Describe your initiative/project

SIT Study Abroad developed a face-to-face training for onsite student affairs staff with the goal of contextualizing the needs and expectations of diverse students, engaging participants in scenario-based conversations, and using these discussions to develop resources and strategies for creating inclusive and supportive learning environments abroad. The training provides an inclusive and interactive learning environment where onsite staff members participate in a combination of lecture-based learning and scenario-based peer dialogue, utilizing scenarios that are drawn from actual student support staff experiences. Training facilitators guide these conversations to assist the onsite staff in refining the skills to address similar situations moving forward. In general, most of the onsite staff trainings provided by SIT had historically targeted Academic Directors who are involved more in program development. For student support staff who are often in day-to-day contact with students, there weren’t as many training opportunities available. To implement this training, SIT Study Abroad had to reconsider the traditional delivery model. Traditionally, SIT had conducted a yearly training for academic staff in Vermont with the hope that this learning would be passed along to the student affairs staff. Under the new model, Academic Directors are invited to Vermont for training every other year; then, in the off-year SIT Study Abroad staff conducts onsite regional trainings in 2 of the 4 total regions for local student support staff. These trainings are exclusively for the student affairs staff, which has positively impacted the dynamic. The host country Academic Directors are also involved in the logistics and can participate in the training.

Onsite trainings are scheduled for January (in between fall and spring programs), when students aren’t in-country to allow the staff to attend without worrying about other obligations and last approximately one week. The participation costs, including transportation, lodging, and meals, are covered by SIT – there is no cost for local staff to participate. Each SIT Study Abroad program sends a staff member who works at least 15-20 hours/week for the program. The week-long training schedule was designed with a student schedule in mind and includes group transportation, homestays (where possible), group meals, site visits, etc. For the program staff, this approach has been valuable in facilitating an understanding of the student perspective. Workshop delivery includes a mix of pedagogical styles, including lecture, individual reflection, and group discussion in order to facilitate an intentional, shared learning experience.

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

SIT Student Affairs had noticed that themes around diversity, inclusion, ability, group dynamics, and sexual misconduct were recurring areas of interest and concern for students abroad on their programs. Considering that these conversations have been happening on college campuses across the US over the past few years, it’s not surprising that these concerns were present for many students while abroad as well. While in another country, students watch how local groups interpret what’s happening in the US and are in need of a space to process and reflect.

The onsite workshop for student affairs staff provided local staff members with a framework for having these conversations with students within a safe space. These are the individuals spending time with students on a daily basis. For this reason, SIT determined that the best approach to supporting students was to train staff to facilitate these onsite conversations effectively. SIT is dedicated to its role in facilitating the continuation of these on-campus conversations in a healthy way while abroad. As more diverse cohorts go abroad, it will be become even more important for local staff to support students and facilitate these conversations. Senior SIT Student Affairs staff already communicate regularly with onsite staff in relation to mental health, code of conduct, insurance, travel concerns, etc., and this training is an extension of these existing conversations. Furthermore, SIT is keenly aware of the complexities associated with being a US-based organization with local host-country national staff. Approximately 98% of the onsite student affairs staff are host-country nationals. Interpreting US laws, such as Title IX, in the context of local laws and understanding requires a balanced and informed approach.

Which student group(s) did your institution target as part of your initiative/project?
Our initial project was geared to our local staff but through these enhanced training efforts and topics, we hope to reach all our students with an emphasis on ability, inclusion, sexuality and group dynamics.

Why did your institution feel that it was necessary to target this group?
An investment in this type of professional development is a reflection of the core values at SIT. The training would not have been possible without the investment of resources by senior leadership. The Vice Provost at SIT was also involved in looking at the data from program staff and student feedback over the years, which resulted in a shared understanding of the importance of these conversations and commitment to realizing this initiative at both the Student Affairs level as well as the Senior Administrator levels. 

Tell us step by step the process taken to implement this initiative/project?
During the Student Affairs onsite staff training, the facilitators start by having participants reflect on their own identities to help understand who they are as a group. The workshop introduction also includes an overview of SIT as an organization: a review of organizational structure and an overview of resources available. The next half-day to full-day involve understanding aspects of social identity in the local context, including visits to local non-profits that work with different marginalized populations and presentations from local colleagues. Since SIT students are asked to develop competencies in navigating the local context of social identities, workshop facilitators work to develop these same competencies for local staff. At the time same time, students bring their own understandings of identity from a US context to their study abroad programs. On the last day of the workshop, facilitators bridge these themes together to talk about how the local and US perspectives around identity intersect. 

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 students groups on campus were involved in the process?

This initiative was designed in collaborative with the regional Academic Deans, Student Affairs staff, and local Academic Directors and program staff in the country where the training was conducted.

Were there any new assessments and/or procedures produced due to the initiative/project? Describe any new processes, policies, assessments, or other tools that may have been created or updated to reflect the office’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Through the development, implementation and success of our newly created local student affairs staff training focusing on diversity, inclusion, ability, group dynamics, and sexual misconduct, this had led us to take parts of the training and incorporate them into a newly revised outline and revision of our current onsite student orientations and the creation of an orientation took kit of resources for all our staff.  We will also be looking at revising some of our assessment and evaluation tools.

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

• We would still use our same approach but probably pre-survey more of our program folks for sharing of ideas, best practices and for different ideas of implementation.
• Revisit the time allotment set for each complete training session.
• Start a little earlier in the planning.

What were the results of your initiative?

Through our overall program evaluation and participant feedback, we could see positive results in the spring semester in addressing many the topics with our students and by our local staff without always having to involve our academic and program directors.  Although we always knew that our local staff members were engaged, thoughtful, kind, most knowledgeable and always willing to help, we did see an increase in support across our programs from other local staff along with a resource and best practices dialogue area being created by our local staff members.  Enhanced communication and sharing of ideas is now occurring on a greater scale within each region.  Topics that were never really talked about or shared with or now being openly discussed and ways to address and support our students with these matters have increased.

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

• Survey your staff and see what issues and topics are of interest and where greater assistance or knowledge is needed.
• Read and utilize any student surveys and feedback and incorporate the suggestions and ideas as much as possible. 
• Listen to your staff and afford them the flexibility to speak freely about the issues and concerns they address with daily and that they may need help with or that they may be able to share and help others with their own experiences and resources.

Do you have any additional comments?

We thoroughly enjoyed creating training modules and providing additional support for our local staff and most importantly for our students.  One of many exciting aspects of the training and being in-country for both trainings was working firsthand with our local staff and learning from them and growing with them.  So much talent, love and support for our students. 

The Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D) has been an active participant in international education since 1995 through a vision that nurtures the ideal of global citizenship and its interconnections with US diversity. OMA&D sponsors five study abroad programs and two scholarships that support international education. With the goal of preparing students who will be active participants in their communities, both local and global, the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity seeks to develop and promote meaningful global learning opportunities for students from low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds. These efforts not only enhance our understanding of diversity at the local and global level but also help us to appreciate the global dimensions of our individual and collective actions.

The following goals guide our international initiatives:

1. Actively develop opportunities for low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students to gain global experiences.
2. Promote local and international academic and social experiences that foster and instill civic engagement and global citizenship among students from diverse backgrounds.
3. Collaborate with key campus units involved in international education (e.g., Office of Global Affairs, Jackson School of International Studies, etc.) to increase and expand international learning opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.
4. Promote the development of curricula and research that actively addresses issues of diversity and pressing international concerns (e.g., health, poverty, equity, etc.).
5. Encourage staff to develop international education initiatives in partnership with faculty and staff from other campus units to increase the number of diverse staff that participates in international activities.
6. Develop partnerships with industry, philanthropic organizations, corporations, chambers of commerce, rotary organizations, foundations, and private donors to support international initiatives and global education for diverse students. 

Global Opportunities is a partnership between International Programs & Exchanges, the Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity, and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. Funded by the Washington State Legislature, the program strives to make study abroad accessible for all UW undergraduates by supporting students in as they plan for study abroad, providing financial support to scholarship recipients, and promoting diversity within the study abroad community. Our major activities include:

• Administering all aspects of the GO! Scholarship: To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be UW undergraduates, residents of Washington state, and eligible for Pell Grants or the Husky Promise program. The GO! Scholarship selection process is competitive, and the awards range between $2000 and $5000. We also administer the Fritz Scholarship, which is open to UW undergraduates who are declared social sciences or humanities majors with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• Engaging returning GO! and Fritz Scholarship recipients through the GO and Give Back program: Returning scholars each give back to Global Opportunities by serving as a Peer Mentor to students considering study abroad or participating in our outreach efforts by posting on our blog or giving campus presentations.
• Conducting outreach to raise awareness about study abroad and study abroad scholarships among a more diverse community of undergraduates: Outreach includes our Facebook page (Facebook.com/UWGlobalOpportunities) with posts about scholarship resources and pictures from GO! and Fritz Scholars currently studying abroad, our Student Scrapbook blog (UWGlobalOpportunities.blogspot.com), which features posts and photos about study abroad authored by our Peer Mentors, and quarterly Study Abroad Meet & Greet events where students considering study abroad can meet and chat with Global Opportunities Peer Mentors over international-themed snacks.

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

The Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity seeks to develop and promote meaningful global learning opportunities for students from low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds. A total of 4,509 students were part of the target population during the 2011-2012 academic year. Global Opportunities programming targets Pell Grant-eligible students in particular, but is open to the entire undergraduate population.

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

A study commissioned by the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity in 2007 revealed that there was a significant gap in the participation of diverse students in international education opportunities compared to their white counterparts. There was also a concerted effort by the Office of Global Affairs to increase the number of low-income and first generation students that participated in study abroad programs. Funding from the Washington State legislature to increase the number of low-income and first-generation students represented an important dimension of this effort. This included funds for program development and scholarship support.

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

One key feature has been collaboration between the OMA&D and Office of International Programs and Exchanges to promote student awareness of study abroad program options. Another important feature has been making endowment funds available as scholarships specifically for EOP and low-income students (GO! Scholarships). Yearly over $230,000 are given in GO! Scholarships. We hope in the near future—as the new Vice Provost of Global Affairs comes on board in September 2013–to find other ways of funding underrepresented students so that more can participate in international opportunities.

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

OMA&D has worked collaboratively with a plethora of academic and administrative units to foster a climate that encourages the participation of diverse students in international education. Key academic departments include: Anthropology, Classics, Comparative History of Ideas, Communications, Engineering, and Social Work. Key administrative units include: International Programs and Exchanges and the Office of Global Affairs. Global Opportunities is a partnership between International Programs & Exchanges, the Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity, and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. The program’s two Global Opportunities Advisers are located in the Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity and in International Programs & Exchanges. The program seeks to partner with academic departments across campus as frequently as possible, and often holds events and informational sessions for students in particular majors and academic departments across campus. The program also seeks the assistance of academic advisers and faculty in units across campus to reach out to students and spread the word about its programs.

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

Yes. OMA&D and IPE worked on clarifying application and financial aid deadlines to our URM, first generation and low-income students. Sometimes these students needed additional counseling about study abroad expenses, scholarships and financial aid–so that the financial commitments of study abroad could be well understood BEFORE students signed contracts.

What role did administrators from your institution take on within this initiative/project?

There has been support from within the Provosts Office and from our VP of OMA&D. An explicit commitment to broadening study abroad participation has been articulated and resources have been allocated to support the effort. At the same time, the last four years have been ones of significant change and turnover among our senior administrator corps, including the VP of the Office of Global Affairs; our Provost; and our President.

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

By working with even more units on campus—including Development/Alumni Affairs—to fund more scholarships for our low-income students to take part in education abroad. To have increased funding for more advertising and outreach to under-represented students in classes, clubs and student groups. Additional funding would also help us “buy out” select faculty from their teaching duties on campus, so that they can plan and lead programs that are aimed specifically at under-represented students.

What were the results of your initiative?

The efforts have yielded an increase in the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds and low income, first generation students that actively pursue and participate in study abroad opportunities.

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

Engagement of a cross-section of your campus community will be an important component in bringing attention to the issue of increasing diversity in study abroad efforts. Linking with faculty who have a sensitivity to issues of diversity and are passionate about working closely with students from underrepresented, low income, and first generation backgrounds is a necessary ingredient. Partnerships with offices or programs (e.g., TRIO Programs, diversity or multicultural affairs) that work with the target population is also important, as they can help study abroad officers think strategically about the messaging that would appeal to students from diverse backgrounds.