University of California, San Diego: YouAbroad Series

At the University of California San Diego, we constantly push boundaries and challenge expectations. Established in 1960, UC San Diego has been shaped by exceptional scholars who aren’t afraid to take risks and redefine conventional wisdom. Today, as one of the top 15 research universities in the world, we are driving innovation and change to advance society, propel economic growth and make our world a better place.

Focus Areas:  Pre-departure; Returnee; Advising

Describe your initiative/project

We’ve developed an interactive, intersectional identity series titled, YouAbroad. This series will explore students’ identities and their experiences abroad by weekly study abroad panels spotlighting different identities (race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, immigration status, etc) with a panel of study abroad returnees. Each dialogue was held at a different campus center as part of an on-going, mutually-beneficial partnership with each center. For our first quarter, the centres included: the Black Resource Center, La Raza Resource Centro, the Women’s Center, the Cross Cultural Center, and the LGBT Resource Center. The series explores the complexities of student identities and how they impact study abroad experiences. This allows for critical discussion, creates space for community, and demonstrates the impact study abroad can have in the lives of our diverse student population. These interactive talks provided an introduction to the study abroad experiences for interested students, while also allowing returnee students to reengage with their experience abroad, as well as engaging the greater university population.

What need does this initiative/project intend to meet? What conversations/other projects led to its creation?

The intentions of this series were to create a platform for dialogue and a broader representation of the experiences of study abroad students, address students’ goals and concerns with a lens on the intersectionality of identity and to strengthen partnerships within the community. This allowed for university-wide staff to participate in and engage with the mission of Study Abroad while allowing Study Abroad staff to actively support the campus commitment to access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This project came from long-held discussions on challenging traditional narratives and representations of the study abroad experience. As a result of conversations held with both study abroad and university-wide staff, the idea of a dialogue series developed. The focus would be on the intersectional identity to create a broad representation of student experiences abroad. Study Abroad staff connected with partners across the campus who engage in similar work to help support the series and reach a larger population of students.

Which student group(s) did your institution target as part of your initiative/project?

This project targeted a broad population of students with an emphasis on some specific underrepresented student groups. We utilized both new and existing partnerships across the campus; in particular the community resource center staff, to reach populations who we may not typically engage through our traditional outreach and marketing.

Why did your institution feel that it was necessary to target this group?

Our institution felt it was necessary to reach students in the spaces and community centers in which they may feel most supported on campus. Because we know many students have assumptions about study abroad; both perceived and actual challenges to study abroad, we wanted to explore new channels to interact with students.

Tell us step by step the process taken to implement this initiative/project?

• Develop a planning/organizing committee of study abroad and campus partners
• Request training/guidance on sensitivity to intersectional identities and hosting safe space discussion forums
• Identify the themes and learning objectives of the series; assign leads to each individual session
• Identify a marketing and outreach campaign; assign lead for each element (i.e. social media, print materials)
• Identify the dates of each series. Ideally select a weekly or recurring event on the same time.
• Identify and select student returnees. This will require reaching out to staff and students through a survey, such as a Google Form, for a broad outreach to allow students to self-identify if they would like to speak on their identities and their experience abroad. Do NOT direct a message to a specific student because you believe they represent a specific identity.
• Consider within the survey response form an optional release of information opt-in to highlight a student’s experience in other appropriate venues.
• Reserve the space(s) for each session.
• If you’ll have refreshments, purchase or order these refreshments in advance.
  Remind panelist and facilitators one week in advance of the event’s detail (time, location, and address any questions they may have). Provide a list of questions you will ask. Informing the panelist you may not get to all the questions and that they do not have to answer any question they don’t feel comfortable answering.
• Prepare the space in advance (i.e. set up the event for a communal setting – chairs in a circle)
• Open each session with a few instructions and intentions:
  • Everyone to introduce themselves with their name, university affiliation (staff, student (major/college), community member, faculty (department))
  • Allow for everyone to share the identities they would like to bring intention around. For example a participant of the event may say, “I’m a black, cisgender, queer individual.”
  • Remind everyone that all questions are optional.
  • Remind everyone the conversations in the room are confidential and should remain within the space.

Which obstacles were encountered throughout the planning and implementation phases?

We developed this program during the Fall term, which is the busiest time for most university professionals. Because this project required a lot of planning and coordinating across multiple professionals and offices there were delays in getting parts of the project completed (for example, reserving space, identifying panelist and moderators).

Which faculties, departments, centers and/or student groups on campus were involved in the process?

We included staff from Study Abroad, the International House, and five campus community centers: La Raza resource Centro, Women’s Center, LGBT Resource Center, Black Resource Center, and Cross Cultural Center. We also worked with our student ambassador program, STARS, and study abroad student staff to identify panelist.

Were there any new assessments and/or procedures produced due to the initiative/project?

At this initial phase, we have not created an assessment for the series or implemented any procedural or policy changes. However, this has sparked new discussions within the Study Abroad Office about ensuring access and inclusion.

How would your institution approach this initiative/project differently if you were to start over?

We would certainly try to start the marketing and promotion of our series much earlier to try to reach an even wider population of students. We would also try to be even more intentional about the selection of session facilitators. This project was led by two study abroad staff and two International House staff members. We would have liked to have had the support and active involvement from more professionals on campus.

What were the results of your initiative?
This project allowed us to explore outreach through a collaborative approach to understand new areas of programming that we at Study Abroad can develop and strengthen. Furthermore, we have seen the need for more returnee programming and spaces to allow for students to unpack their experiences abroad with a lens of intersectional identity. It also served as an opportunity to gain insight into the thoughts, concerns, and beliefs of students wanting to study abroad and returnees to address unmet need around identity. For example, in the session on Women Abroad we discovered the need to provide more proactive programming around health and safety for women travelers, and the session around LGBTQI+ identities abroad allowed us to identify the need to have more services and programs around trans and genderqueer identities abroad. Lastly, after the series began we received suggestions from student, staff, and faculty around identities which the campus community wanted to be spotlighted in the series, for example, Native Americans, International Students, Veterans, Differently Abled individuals and Athletes abroad.

What would you recommend to other institutions interested in implementing a similar initiative?

Before implementing a series like this, we would recommend that folks reach out to key staff and employ resources on campus that can provide guidance and training on sensitivity toward intersectional identities. It is imperative to create a safe space for students to share without fear of social constructs or language that might challenge the goal of a strength-based approach. The goal of a strength-based approach is to challenge a deficit-model which is often used in higher education to address underrepresented populations.