George Washington University: Living and Learning Communities for Returnees from Study Abroad

Founded in 1821 in the District of Columbia, The George Washington University (GW) enrolls more than 20,000 students—from all 50 states, the District and more than 130 countries—studying a rich range of disciplines. GW comprises three campuses—Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon in Washington, D.C., and the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Va. The University is comprised of ten schools and colleges and nearly 100 research centers and institutes.

Focus Areas: Re-entry

Describe your initiative/project

For some time, DePauw Study Abroad, in collaboration with the Multicultural Student Center, had facilitated a lecture-style pre-departure discussion on identity to help students understand their role in being global citizens abroad. While the content was meaningful, they found that the lecture-style approach did not allow sufficient opportunities for students to reflect on their specific experiences. In an effort to more fully engage students in pre-departure discussions to deconstruct identity, power, and privilege abroad, the interactive Identity & Ethics Abroad Session was developed.  

The social justice approach utilized to develop the Identity & Ethics session involves, to a large extent, understanding “self.” in terms of social identity markers (race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, nationality, etc.). Given that DePauw students who go abroad present varying levels of understanding around identity, the staff focuses first on helping students to understand the identities they carry before going into conversations about how they can understand others. Key components of the session include understanding individual identity, how identity influences their privilege as Americans, and the singular stories that shape their understanding of how they see the world. Altogether, this self-reflective exercise contributes to a student’s ability to understand and navigate cultural difference.

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

The Assistant Director of Study Abroad was invited by students to participate in a Posse Plus Retreat. During that experience, the study abroad office began to consider how to incorporate more intentional conversations around identity, power, and privilege as a required component of pre-departure orientation. It meets a need to prepare students to recognize the importance of performing privilege while off-campus as well as understanding how stereotypes impact their understanding of culture, and that “passing” is not the purpose of off-campus study.

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

All students who have been accepted to an off-campus study program participate in the Identity & Ethics Abroad Session. DePauw has two application periods. One in November for fall study abroad (the next year) and one in February for spring study abroad (the next year).

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

In our efforts to create equitable access and effective support in global education opportunities, professionals must also engage our students who hold multiple privileges (white, middle/upper class, heterosexual, cisgender, etc) to better understand their role in reproducing/reinforcing marginalization of those that are different from them. Effective engagement, however, requires students to understand the ways in which they have been socialized to understand the world and how this might that impact their understanding of difference.

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

The Identity & Ethics Abroad session is a one hour-long component of a required 4-part pre-departure orientation series for semester programming. The Identity & Ethics Abroad section of pre-departure programming was developed and fully implemented in 2016.

Pre-departure Orientation

• Section 1: General guidelines/safety & policy-driven info; visa/passport/program application; health & safety (2 hours) Section 2: Financial Aid & Affordability; paying for the program & creating a budget (1 hour) 
• Section 3: Career Integration (1 hour)
• Section 4: Identity & Ethics Abroad (1 hour)
• Identity & Ethics Abroad: Key Components

Part 1

Social identity wheel exercise:

Students look over the social identity wheel, then write down their identities on post-it notes, then move around the room to put them up on larger sheets of post-it easel pads, and then engage in a silent moving exercise around the room to see what’s represented. Facilitators ask students to “Move to the identity that you think about most often while you are here at DePauw.” Students then pair up with someone who has also clustered around the same identity. Facilitators then ask students to “Move to the identity that you think about least often here at DePauw University.” For the last section, students are asked to “Consider your host location, move the identity that you think will be most salient.” Finally, students are asked to “Consider your host location, move the identity that you are least familiar with.” 

Part 2

Show clip of “The Danger of a Single Story”

The goal of this section is to help students understand that single stories are socially constructed, are singular, and don’t reveal the whole story. It’s not that stereotypes are incorrect, it’s that they are incomplete, they tell one story, not the full story. Students journal about a time when they were reduced to a single story. After journaling, facilitators issues two follow-up questions: “How do we learn the single stories of other countries?” and “When do these stories become problematic or are they problematics?”

Part 3

The Director of our Ethics Institute has been invited over the past few semesters to discuss cultural relativism in a lecture-style. In the context of this topic, students discuss who has the right to define who is right and who is wrong. Who has ownership of a story? For example, locals may tell visitors that it’s permissible to take a picture even if it’s not because they wouldn’t want it to negatively impact tourism.

Which obstacles were encountered throughout the planning and implementation phases?

The Study Abroad Office had already been doing an identity-workshop in collaboration with the Multicultural Office. While the information presented was important, there was room for improvement, especially in how students were engaging and reflecting on aspects of identity personally. Timing has also been a challenge because since it comes as the final workshop, we tend to see higher attrition. However, we have a required make-up assignment that involves writing a reflective paper.

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

This initiative is developed within the study abroad office. One staff member in the study abroad office has a very strong background in social justice principles & trainings.

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

The DePauw team is hoping to incorporate assessment into the coming cycles with the goal of better understanding how students are experiencing this session. 

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

Looking forward, the idea is to incorporate more content on how identities are socially constructed. There may also be opportunities to utilize learning from the Danger of a Single Story for students to check their assumptions given that judging difference inhibits the ability to be an effective global citizen. In the future, there may also be opportunities to incorporate concepts of power & privilege.

What were the results of your initiative?

The Identity & Ethics Abroad section is now a standard component of the mandatory pre-departure orientation.

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

If someone within the study abroad office doesn’t have the necessary background to design these components, they can partner with a diversity & multicultural office or faculty-member who is familiar with student development/identity development.

Augsburg College: Multi-office Collaboration Targeting Students with Various Immigration Statuses

Augsburg College is located in the heart of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. The trademark of an Augsburg education is its emphasis on direct, personal experience. Guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.

Focus Areas: Pre-departure; Advising; Multi-office Collaboration 

Describe your initiative/project

At Augsburg College, the Augsburg Abroad (Study Abroad) Office and the Latin@ Student Services Office are collaborating to provide targeted advising for students from various immigrant statuses/processes (DACA, asylee, etc). This collaborative effort has also included information sessions to educate students with varying immigration statuses/processes about opportunities for study abroad and off-campus study, most notably students referred to as DREAMers that have been impacted by the DACA (Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals) legislation.

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

Augsburg College’s strategic plan includes the goal of diversifying the profile of students represented in the study abroad cohort. This goal reflects the changes within the student body at Augsburg College, as it becomes increasingly diverse. Additionally, Augsburg College has the largest DREAMer population out of all the 4-year institutions within MN.

The physical location of the campus offices involved has also impacted the nexus of this collaboration. Augsburg Abroad (Study Abroad and Domestic Off-campus Study), ISSS, and the Multicultural Student Services are housed together in one office space. Multicultural Student Services includes four units: Latin@ Student Services, Pan-Afrikan Student Services, American Indian Student Services, and Pan-Asian Student Services. This unique office configuration has allowed for on-going and often informal cross-departmental collaboration. During a recent campus re-structuring, staff successfully advocated to keep these offices together, highlighting the shared commitment to inter-cultural development, access, and leadership development.

In 2009, the Director of the Pan-AfriKan Student Services Office led a study course to Egypt which included several students with varied immigration statuses (some refugees, etc). In an effort to support the Study Abroad Course Leader and to address the complicated questions that arose regarding travel visas for this group, Augsburg Abroad hosted a pre-departure information session on this topic. An Augsburg Alum and Immigration Attorney, Leo Eppe, was in attendance to provide a legal perspective. Previous to this experience, students with different immigration statuses/processes were unlikely to visit the Augsburg Abroad Office with questions about study abroad and off-campus study opportunities. After working with the out-going Egypt group, Augsburg Abroad began to reach out to these students more intentionally and invite them to the office for advising. Students had positive experiences with the Augsburg Abroad Office and, through word of mouth, student traffic from this group began to increase. The passing of DACA legislation came about shortly after this, and the majority of the DACA students represented at Augsburg are Latin@ students. DREAMers were interested in learning about study abroad opportunities from the Augsburg Abroad Office. Since many of these students were already in contact with the Latin@ Student Services Office, a collaborative approach to answer the status-related questions was employed. These experiences, in many ways, define the beginning of the collaborative initiative to more effectively serve this under-represented student group.

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

Generally speaking, Augsburg College’s goal is to increase the overall diversity of students that participate in study abroad and off-campus study. In this specific case, the Augsburg Abroad Office and the Latin@ Student Services Office work together to target and advise undocumented and DACA students.

In addition to the outreach efforts for students with varied immigration statuses/processes, Augsburg Abroad reaches out to several other under-represented groups. For example, they host information sessions in collaboration with the Disabilities Office. Augsburg College’s Center for Global Education programs also have specific Queer-friendly homestays in their Mexico campus as well as targeted training for advising staff. There is a scholarship available for LGBTQA students who participate in an Augsburg program. Augsburg Abroad staff also partners with the College’s StepUp Program, a program for students in recovery from drug/alcohol addiction. Students receive targeted advising and can be assigned to sober homestays and/or connect with an AA group on-site. These are just a few examples of other initiatives being undertaken to advance the college’s work to increase access and inclusion within study abroad.

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

As previously mentioned, after the passing of DACA legislation, DACAmented students began to look to the Augsburg Abroad Office for information about going abroad. Since DACA is very new, there are still many unknowns. In reviewing DACA renewal applications, students noticed the provision for academic travel. Augsburg Abroad staff turned to the Latin@ Student Services staff for guidance on this topic. DACA-related tasks are actually written into the position description for this individual.

The Augsburg Abroad Office feels strongly that it is their obligation to provide ALL students with information and equitable funding sources. For students with varied immigration statuses/processes, accurate information becomes even more important. For example, DACAmented students are not allowed to be outside of the country during DACA renewal. This type of information is crucial for students who are considering leaving the country.

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

Augsburg Abroad, in collaboration with Latin@ Student Services, offers periodic information sessions focused on immigration status for students interested in study abroad and off-campus study. When Augsburg Abroad staff are advising undocumented and DACA students about opportunities, they often consult the Latin@ Student Services staff with questions or refer students directly there to talk through their particular status-related concerns.

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

Augsburg Abroad (Study Abroad)

Latin@ Student Services and other Multicultural Student Services Offices

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

Augsburg College now offers a “Dare to Dream” scholarship in partnership with HECUA. This is an automatic $2100 scholarship for students who identify as DREAMers (undocumented or DACA) that provides funds to help students access HECUA’s domestic off-campus study experiences. HECUA, an organization with a strong social justice vision, offers international and domestic study opportunities. For some “dreamers” who are unable or unwilling to the leave the country, high-quality domestic off-campus study experiences may be a good option.

What were the results of your initiative?
The next step is to decide how to move forward. Augsburg College plans to come up with clear institutional guidelines, made accessible to students, which address the opportunities and risks of study abroad for students with varied immigration statuses.

Augsburg Abroad staff have also changed the messaging about study abroad when conducting class visits to highlight that most people can study abroad but there are some that choose not to. For those that choose not to go abroad, there are many domestic program options. 

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

It can be helpful to focus on cross-training staff in different campus departments about the Benjamin Gilman and other scholarships that target under-represented student groups. Working closely with the Financial Aid Office, Multicultural Office(s), Student Support Services such as TRIO, etc, to share information and resources will improve student support. For example, the Augsburg Abroad Office & the Latin@ Student Services Office host workshops to help students as they prepare their Gilman scholarship applications. 

Co-locating offices like study abroad and multicultural student services together can result in collaborations that benefit underrepresented student populations. With this proximity, it is easy to do a quick consult with staff from the other offices. Additionally, these collaborations can foster significant “buy-in” amongst the different offices regarding the benefits of study abroad.

SUNY New Paltz: Innovative Approach to Advising Involves Cross-Departmental Collaboration

SUNY New Paltz offers a collaborative, interdisciplinary, proactive, and inclusive global competency building advising experience forged between the Center for International Programs (CIP) and Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). This international education inclusion strategy focuses on the strengths of the student, their passion and interest in the world around

SUNY New Paltz is the winner of the 2011 Diversity Network Innovation Award. SUNY New Paltz is a four year competitive residential university located mid-way between Albany and New York City.

Focus Areas: Cross Departmental Collaboration

What is the scope of your international education program and how does it overlap with diversity in international education?

SUNY New Paltz offers a collaborative, interdisciplinary, proactive, and inclusive global competency building advising experience forged between the Center for International Programs (CIP) and Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). This international education inclusion strategy focuses on the strengths of the student, their passion and interest in the world around them, and their current and future intellectual and academic contributions to the field. EOP provides “academic and financial support to New York State residents with a high school diploma or its equivalent, and who do not meet general admission criteria, but have the academic potential to earn a college degree…” which is complimented by CIP advisers trained to assist, support and provide information for a diverse student body.

What were the ways through which the institution targeted underrepresented students for study abroad?

Our offices have explored and contextualized the historical, cultural, and social-economic barriers that have discouraged some underrepresented students from studying abroad. To address these barriers, we have created various interdisciplinary learning opportunities for our students that are built on structured reflection, peer mentoring, social and academic reinforcement, and the positioning of global issues. Our staff invests significant time and effort training themselves about issues of diversity and inclusion, and consistently makes it a priority to create solutions based on real-life situations. We see difference and its value and we leverage this recognition to challenge our assumptions and systems. The close collaboration between our offices enables students to receive multiple opportunities for advisement over time and cohesive, consistent support services.

What were the ways in which the institution improved access to study abroad counsel?

Even though the CIP and EOP departments collaborate to provide services and information for students considering study abroad, we concluded that we needed a liaison person in each department to be the “go to” person for both students and staff. Although our students were applying for study abroad programs, we wanted to increase student participation, and ensure that all students were aware of all financial and academic opportunities. More importantly our offices wanted to identify institutional and personal barriers that would prevent students from studying abroad. We knew once we identified those barriers, we could then develop outreach and intervention services for our students.

What steps were taken to raise awareness among underrepresented students and prepare them for study abroad? (What were the first steps taken to address this issue?)

Admission Presentations – In addition to the on-campus work, CIP and EOP participate in educational outreach to community-based-organizations as well as middle and high school groups from underrepresented backgrounds. The EOP office provides admissions presentations to high school and community groups that further enhance understanding of various scholarship and study abroad opportunities for diverse groups and emphasized study abroad as part of a student’s educational program. In fact in March 2011, an EOP work-study student created a pamphlet for a college access program that highlighted study abroad as a major component of a student’s academic career.

First-Year – During their first-year, EOP students complete a major plan that includes a study abroad semester as part of their academic plan. The major plan ensures that students can take additional foreign language classes if needed for a study abroad program. In individual sessions and group workshops and perceptions, questions and concerns are addressed with students through discussions and debates. Advisers use film, maps and multi-media as vehicles to educate and probe the interest of students about various countries and cultures. The first-year study abroad initiative provides students with information and asks students to complete questionnaires about their concerns and what program opportunities they desire. So again, we work with the students’ needs and address many of the pre-departure concerns.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Information – At study abroad and EOP events students are provided with scholarship material and workshops on how best to apply for grant or scholarship aid. Our offices also collaborate with the financial aid and student accounts offices to ensure that students have the maximum state and federal aid so they can study abroad. Also the Global Scholars Grant and EOP Travel Grant provide students with additional financial opportunities to offset study abroad costs such as airfare or program fees.

Ongoing Student Support – At the pre-departure orientation programs advisers provide individual support for each student and their families. (Family members are always invited to events and meetings and are respected when working with under-represented student.) While students are abroad, students Skype and email their advisers, so there is ongoing communication that helps reduce attrition, mitigates culture shock, and increases student success. This also allows for a more effective team approach if we have to manage a crisis or emergency that could impact the outcome of a study abroad experience. In addition the EOP Liaison is notified as soon as an EOP student applies for a program, thus allowing early intervention by EOP and CIP advisors in assisting students with their international education.

Post-Study Abroad Experience – When students return, some become peer mentors, and work in the study abroad office. Many assist with EOP presentations and workshops about where they studied or share information on how they attained a Gilman or other scholarship. The emphasis on study abroad is also highlighted to EOP alums, some of whom might be working with diverse high school and college populations. They may make it known that EOP and CIP at New Paltz are serious about study abroad and getting results.

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

EOP, financial aid, academic advising. Major advisors, records and registration and student accounts work closely with the CIP to assist EOP students. Students use a study abroad budget sheet, which they submit to their EOP advisor and the EOP financial aid officer. Also, the student accounts office works with the EOP and CIP advisor to ensure that the student’s stipend is deposited into an account while the student is abroad. While the student is abroad, EOP and the CIP regularly communicate about student‘s progress, and work together if any issues or concerns arise.

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

Throughout the years, study abroad applications by EOP students have increased because students realize that they do have significant cultural currency, and so are therefore very likely to succeed in programs because of this reality. This increase is due to a number of innovative and intensive approaches, but is based on the assumption that EOP students are valued not only by the study abroad office, but by the larger global community and by SUNY New Paltz. The EOP study abroad initiatives and seminars have a high attendance of students (86 out of 125 EOP first-year students attended last Fall’s program). Every semester CIP and EOP provide study abroad initiatives, whereby students are tasked with questionnaires focused on their needs, concerns and questions. Their responses shape the direction and depth of our shared advising goals. The data collected by EOP challenges many of the traditional stereotypes about study abroad. As advisers, we make time to explore how our unique identities can be a support or a barrier to the process of advising. We have successfully created a culture in our offices to safely speak openly about the hard work of social inclusion. The EOP liaison also gathers data and student questionnaires at study abroad events and fairs that provide us with information to best meet our student’s needs. We continue to collect data and information that can improve student services and track where the students study and their academic performance.

Was there any new curriculum developed for the program?

To address these challenges, study abroad programming is included in the EOP freshman seminar curriculum and integrated into their academic and community service. The notion of service learning, not just study abroad is promoted to the students and advisers. In addition, CIP and EOP celebrate and share the successes of our students. EOP highlights student stories in the EOP newsletter. The EOP and CIP websites also provide information on where students have studied abroad, provides scholarship and budget information, and is linked with the international program office.

http://www.newpaltz.edu/eop/spring_10_eopnewsletter2.pdf 

http://www.newpaltz.edu/eop/studyabroad.html

Was there any professional development available to staff in conjunction with the program?

The CIP liaisons and EOP advisers are knowledgeable with regards to the Gilman Scholarship, and other scholarships that provide support to economically marginalized students. They together with the EOP study abroad liaison identify eligible students, and assist them with their applications. EOP and CIP advisers are trained about study abroad programs and how best to ask students questions regarding their program selection. Advisors also have a comprehensive counseling approach when they address student’s particular study aboard interest. Our participation as panelists at the SUNY Global Center’s Conference with Diversity Abroad allowed peers at other SUNY institutions to hear our message and reflect on their own global goals. Our willingness to share best practices creates awareness in those who may not eventually enroll at New Paltz or SUNY, and reinforces that international education should be central to any student’s educational plan.

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

The directors and leaders of these programs have a commitment and history of trying to address economic issues and inclusion in education. We wanted to further create a dialogue and communication that promotes diversity in education. SUNY New Paltz is a diverse campus, committed to ensuring that EOP students and other underrepresented students have the opportunity to incorporate an international experience education into their curriculum.

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

Since implementing this program the number of underrepresented students studying abroad has increased. In fact, the number of students receiving scholarships and grants like the Gilman and other grants has vastly improved. Also, the success of EOP students in receiving Gillman Scholarships has heighted awareness of this opportunity amongst wider student population. These best practices for student development, curricular integration and international service is evident in this unique partnership between EOP and CIP, but is consistently replicated in the study abroad office with general admittance students. By addressing concerns and addressing misinformation about international education we created a different narrative about non-participation and student deficit. We hope that our data will help us further improve services for all our students. Many students use their study abroad experience to gather information for their senior thesis and Gillman students bring back information and present their experiences on campus. Also other on-campus programs are networking with us to further develop resources for students.

University of California at Berkeley – Undocumented Student Program

UC Berkeley’s Undocumented Student Program (USP) (a component of the Center for Educational Equity and Excellence) provides guidance and support to undocumented undergraduates at Cal.

Focus Areas: Other: Campus-wide Undocumented Student Program

Describe your initiative/project

UC Berkeley’s Undocumented Student Program (USP) (a component of the Center for Educational Equity and Excellence) provides guidance and support to undocumented undergraduates at Cal. USP practices a holistic, multicultural, and solution-focused approach that delivers individualized service for each student. The academic counseling, legal support, financial aid resources, and extensive campus referral network provided by USP helps students develop the unique gifts and talents they each bring to the university while empowering a sense of belonging. The program’s mission is to support the advancement of undocumented students within higher education and promote pathways for engaged scholarship.

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

At UC – Berkeley, staff noticed that undocumented students were getting bounced around from one office to another. While campus offices were eager to support these students, no clear processes existed to guide students in accessing the resources available to them. The Undocumented Students Program was created with this need in mind. USP staff work to address areas of inequity occurring because of immigration status and devise strategies for overcoming these inequities. USP supports undocumented students to: 1) Access the university, 2) Successfully navigate opportunities within the university, and 3) Successfully transition post-graduation.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has completely altered the landscape of higher education for undocumented students. Because DACA opens up the opportunity for post-college employment, undocumented students have found new incentive to pursue higher education. Also, DACA removes the fear of deportation, providing a new level of safety and security for undocumented students. As a derivative of DACA, students can now apply for Advanced Parole which allows undocumented communities to legally leave the country to pursue educational (including international study), humanitarian, or familial undertakings, and then return to the U.S. Advanced Parole, in particular, has created new and unchartered territory for study abroad advisors. For students to be approved for advanced parole, they need to provide proof that they will be able to study in the university outside of US (requires formal letter) and that this travel is approved by the university. This is an opportunity for campus offices to work collaboratively to provide effective support and services to undocumented students considering international study.

USP, anchored in the area of Academic Counseling, has built a holistic system of resources to support undocumented students:

Mental health (many undocumented students and/or their families have encountered discrimination and bigotry which can cause emotional stress)
Full-time Attorney on staff at no cost to students (Accessing an attorney is often cost-prohibitive; undocumented students, due to historical mistreatment at the hands of attorneys, are often wary to seek out legal assistance on their own).
Financial support
Support communication with families
MYTH: “Undocumented” is a fixed status. This is not true; it is a shifting status.

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

Undocumented students often identify as first generation and low-income. Furthermore, undocumented students generally have undocumented parents, meaning that finances and insecurity are often major factors for the entire family. These students may choose to stay “quiet” while on-campus as a way of avoiding negative perceptions and stereotypes commonly held about undocumented students.

In California, undocumented students are able to access in-state tuition and may be eligible for institutional financial aid. No federal aid, however, is currently available to any undocumented students residing in the United States. With this in mind, finances are often a major concern for undocumented students in general, and especially when considering additional expenses related to international study. Pursuing DACA and advanced parole also involve additional expenses that can be prohibitive for students. If a student doesn’t have DACA, that application costs just under $500. The cost of advanced parole is more than $350. It is recommended to do this via an immigration attorney. Students can visit iAmerica.org and enter in their zip code to access a list of credible immigration attorneys (some pro bono or low bono). USP works closely with units across campus to identify funding opportunities for undocumented students.

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

To support undocumented students pursuing international education opportunities, USP, in collaboration with other UC – Berkeley offices, has undertaken the following:

• Offer 2 workshops every semester for students to get information, specific to study abroad.
• Provide free on-site legal support: Immigration attorneys can help students understand what they shouldn’t do abroad and what they can do abroad. This is particularly important when evaluating options through advanced parole. All UC-Berkeley students have been able to return to the US after study abroad; however, some students have been questioned upon return at the airport, generally because airport staff isn’t fully educated about the nature of advanced parole.
• Provide students with a legal FAQ sheet outlining questions that may be asked at customs and how to answer those questions. USP seeks to provide students with sufficient information to make educated decisions about the options available to them and the associated risks. USP refers to study abroad for undocumented students as a “calculated opportunity.”
• MYTH: undocumented students aren’t eligible for a passport. This is not true. They are not eligible for a US passport but they are eligible to receive a passport from their home country.

Key areas of consideration for study abroad offices, especially at institutions without an undocumented student program:

1. If we are admitting undocumented students to our universities, what is our responsibility of support we should be providing?
2. Understand the issue. Do research. Listen to students and experts in the field. Understand the landscape for undocumented students on that particular campus.
   Pull together a task force with key stakeholders for undocumented students: financial aid, student services, legal counsel, etc.
3. Focus on what’s possible. If resources for undocumented students is not available on-campus, investigate what resources can be made available to students through outside community organizations.
4. Operationalize whatever findings are uncovered.
5. Continue to provide a space within the institution where issues pertaining to undocumented students can be discussed.