Call for Proposals

Student success is a shared goal on college campuses as well as within the organizations who support them. To ensure international programs lead to greater student success, academically, interpersonally, and professionally, it’s critical that the advising and support structures in place are inclusive and address the needs of diverse students. This track will explore inclusive practices for advising and support of diverse and underrepresented students before, on-site, and after participating in international programs. Additionally, it explores how various campus units, such as diversity & multicultural offices, career centers, disability or TRiO offices, have a role in supporting on-campus international students and student success through international programs.

Both funding and program development are important to consider as we identify best practices for increasing access and inclusion in global education. Funding is often cited as one of the key challenges students of all backgrounds face to participating in study abroad programming. Furthermore, programs with inclusive curricular and co-curricular activities may be more attractive to students from diverse and underrepresented  backgrounds. In this track, participants will consider what innovative approaches to funding can be employed to provide greater access to encourage students from a broad range of backgrounds to participate in global education opportunities.

International education offices and organizations benefit from formalizing current diversity and inclusion efforts into a cohesive plan to broaden access and engender inclusion in global education. This track will examine the process and components of engaging multiple institutional stakeholders to develop a diversity and inclusion strategy, as well as how to develop inclusive and comprehensive strategies in global education.

When recruiting, marketing, and conducting outreach to students for international programs opportunities, it is important to consider how the methods and messages we use reach and resonate with students of diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. This track engages in these important considerations by examining how diverse students may have interests or concerns that are not clearly satisfied through existing marketing and recruitment efforts for international programs.

The number of international & exchange students continues to rise on many college campuses around the country. Some college campuses have been criticized for their lack of support in creating a welcoming climate for these students. Furthermore, many international students may spend years in this country without interacting with or developing an understanding of the many diverse communities that exist in the United States. This track explores ways to  support this cohort in a more impactful manner and how to engage them in education abroad opportunities.

As we consider systemic approaches to ensure access and support for diverse and underrepresented student populations in education abroad, it is necessary to include conversations in global education as early as possible in a student’s academic career. This track addresses this need for early action by considering how educators can ensure that students are exposed to global education opportunities throughout the K12 “pipeline.”

As international education becomes more ingrained into the fabric of higher education many Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are engaged in innovative activities to ensure their students have the skills and knowledge to be successful in the global market. This track explores innovative practices, research, program models and current trends from colleagues at MSIs or those who partner with MSIs on inbound and outbound international education.

Aside from the direct work international educators do to reach and support diverse and underrepresented students, the goal of inclusive excellence also impacts the climate within organizations and offices. The field of international education is not nearly as diverse as the students it serves. This track will explore inclusive excellence with respect to hiring practices, training and development, career advancement, mentorship, and allyship within international education as well as balancing career advancement and health/wellness for diverse professionals.

This tracks features sessions designed to advance learning and collaborative exchange related to core topics in Diversity/Equity/Inclusion. Example sessions may focus on key theoretical frameworks for supporting under-represented minorities in higher education learning environments (critical race theory, belonging, etc), research supporting diverse learning environments, emerging social movements impacting global LGBTQI+ communities, and historical significance and modern-day goals of Minority-serving Institutions.