North Carolina State University: Pre-departure Conference Creates Space for Important Discussions

NC State was founded with a purpose: to create economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina and the country. We began as a land-grant institution teaching the agricultural and mechanical arts. Today, we’re a pre-eminent research enterprise that excels in science, technology, engineering, math, design, the humanities and social sciences, textiles and veterinary medicine.

Focus Areas: Pre-departure 

Describe your initiative/project

North Carolina State University (NC State) has developed a pre-departure series that includes the following components:

1. Handbook
2. Video series
3. Pre-departure Conference

Students first attend an informational session where they are provided with a study abroad handbook that follows the full study abroad process (application, pre-departure, while abroad, upon return, etc). Students carry the handbook with them to all meetings, the pre-departure conference, and even abroad. The handbook includes baseline information that was previously being discussed during the pre-departure orientation when students were no longer able to make program decisions based on this information. One section on “staying informed” addresses a variety of identity-related topics.

Once students decide on a program & are accepted, there is a 2-4 week period of time between before pre-departure orientation. NC STATE noted that students would often contact study abroad office staff with some important questions during this period of time. To address these questions more proactively, the staff developed a series of videos on essential issues such as: money matters, budgeting, academics, required travel documents, insurance, and safety & conduct. They are hosted within My Media Site, connected to the student’s university login, which allows staff to track who has watched the videos and how long they spent on them. Videos are then embedded in the Terra Dotta software as a signature document to indicate that students have viewed and understood the information covered.

Because students have already received essential information prior to the pre-departure conference, information conveyed during the in-person conference can be tailored to address topics that students really want to discuss such as: culture shock & self-care, service learning, internships abroad, and goal-setting. Additional sessions relevant to specific student populations are also offered, such as: International Travel 101/102 for students traveling abroad for the first time; Will you Be a Minority Abroad? to facilitate a discussion around race & ethnicity abroad; and Gender/sexual Identity Abroad in conjunction with the LGBTQI office. The Financial Aid Department is also invited to speak to all students about creating a budget. Additional sessions are developed on an “as-needed” basis, like How to be Abroad in an Election Year, for example. The pre-departure conference was developed with support from DiversityAbroad.com country guides, Diversity Network Country Climate Notes & the Diversity Abroad Network’s Education Abroad Advising Guides.

The pre-departure conference starts with a keynote address for all students. Then students choose breakout sessions within three 30-minute blocks. Many of these sessions are offered multiple times (ex. International Travel 101/102, Money Matters, Service Learning). The fourth session provides an opportunity for students to meet with returned students from a specific region and hear regional information. This is scheduled for 6:00-9:00pm on a Thursday evening and ends with a dessert party hosted by the “Pack Abroad Ambassadors,” the student organization focused on study abroad.

The pre-departure conference is mandatory for students. Sign-up sheets are available within each session to track attendance. During regional breakouts, students receive their visa letters which serves as an incentive to attend. The conference is offered each semester with attendance of approximately 400-500 students total. Summer students (approximately 800), however, are not required to attend the conference.

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

All

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

NC State felt that the original pre-departure orientation (4 hours, 300 students, large-group meeting) was ineffective. Students weren’t receiving the information they had expected. This realization led to the development of the 3-part series which created space to discuss important aspects of the study abroad experience during the pre-departure conference.

Which obstacles were encountered throughout the planning and implementation phases?

Space can be a consideration given the large number of students present in the same space and the need for breakout rooms. The investment of time required to plan and coordinate the conference can be another constraint. For the first iteration of the conference, the planning process took approximately 12 months. In subsequent iterations, however, the planning process has been minimal, with the exception of some minor tweaking in programming.

What were the results of your initiative?

Students are invited to submit a post-conference survey to provide feedback. Session presentations are also made available to all students after the in-person conference. The inclusion of videos in the Terra Dotta system have cut down on questions for staff between acceptance and pre-departure conference. Students have expressed a preference for including a la carte sessions that they are able to select.

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

For some institutions who have a small number of students going abroad and/or a small staff, NSCU suggests inviting past study abroad participants to host sessions. Reaching out to institutions in your area to pool resources and deliver content together could be an effective approach.