to read Braille.” – Postsecondary Institutions and Students With Disabilities | ADA National Network).

So how can students with disabilities be supported in making decisions on participating in a program?

One example of integrating disability inclusion towards maximizing support is taking a two-pronged approach. Students with disabilities may need disability-related accommodations but they also need to understand disability culture at their site of interest.

  1. Students with disabilities may need to consider what disability-related accommodations they will need while abroad and how these accommodations would be provided on their site.
  2. Program providers can share information about the disability culture in the abroad site. For example, how is public transportation that students may use accessible in the abroad site, and if not accessible what are some alternative options for transportation. Another thing to consider is disability culture, how do the local community treat people with disabilities. 

This two-part approach (2) considers support to be both about one-on-one in terms of disability-related accommodations and general in terms of disability being a part of a student’s social identity.

Networking for Expanded Global Support Systems 

The field of international education is unique in many ways because of its wide ranging ability and willingness to collaborate— between private and public institutions, across borders, even among program competitors, people will exchange information and partner up to grow and diversify. 

You don’t have to have all the answers and resources within your office – seek out partners, advocates, and experts!

Most importantly, when a student discloses a disability, begin with an open mind and willingness to work together. [see the expanded MIUSA Advising guide]

  1. Start with the student: Ask them how they can be most successful on the program. What accommodations, equipment, or modifications will remove barriers and create access? They are the expert on their disability, while you are the expert on the program and host site.
  2. Consult with the program provider, on-site team, and other relevant parties who support people with disabilities. Use these connections to find resources and make arrangements based on the student’s expressed needs. 
  3. Use guidance forms and information the individual shares to develop next steps. Knowing What Disability Questions to Ask: Sample Accommodations Forms | Mobility International USA

 Provide practical site-specific resources for different student demographics. Partners on and off campus can include organizations that contribute to the developed resources for students with disabilities.

Some existing resources for supporting students with disabilities include: 

Exploring Resources for Students with Disabilities

The way disability resources are presented in organizations can vary in nature, often creating a confusing or opaque network of information. Information can be under Diversity & Inclusion, Student Services, Health & Wellness, or Funding & Scholarship. This makes us wonder whether finding disability resources for prospective study abroad participants is challenging, time-consuming, and even discouraging. (For example, NAFSA includes disability resources under Supporting Diversity and Inclusion in Education Abroad and the Forum’s DEI resources on Disability are almost exclusively academic journal articles).

  Here are some examples of resources for students with disabilities that demonstrate the varying ways in which disability information is provided to potential participants of exchange programs:

3rd party providers with disability specific programming/initiatives:

CAPA Global Education (“Health & Wellness”)

 AIFS Abroad (“Student Resources” -> Access, Mobility, & Disability)

 CEA Study Abroad (Diversity & Inclusion)

 ISA WorldStrides (DEI Statement and links)

 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Abroad | USAC

Disability, Mental Health, & Self-Care Resources | IES Abroad Many students with disabilities don’t realize they can physically study abroad or, conversely, that enriching virtual programs exist. Although the location of disability resources can vary across organizations, the visibility of online resources for students with disabilities can be an impactful way to convince students with disabilities that participating in exchange programs is an option for them. 

Conclusion

Disability inclusion and improving accessibility in international exchange and study abroad programs are ongoing goals and need to be reexamined and revisited regularly. Set up an annual evaluation, gather feedback/input from students and staff so that your office can continue to expand the resources from organizations in the field. One step exchange professionals can take to maximize the support students with disabilities in exchange programs is by reflecting and exploring ways that they can make their exchange related DEI sessions more disability inclusive.

This piece was started to understand why disability-related resources in reference to exchange programs seem to be in different locations, under different titles or themes, or absent altogether. The intersectionality of disability services with other offices as well as the broad potential accessibility needs of disabled students can make inclusion challenging. We don’t know whether consistency of location will change. But the visibility of disability resources and outreach can be impactful. It is important to recognize that proactively integrating disability inclusion into all phases of the international exchange process is a crucial part of maximizing support for students with disabilities. 

Resources

We are grateful to our colleagues in the Fundamentals of DEI task force for helping us compile these resources.

Authors

Johileny Meran, Program Coordinator, Mobility International USA

Catherine Clark,

Supported by various colleagues in the Fundamentals of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force 2021-22

(1) This article acknowledges the debate around person-first vs. identity-first language, which varies even within the disability community. We thus use “disabled” and “with disabilities” interchangeably to more inclusively describe affected populations. See NCDJ Disability Language Style Guide and APA Bias Free Style Guide

(2) The suggestion of a two part approach to integrating disability inclusion in exchange DEI efforts is influenced by the Twin-Track Approach principle in Guiding Principles for Excellence in Development & Disability Inclusion.

Bridging Diverse Realities and Contexts

by | Mar 29, 2022 | Education Abroad Resources, Faculty, Support & Advising

Bridging Diverse Realities and Contexts: Faculty Leaders Supporting Experiences Across Different Contexts, Histories, and Contemporary Realities

From Live Session on Tuesday, March 29 at 12:00 PM EST

Session Description: 

As higher education campuses across the United States become more committed to supporting initiatives around social and racial justice initiatives, a question remains as to how students are prepared for the widely differing realities they might experience abroad. Join Diversity Abroad’s Task Force for Faculty Engagement to discuss how faculty support students in their experiences of identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion abroad. This Community Discussion will bring together students, faculty, and staff to engage in a significant conversation about how we can create real and supportive bridges to ensure a positive learning experience for students as they move between very different realities and contexts of racial and social justices and contexts.
 

Facilitators:

  • Mikayla Purnell ’22, Swarthmore College student, SIT Ghana alum (Fall 2021)
  • Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang, Academic Director at SIT Ghana
  • Benedicta Djumpah, Student Life Coordinator, Temple University, Rome Campus

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with International Student

by | Feb 22, 2022 | International Students, Support Advising

Let’s Talk About Mental Health with International Students

From Live Session on February 22, 2022 (Closed captioning available)
Mental health has been a rising topic and even designated as a crisis by news outlets such as Inside Higher Ed. In the case of international students, the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing barriers such as cultural differences, time constraints, and unfamiliarity with the United States counseling system and created new barriers that inhibit international students from seeking support. Research suggests that international students are less likely than their domestic counterparts to use mental health services provided by their institutions. As Universities and organizations enhance their anti-racist efforts and DEI initiatives, advocates must consistently consider how international student populations are included in the conversation and impacted by these decisions. In this discussion, our panelists will address issues and strategies related to mental health conversations with International Students while analyzing the barriers unique to that population. At the end of our community discussion, participants should understand the effects cultural differences and stigmatization play in international students seeking support, which tools and resources are available and/or effective when speaking with international students about mental health, and ways to overcome barriers when supporting international students with mental health concerns.

Moderator:
  • Asia King – North Carolina State University

Presenters:

  • Dr. Katie Koo – University of Georgia
  • Mala Chintalapudi, LCMHCA, NCC – North Carolina State University
  • Yi Xuen Tay – Masters Student in Student Affairs
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It Takes A Village: Empowering the Campus Ecosystem to Promote Global Education

by | Feb 8, 2022 | Education Abroad Resources, Marketing & Recruitment

It Takes a Village: Empowering the Campus Ecosystem to Promote Global Education

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 12:00 PM EST (Closed captioning available)

Session Description: 

This session is dedicated to practitioners who are looking for new ideas and approaches to cultivating an ecosystem oriented towards the expansion of global education on campus. Much like in nature, different members of a campus community have unique skills, talents, and perspectives they bring. Only when the right balance is achieved, do all members of the ecosystem thrive. This moderated panel will center several case studies on building effective partnerships reflecting on what it took to get past the barriers for effective communication and collaboration.

Presenters:

  • Christian Tanja, Admissions Outreach and Selection Officer, Schwarzman Scholars
  • Maria del Mar Aponte Rodriguez, Director – Center for International Programs, St. Mary’s University Texas
  • Holly Joyner, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications, Baylor University
  • Daniel Watson, Marketing & Technology Coordinator, University of Utah
  • Lauren Stikeleather, Education Abroad, Davidson College
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