Improving your

Study Abroad
Capabilities
HACU 2007 International Conference

Antonis Polemitis & Sandi Smith

Global Learning Semester
© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance
 Most college graduates are unprepared for either the rigors of
international competitiveness or roles as informed citizens in a
highly interconnected world. Indeed, much of the creativity of
the next century is most likely to result from cooperative efforts
that cross national boundaries - efforts we are increasingly ill-
prepared to join. Now is the time to strengthen the preparation of
our graduates for productive roles in a world of new and rapidly
changing realities.

Internationalization of U.S. Higher Education: Preliminary Status Report 2000,

American Council on Education, 2000.

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 2

 Workers who increasingly interact in a global
marketplace and participate in global work teams
will require the skills needed to collaborate and
interact in diverse cultural and linguistic settings.
The U.S. education system must evolve to better
meet the needs of the twenty-first-century
workforce.

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© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 3

 The Hispanic
Global Alliance
Redefining Hispanic Study Abroad

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance

 What is the Hispanic Global Alliance?

The barriers to study abroad for Hispanic students are

complex and multi-faceted. This is why the Hispanic
Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) and
Global Learning Semesters, a leading organization in the
field of study abroad, have launched The Hispanic
Global Alliance, a groundbreaking initiative to address
the root causes of the gap in Hispanic study abroad.

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 5

 What is the Hispanic Global Alliance?

Participants Global Learning Semesters

HACU

Member Institutions

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 6

 What is the Hispanic Global Alliance?

Three Priorities
 Financial Support

 Institutional Capacity Building

 Program Development

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 7

 Challenges faced by HSI

• institutional readiness
• relevant support services
• funding

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 8

 Due to numerous economic and socio-political reasons,
minority families do not have a history of sending young
people abroad for the purposes of education. In contrast,
among many upper-middle class, predominately white
families there is a long established tradition of sending young
people, especially women to Europe for a “finishing”
experience. Even the people who traditionally mentor minority
students may not have studied abroad themselves and don’t
understand the value in it. So for an average minority student
there is very little “word of mouth” information about study
abroad from the sources close to them.
Breaking the Barriers to Overseas Study for Students of Color and Minorities, By
Marilyn J. Jackson, IIENetworker Magazine, Fall 2005.

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 9

 Capacity Building

One of the barriers to Hispanic study abroad is home institution

readiness.
Many HACU institutions have not had the opportunity or the
financial means to build large study abroad offices or take the
institutional steps needed to promote study abroad to their students.
We want to make it easier for even the smallest institution to be able
to provide high quality study abroad offering to its students in terms
of program relevance, internal administrative systems, student
support services and safety and liability.

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 10

 Best Practices in Study Abroad
• intended outcomes
• safety and liability
• policies and procedures
• programs
• support services

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 11

 Models of Study Abroad
Obstacles and Opportunities
• direct enrollment
• exchange
• faculty-led
• program providers

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 Overview
Six Steps:
1. Campus Commitment / Senior-level
mandate
2. Strategy / Who is involved / Study
Abroad Advisory Committee
3. Institutional Policies and Procedures
4. Support services / Roles and Responsibilities
5. Professional resources and collaborations
6. Abroad Office
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 1. Campus Commitment
Senior-level mandate is essential

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 14

 2. Strategy and Structure
• intended outcomes
• safety and liability
• policies and procedures
• programs
• support services

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 15

 3. Policies and Procedures
- Eligibility to Study Abroad
- Program / course approval
- Transfer of Credit
- Processing Financial Aid
- Billing
- Student Registration while abroad

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 16

 Transfer of Credit
Do you have someone on campus responsible
for transfer credit evaluations?

This person will need to be prepared to follow

institutional policies and procedures for
transferring credit from study abroad host
institutions to the students’ academic
progress.

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 17

 Transfer of Credit
1. Pre-approve courses of Host Institution
- Who is responsible for course approvals
- Accreditation, academic structure, course syllabi
- Course approval form
- Contract for financial aid

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 18

 Transfer of Credit
2. Evaluate credit from Host Institution
Transcript

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 19

 Transfer of Credit
3. Post credit on Student’s Transcript

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 20

 Processing Financial Aid
- Financial aid advisor
- Financial aid eligibility
- Consortium agreement
- Program budget
- Disbursement
- Academic progress

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 21

 How will students be Registered?

Many different models are being used to

register students (or not) while on study
abroad.

It is relevant that students maintain enrollment

in the home institution while abroad. Thus,
it is recommended that institutions create a
special study abroad registration code.

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 22

 How will students be Billed?
Will students be billed directly from the
program?

Will students be billed from the home

institution?

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 23

 Degree Plans
When the basic study abroad structure is in
place and some students begin to participate
in study abroad opportunities, your next
question will be, “How can we get MORE
students to participate?”
Developing Degree Plans for every academic major which
outline recommended times and relevant programs for study
abroad will increase student participation significantly.

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 24

 4. Support Services
Advising process
Advising materials
Application process
Transfer of credit process
Financial aid process
Pre-Departure orientation
Emergency protocols
Re-entry integration

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 25

 Roles and Functions
Support Services Promotional Efforts
Advising Administration
Financial Aid Faculty
Transfer of Credit Students
Orientation Parents/Families
Emergency Protocols Diversity / Special Needs
Every major
Leadership
Relevance for every
Committee student
Strategy
Policies and Procedures
Registration
Billing Institutional Integration
© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 26
 5. Professional Resources
NAFSA
Forum on Education Abroad
Association of International Education Administrators
AACRAO
National Association of Student Financial Aid Admin.
Hispanic Global Alliance

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 6. Abroad Office
• webpage
• program database
• student database
• student advising
• emergency contacts

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 AbroadOffice.net
• Ability to list and create custom pages for in-house programs
• Database of programs from major study abroad organizations
• Student accounts for tracking program selection, emergency contacts and
overseas contacts
• Country database including descriptions
• State Department travel warnings and quick facts
• Customizable to university colors and logos
• Customizable information pages
• 100% free of charge
• Customized URL (http://studyabroad.yourcollege.edu)
• No maintenance needed
• Appointment scheduling
• Customizable application forms

© 2007 Hispanic Global Alliance 29

 Hispanic Global Alliance Contacts
Global Learning Semesters
Dr. Sandi Smith
SandiSmith@GlobalSemesters.com

HACU
Dr. Alvaro Romo
Romo@HACU.net

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