Elevating Staff Inclusive Excellence: Year 2 of our “You Belong Here” Journey by DA Global | Jun 10, 2022 | Career Advancement Resources, Professional Development Elevating Staff Inclusive Excellence: Year 2 of our “You Belong Here” Journey 2022 Global Inclusion Conference Concurrent Session In 2020, IFSA launched the “You Belong Here” initiative to enhance focus on inclusive practices within our organization. Now in our second year, we are pleased to share our learning and experiences, focused on an innovative professional development program for staff that enhances our working relationships and prepares us to positively impact our communities, those that we work with, and especially the students we serve. The Program is designed with an inclusive approach to all elements, considering feedback from our multiple stakeholders, emphasizing ongoing relevance and sustainability, including returning for the 2024 Global Inclusion conference to share the results we achieved and additional best practices for others to leverage. Presenters: Danny Gibbons – IFSA Lenka Wieluns – IFSA Download File
Turning Professors Back Into Students: Interdisciplinary Faculty Professional Development to Re-Env by DA Global | Jun 10, 2022 | Career Advancement Resources, Professional Development Turning Professors Back Into Students: Interdisciplinary Faculty Professional Development to Re-Envision Indigenous Studies 2022 Global Inclusion Conference Concurrent Session LACC’s Bolivia High Andes Qualitative Field Study for Community College and Minority-Serving Faculty is an international interdisciplinary seminar on the Pueblos Originarios (indigenous communities) of the High Andes in Bolivia. The Field Study is designed to examine and interrogate more typical approaches to “Indigenous Studies” in the US and support the comparative study of similarities, differences, challenges, and opportunities that cut across various native populations in the Americas. Presenters: Lindsay Dudley – Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), Florida International University Maria-Luisa Veisaga – Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), Florida International University Download File
What about us? Mental health support for IE professionals! by DA Global | Jun 10, 2022 | Career Advancement Resources, Identity in the Workplace What about us? Mental health support for IE professionals! 2022 Global Inclusion Conference Concurrent Session We all heard the instructions “Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others”! In the field of IE, we have long focused on how to best support students’ mental health. But we forget to address our own mental health as professionals in the field. During the session, I will share my mental health story to highlight symptoms, sources, and resources. I will also include tools for navigating burnout and stress and how to create a healthy work environment. Presenters: Hanni Geist – German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Download Presentation
Transcending Barriers and Increasing Opportunities for Women of Color in International Education by DA Global | Jun 8, 2022 | Career Advancement Resources, Identity in the Workplace, Professional Development Transcending Barriers and Increasing Opportunities for Women of Color in International Education From Live Session on June 8, 2022 (Closed captioning available) Session Description: The field of International Education is predominantly female and White. However, both the workforce and the students we serve are increasingly diverse. In this community discussion, professionals in leading positions will share their experiences as women of color in the field. They will discuss best practices to combat certain disadvantages realties to this intersection of identities and thus increase opportunities for future leaders. Presenters: Anniette Lauredo – Sr. Manager of Inclusion Programs, University of Miami Beverly Pruitt, J.D. – Assistant Vice President, Workplace Equity and Performance at the University of Miami Nina Castro -Assistant Director, Study Abroad, University of Miami Ida Thompson – International Student Counselor, University of Houston Tabitha Thomas – Director of Faculty, Immigration at North Dakota State University Moderators: Hanni Geist – German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Diversity Abroad Task Force Member Caitlin Johnson – Sponsored Student & Scholar Coordinator, University of Kentucky International Center Download Presentation
Survey on Burnout in International Education by DA Global | Jun 6, 2022 | ArticlesPosted: June 6, 2022 By: Sub-group of 2021-2022 Career Advancement & Belonging Task Force Daniella Lubey, Study Abroad Advisor, University of San Francisco Adam Freed, Global Learning Coordinator, University of California Santa Cruz Oi Yin Lo, Assistant Coordinator, China & Italy, FIT State University of New York In the early days of international education, the administrative responsibilities of program development and implementation were nearly always undertaken by scholars and/or practitioners from other disciplines. Rather than focusing solely on international mobility, these professionals balanced international education with other administrative duties, athletic coaching, teaching, research, or other work. The data has shown that international education employees are burned out due to many universities, offices and institutions that are doing more with fewer resources. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Sound familiar? “Prolonged or repeated stress” would describe a normal day in many international offices, but since 2020, we’ve also been living in a world where the stress baseline has been raised considerably. Stress is a part of any job, but within the context of the pandemic and the “Great Resignation”, it begs the question: “Is burnout inevitable?”. International education professionals were forced to become crisis managers and work long hours to serve the needs of their students, but at the same time this took a huge toll on them personally. In conducting a survey with the Diversity Abroad Career Advancement and Belonging Task Force, we received over 110 responses from current and former international education professionals on burnout in the field. Nearly three quarters of respondents work at a higher education institution and have over six years of experience in the field. Over 70% reported colleagues leaving the international education field in the past two years. While the majority of respondents noted that international education has always been a high-volume, fast-paced work environment, nearly 97% attributed these departures to the following main factors: burnout, low staffing to address workload, budgetary constraints, and insufficient compensation. Respondents had mixed feelings about staying motivated in the work that they care about, regardless of their years of commitment to the field. Over 25% felt their supervisor did not recognize their contribution to the team and over 30% did not feel supported by their supervisor and/or institution/organization; as a result many left their jobs. Taking time off for health and wellness was another area in which respondents did not feel comfortable doing. Burnout is not discussed enough within our organizations. Resolving burnout often requires some kind of changes at the job, team, or organizational level. In developing self care practices to mitigate physical, emotional, and mental effects of burnout it is important to first of all, prioritize your health. In framing a new perspective about career situations, employees must consider which aspects of your personal and professional life are fixed and which can be changed. It is best to ask ourselves, what can we control and what is beyond our control? Hierarchical and other workplace structures can have an impact on contributing to or reducing burnout. Leaders play a big role in mitigating burnout among their employees. Discuss with your employer about your personal priorities in order to set realistic boundaries and guardrails in the workplace, press upon the necessity for a work-life balance and engage in personal rest and renewal. Continuing to allow flexible working arrangements is another area that can strengthen employee support and satisfaction. If necessary, ask people in your workplace or in your network for help or training that may be needed to succeed. There is no doubt that pre-pandemic international education work was challenging, but as we have and are living through the COVID era, even more barriers have become ever present and we must take action to decrease burnout in international education.
