CET Academic Programs: Diversity and Inclusion Knowledgebase

CET Academic Programs is a study abroad organization that has been developing and delivering innovative educational programs abroad since 1982. Originally “China Educational Tours,” CET began operations in Beijing, later expanding to other locations around the world. Today, CET offers a varied portfolio of semester, summer, and short-term customized programs in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East for college, high school, and pre-college students.

Focus Areas:  Pre-departure; In-country; Orientation; Online Resources; Advising

Describe your initiative/project

To create a central knowledgebase of information relevant to diverse student identities and experiences on CET programs. The detailed information should be easily available internally to all CET staff, allowing them to respond to questions and guide students using up-to-date, accurate information. The information should also be provided to a public audience via the CET website.

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

It was at Diversity Abroad and Forum 2015 that we became inspired to create “essential eligibility criteria” for each of our overseas sites–details about local conditions, laws, possible accommodations, and resources that would allow students to make informed decisions about how their needs matched the criteria of any given program.

Our first thought was to collect information specifically for students with disabilities, but we soon decided to extend the information to students with other experiences and identities. We also originally intended to simply make this information available to students on our website. But it soon became apparent that we needed to facilitate greater staff knowledge, not just student knowledge. Our goal became to collect information in such a way that would be available to all staff and subject to regular update and review. Because we already maintain an on-line knowledgebase about all of our programs, we had a structure and format in place. Our job was to expand the parameters of this existing structure to fit new information about inclusion.

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

LGBTQ+, racial and ethnic diversity, people with disabilities, student athletes, religious students, and students with mental health conditions

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

In the past, we have received questions from students who identify with each of the above-mentioned groups. We wanted to proactively share answers to some of the more common questions we’ve received, and have information at the fingertips of all staff (be they in the main office or visiting a campus) so that they might respond to any additional questions promptly and accurately.

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

The first step of this project was creating a team of staff who were interested in diversity and inclusion to lead this project. All staff were eligible to join, and we ended up with a team of roles that reached across the organization.

1. Researched how other organizations and institutions collect and share information on inclusion and access.
2. Identified the student groups we wanted to address.
3. Determined what information we were missing about local conditions for the identified student groups. 
4. Created a draft list of questions, and had it reviewed by staff in different roles. 
5. Added a final list of questions to our on-line knowledgebase of programs. 
6. Presented the questions to all US staff in a staff meeting. Answered questions, and sent out a CET-wide deadline for responding to all questions.
7. Overseas staff and US Program Managers answered the questions. 
8. Diversity & Inclusion team members reviewed responses and asked for clarification when necessary. 
9. Using the information, we wrote draft Essential Eligibility Criteria for each program. Drafts were shared with Diversity & Inclusion team members, US Program Managers, and overseas staff. 
10. Final Essential Eligibility Criteria were posted on the CET website. http://cetacademicprograms.com/category/questions/diversity-inclusion/ 
11. All information in the on-line knowledgebase is updated annually. Communications staff fact-check Essential Eligibility Criteria against knowledgebase information each year to ensure accuracy.
12. All staff use the inclusion information stored within the on-line knowledgebase regularly.

Which obstacles were encountered throughout the planning and implementation phases?

• Differences of opinion in the initial topic selections and methods of delivery.  
• Initial funding sources and program site logistical matters.  
• Fluctuating airfares and visas matters

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

Initially, the Diversity & Inclusion Team. Program Managers worked with overseas staff to answer knowledgebase questions. All staff refer to the information stored in the knowledgebase throughout the year.

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

Although our on-line knowledgebase is not a new tool, its parameters were expanded for this project. The Your Questions Answered section of CET’s website now contains Essential Eligibility Criteria for most sites (with the last few in the works) and we have created internal procedures to maintain and craft these pages in the future.

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

This initiative is only recently complete, and we are generally very proud of the approach we took. We expect to find that we’d like to alter the format of some questions or add more space for clarifying notes as time goes on. In retrospect, we might have identified a key overseas staff member to advocate for the project, or created our “how-to” guide for overseas staff earlier in the process.

What were the results of your initiative?

 We now have standard information for diverse students available to all staff and users of our website. US-based staff have expressed excitement about this new resource and have already been able to use both the internal information and external-facing webpages to advise students. Going into a new academic year, we plan to encourage partner institutions to refer to the public webpages, both for advising purposes and for their feedback when conducting site visits.

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

Our Diversity & Inclusion team, comprising staff from different teams within CET, was absolutely essential to completion of this project. It was not the project of one team or one individual, but instead a CET-wide undertaking that had an automatic representative on each US-based team. One team member from the CET Executive Team shared updates at the top level of the organization to help enforce the importance of the initiative. It was also helpful to have staff with information-collection experience helping create our final list of inclusion questions for the on-line knowledgebase.

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.

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.