2013 Spring Conference
Annual Conference
"Strategic Partnerships at Home and Abroad"
Thursday, March 7, 2013 from 9-4:30 at Boston College
8:30-9:00: Arrival and Continental Breakfast
9:00-9:15: Welcome
Susan Shea, ICC Co-Chair, Assistant Director, Boston College Office of International Students and Scholars
Melanie Funken, ICC Co-Chair, Assistant Director, Suffolk University, Study Abroad Programs
Pat DeLeeuw, Vice Provost for Faculties, Boston College
9:15-10:30: Bridging the Gap: Advising Students on International Careers
Presenter: Katherine
Punteney, Program Chair, MA in International Education Management program,
Monterey Institute of International Studies
International Careers Consortium Presentation.pdf
International Career Module Lesson Plan.pdf
InternationalCareers Lecturette.ppt
Summary: In this session, Katherine Punteney will share a research study featuring a module she developed to introduce undergraduate students to international career options. Designed for delivery in general education classes, Katherine tested this module's effects on students' interest in and knowledge of international careers. The presenter will share her findings, published in 2012 in the Journal of Studies in International Education. She will highlight student motivations as well as concerns, and will assist conference participants in designing their own international career workshop.
10:30-10:45 Coffee Break
10:45- 12:00: Successful Partnerships and Careers Abroad: Leveraging Cultural Dimensions for Success
Presenter: Duane Lefevre,
Principal Consultant at A Global Career and Adjunct Faculty at Northeastern
University
Aperian Global Assessment Tool
Summary: A
successful partnership or career abroad requires an understanding of both the
broad dimensions of culture and the core values of your partner country.
Universities and individual usually have excellent skill sets but they
sometimes need to be "globalized" to create success in other countries and
cultures.
Differences in culture are frequently the root cause of partnership problems
and student issues. Participants will encounter differences in communication
styles, decision making, need for context, and preferred level of hierarchy in
addition to standards of conduct. Working in cultures as seemingly similar as
the UK and Mexico, and as different as India and China, can be fraught with
challenges that are often culturally-based. This workshop is designed to help
participants understand their own culture, gain an appreciation of other
cultural approaches and develop strategies for building effective partnerships
and preparing students for success. It includes a student panel from BRIC
countries that explores issues and offers tips to "globalize" your skills and the
skills of your students.
12:00-1:15 Networking Lunch
1:15-2:30: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Challenges of Connecting International Students to Local Employers
Presenters: Suzanne O'Connor,
Associate Director, Career Center at Siena College
Thomas Whalen, Director of MBA/MS Career Resources, Lally
School/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Pete Bardunias,
President, Southern Saratoga Chamber of Commerce
Summary: Based on the lessons learned from a collaborative effort of eight colleges in the Capital Region of New York, two career center professionals and one Chamber of Commerce President will present the creation of an event called "An Evening of Global Connections." This unique employment event, built around the challenges of connecting international students to employment opportunities, has connected local employers and recruiters with international students from local colleges and universities over the last two years. This session will discuss the development, planning and implementation of the event including the marketing, employer and student preparation and managing expectations. Anecdotal evidence specific to outreach successes and failure will be highlighted. The presentation will be followed by a brainstorming activity which will encourage participants to think about ways to identify and leverage their own partnerships and educate the professional community about the value of hiring international students.
2:30-2:45 Coffee Break
2:45-4:15:
Strategic Partnerships for Innovative Study and Volunteer Abroad, and International
Student Programs
Presenters:
Rebecca James, CEA Global Education
Maren Petersen/Caitlin Ferrarini, United Planet
Cynthia Singer Riordan, Academic Internship Council (AIC)
Cynthia Sweet, Northeastern University
Kristen Shelly, Boston University MET International
Summary: This session will introduce three different partnerships and models in innovative programming for study and volunteer abroad, and international students. Over the course of the panel, we will touch on how these programs enhance the cultural and professional skills for our students and provide valuable experience for their future careers.
CEA
Global Education's session will showcase the importance of ensuring
international educators are addressing the challenge of preparing global-ready
graduates. A review of global employment trends showcases the need to
re-prioritize higher education's response to the current state of affairs and
suggests that U.S. education abroad plays a key role in preparing global ready
graduates. CEA will review a key career intervention, its Global Career
Development Certificate, offered during the study abroad experience. This
program offers a course and externship focused on career development.
United Planet and Northeastern's session will highlight the value of a
volunteer abroad program for students both during and after the experience.
Practical information and advice on vetting volunteer programs will be
discussed. United Planet and Northeastern will take a look at the role
student affairs professionals and group leaders play in these transformative
experiences and how they can help foster student development.
The Academic Internship Council and BU Met International will highlight a
partnership program that developed as a way to provide a more personalized and
hands on approach for internship placements for international students in the
U.S. The session will include a review of the specialized programming and the
enhancement that these programs bring to the students' international study
experiences. The AIC and BU will also touch on the partnerships needed on
and off campus to help with program development.
4:15-4:30: Wrap-up and Closing