Conference Sessions

Ensuring that every student graduates ready to live, work, and thrive in an interconnected world remains a priority for educational institutions. With a focus on effective institutional collaborations and proven student success outcomes, this session will highlight professional development models for bridging access to global education for North Carolina students and educators through unique collaborations with UNC World View. Participants will get a detailed account of collaborative efforts with UNC World View while hearing first-hand success accounts from students and educators who have benefited from this collaboration. New dimensions in educational effectiveness through the transformative power of strategic collaborations for global learning will be explored through dialogue and audience engagement.

NCAIE Focus Area: Community College (CC)

Presenters:

• Hazael Andrew, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Allyson Daly, Wayne Community College
• Courtney Harris Brown, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Are you looking for a way to take your emergency response training to the next level? Are you a one-person office who needs an innovative way to deliver training to your faculty and staff leaders? During this session we will explore a simple framework for emergency response and offer a model for innovative interactive training through the use of interactive theatre and facilitated conversations.

NCAIE Focus Area: Education Abroad (EA)

Presenters:

• Valerie Slate, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Ben Hershey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

As regular users at an institution like many throughout North Carolina, while we are not experts, we aim to make the most of Terra Dotta as a significant investment and an important tool upon which we heavily rely for our work. In our transition from the classic side to the new admin console side of TDS, The NC State Study Abroad Office has adopted and tested some of the newer TDS features that are not always the most intuitive. We’ll dive into some useful features, such as the new reviewer system and the use of custom parameters to facilitate our internal scholarship process, to improve efficiencies in our work. We’ll also highlight several helpful tips and tricks that users may not yet have discovered in their use of the admin console. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss and share their own experiences as well. This session will be an opportunity to connect with other Terra Dotta users or liaisons throughout the different NC institutions in the hopes of fostering a cross-collaborative network of TDS users and troubleshooters. While all attendees are welcome, we expect this session will likely be most helpful for users with an intermediate skill level in Terra Dotta who have at least begun the transition to the admin console.

NCAIE Focus Area: Education Abroad (EA)

Presenters:

• Heather Minchew, North Carolina State University
• Tricia Sandridge, North Carolina State University
• Rachael Mathis, North Carolina State University

Create your own data collection tool and learn how to leverage the results to create the relationships necessary for curriculum integration. Intended for advising, program development, and academic department team members from institutions of all sizes. Attendees will walk away with a simple data collecting tool and a strategic plan for reaching out to on-campus partners.

NCAIE Focus Area: Education Abroad (EA)

Presenters:

• Robin Stewart, North Carolina State University
• Lauren Russell, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Using a faculty-led service program to Belize as a case study, this session will explore programmatic and student characteristics that encourage the growth of intercultural competencies in short-term international experiences. Participants will be invited to share their successes and challenges with implementing intercultural learning goals. We will brainstorm pedagogical strategies and assessment methods for fostering intercultural learning at their home institutions.

NCAIE Focus Area: Education Abroad (EA)

Presenter: Carmen Boggs-Parker, Appalachian State University

Developing cross-cultural skills takes intention. Students participating in study abroad programs frequently engage in settings that challenge their cultural norms. During the pre-departure process, international educators have a responsibility to help students identify their own cultural identity and how that identity interacts with others across the globe.

This session will introduce participants to a number of activities and concepts to include in their department programming. Through the incorporation of cross-cultural learning activities, discussion, and pedagogy, international educators can help students digest the fundamentals of this important process during the pre-departure phase.

NCAIE Focus Area: Education Abroad (EA)

Presenters:

• Robert J. Van Pelt, Western Carolina University
• Daniel F. Diaz, Catawba College

A public and a non-profit private university will present the challenges faced and creative solutions developed by advocating for effective support from campus career services. As international student numbers grow, it is imperative that we identify and support the unique needs of these students. The presenters will discuss the content and ways to educate campus partners in career services on the unique needs and desires of international students to work in the U.S. and/or anywhere in the world! The objective of this session is to do the following:

• Identify the challenges that international students face with the career services and support departments.
• Identify ideas for an international scholar services office to collaborate with career services to provide a better experience for international students exploring internships and preparing for life post-graduation.
• Impact of international student-friendly career services on recruitment

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Presenters:

• Minnu Paul, Methodist University
• Hayley Hardenbrook, North Carolina State University
• Olga Booth, Methodist University

Anyone who was in international higher education during 2017-2021 remembers the collective trauma that impacted ISSS work and the international communities we serve due to frequent changes in federal policies. This situation called for a collective response which led to a sense of shared community and support, resource-building, strength and resilience. In this session, led by seasoned ISSS professionals, we will share valuable lessons learned through community-building. We will also allow time for participants to build/expand their own networks.

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Presenters:

• Denise Medeiros, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Ioana Costant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Blair Bocook, Wake Forest University

Many international students & scholars are eager to change to H-1B status, and as advisors, we are often asked to advise on H-1B related matters, even if we do not work directly with H-1B processing. It is helpful as advisors to have a basic understanding of H-1B eligibility and the filing process, so that we can assist our stakeholders. This session will provide a brief overview of the H-1B visa category. We will discuss advising techniques and considerations from various immigration statuses (F-1, J-1, etc.) and perspectives (students, scholars, university stakeholders) in Higher Ed.

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Presenters:

• Greta Smith, Wake Forest University
• Trinh Copsey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Well-designed assessments of students, programs, and services can be useful for any ISS office, and not just for reporting purposes. Join this session to learn some basic principles and practices of good assessment that can truly drive decision-making, including:

• How to create well-designed assessments, focusing on surveys and survey questions.
• How to understand basic SkipLogic and how it can retrieve targeted information from sub-populations.
• How to tell whether a program is effective at hitting its stated goals (or not).
• How to tell if the results from a survey of students or scholars are valid.
• How to avoid common pitfalls associated with assessment.

By the end of this session, participants will have gained familiarity using Google Forms for creating high-quality surveys that can be used to improve ISS programs and services, and better understand student and scholar needs. **Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop to this session**

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Presenters:

• Dillon Clausner, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Annie Lundeen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Jill Cargile, SEVP Field Rep, will provide a PowerPoint of latest SEVP updates and allow time for questions.

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Presenter: Jill Cargile, SEVP

Tired of seeing recruitment suggestions that don’t work for your institution? What do you do when you don’t work with agents or have the budget for in-person travel? This session will review how to assess and develop international student recruitment strategies for any type of university and which types of initiatives to prioritize for maximum impact and lowest effort. Will provide two case study examples, one of a small, private undergraduate college and a large, public doctoral-granting university.

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), Recruitment, Admissions, and Preparation (RAP)

Presenters:

• Hayley Hardenbrook, North Carolina State University
• Minnu Paul, Methodist University
• Olga Booth, Methodist University

This interactive session will encourage participants to analyze the narrative around international students on college campuses. It will look critically at the current discourse surrounding international student services and point out practices and language choices that often reflect the deficit model. The session will then provide specific strength-based strategies faculty and staff can use to create a more positive environment and empower international students to thrive academically and personally. Participants will practice how to identify strengths and how to incorporate them into academic coaching/mentoring/advising. They will walk away with tips and strategies on how to apply the strength-based approach to their work with international students.

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Presenter: Marta McCabe, Duke University

Tired of seeing recruitment suggestions that don’t work for your institution? What do you do when you don’t work with agents or have the budget for in-person travel? This session will review how to assess and develop international student recruitment strategies for any type of university and which types of initiatives to prioritize for maximum impact and lowest effort. Will provide two case study examples, one of a small, private undergraduate college and a large, public doctoral-granting university.

NCAIE Focus Area: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS); Recruitment, Admissions, and Preparation (RAP)

Presenters:

• Hayley Hardenbrook, North Carolina State University
• Minnu Paul, Methodist University
• Olga Booth, Methodist University

Do you know everything your front desk does? Do you know everything your front desk *could* do?
The average front desk does far more than answer phone calls, respond to emails, and keep an appointment calendar. Learn about how the front desk at NC State’s ISSS office operates, while also sharing how your own office’s front desk works in your office. While about an ISSS office, anyone is welcome to this presentation! After all, bureaucracy itself knows no boundaries.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenter: Kim Miglino, North Carolina State University

Ethnocentricity poses a significant stumbling block to effective intercultural communication competence. The purpose of this session is to engage with the concept of ethnocentricity and help attendees to recognize how it can manifest in their communication practices and thus avoid it becoming an obstacle as they engage with others from diverse backgrounds.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenter: Gabriel A. Cruz, North Carolina Central University

A public and a non-profit private university will present the challenges faced and creative solutions developed by the offices that experienced limited resources, personnel turnover and increased demand from international students. Western Carolina University and Methodist University wanted to stay relevant to the students’ needs despite the challenges in the following areas.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenters:

• Zachary Forrest, Western Carolina University
• Minnu Paul, Methodist University

Many of today’s LGBTQIA+ college students have come of age in a more open and affirming social and political climate for queer issues and communities; a contrast from the lived experiences of many international educators who are responsible for providing informed support and mentorship to this new generation of queer students. Step away from shame and deficit-based advising approaches and towards the microphone as we learn to embrace queer joy like our students through the power of sharing personal narratives. Attendees will not only learn more about the importance of centering joy and empowerment in student support, but will also engage in an interactive workshop on the use of storytelling as a tool for meaning-making, connection, and healing for our students and ourselves. The session will end with NCAIE’s inaugural “queer joy story slam” – a can’t miss event – in which presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to tell their stories in an inclusive, celebratory environment.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenters:

• Kyle Keith, Barcelona SAE
• Robin Deering, IES Abroad
• Patrick Bingham, PhD, Wake Forest University

While much discussion has been given to understanding and adapting to the unique needs of Gen Z learners (1996-2010), members of Gen Alpha (2010-2024) will be coming to campuses en masse in a few short years. This generation of young people – who have already experienced significant social and cultural shifts and tensions, major advances in technology and AI, and not to mention weathered a global health pandemic as children – are on the higher ed horizon. As future-focused international educators, we may begin to better understand and prepare for them now. Join this discussion-based session as we proactively and collectively discuss the “new kids on the block” and the implications for our field and institutions.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenters:

• Kyle Keith, Barcelona SAE
• Ben Borja, Davidson College
• Collier Lumpkin, Salem College
• Jacqueline Fisher, Barton College

Thousands of Muslim-identifying international students enroll in U.S. institutions of higher learning each year, but to date, little research exists on the needs of this diverse group. Biases both implicit and explicit, as well as overall ignorance surrounding the beliefs and practices of the international Muslim community, contribute to a lack of campus support for these students’ socio-spiritual needs. This presentation will provide an overview of some common Muslim beliefs and practices, their intersection with cultural identities, and how these might impact student success; it will address some specific considerations when working with Muslim international students; and finally, it will provide participants a safe and nonjudgmental space to ask specific questions about how to best support Muslim international students.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenter: Nicole I. Ianieri, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The goal of this session is to promote faculty mobility and collaboration between UNC System institutions and the nine research universities in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts offers a stipend to promote short research stays that will develop new collaborations or strengthen existing partnerships. Perceived difficulty and time commitment in finding potential collaboration partners has limited faculty participation in the past. This hybrid session, with the remote participation by the faculty mobility program’s coordinator in Baden-Württemberg, will serve as a forum for exploring and developing strategies and mechanisms for international offices to help faculty in both systems more easily connect with colleagues, start new collaborative relationships, and deepen existing research partnerships. Participants will benefit from sharing and learning about best practices for faculty engagement in international research collaboration.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenters:

• Derek Holmgren, University of North Carolina Greensboro
• Lukas Dausend, University of Mannheim
• Manuel Mielke, Baden-Württemberg International, State Agency for International Economic and Scientific Cooperation

This conference session will highlight curricular and co-curricular opportunities for integrating intercultural learning into professional track programs. Facilitators from NC Central, NC State and UNC Chapel Hill will present examples of how different programs have used Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Virtual Exchange (VE) to provide cross-cultural competencies to students to succeed in professional fields. These programs present unique opportunities which enhance students’ understanding of their professional role in the global context. Using examples of students studying Nursing and Agricultural Extension, this presentation helps higher education professionals consider innovative ways to present global learning to students outside of the humanities and social sciences. Faculty, administrators and international education professionals are all invited to consider how their current programs or developing initiatives could be enhanced by integrating virtual exchange components aimed at developing students’ cultural competencies. Together, we will share strategies for advocating for including COIL and VE among the offerings of global education opportunities.

NCAIE Focus Area: PAN-NCAIE (PAN)

Presenters:

• Sujayalakshmi Devarayasamudram, North Carolina Central University
• Becky Cibulskis, North Carolina State University
• Emmy Grace, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Sharmila Udyavar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill