Sessions

Concurrent Breakout Sessions A

Global Bridges: Crafting a Campus-Wide International Education Committee

• Fabiola Riobé, Vice President of Educational Innovation and Global Programming, Kansas City Kansas Community College
• Candice Scott, Assistant Director of International Scholar Services, Kansas City Kansas Community College
• Teressa Hill-Collier, Director of Admissions, Kansas City Kansas Community College
• In an era where global competencies and cross-cultural understanding are paramount, the creation of a campus-wide International Education Committee represents a critical stride towards embedding internationalization into the fabric of higher education institutions. This session presents a comprehensive case study from a community college that successfully built a multi-stakeholder International Education Committee by leveraging the annual International Education Week. This initiative not only fostered a culture of global engagement across campus but also streamlined internationalization efforts that benefit students, faculty, and the broader community. Attendees will gain insights into the strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, challenges, and achievements of this transformative project.

Practical International Transcript Processing Tips and Resources

• Laurel Bannister, Senior International Credential Evaluator, InCred/NAIA
• Julie Sisk, International and Immigrant Program Support Specialist, Johnson County Community College
• This is a practical session for anyone handling foreign academic documents. Presenters will share their organizations’ processes and policies (focusing on acceptance of electronic/digital documents), their go-to resources, and suggestions for reviewing frequently seen secondary school credentials. Attendees can expect to gain some new tips and tools, in addition to gaining a better understanding of how colleagues at other institutions operate.

F-1 Regulatory Roundtable – Case Studies

• Stacey Bailey, Associate Director, Kansas State University
• Jaya Daniel, Coordinator/DSO, Johnson County Community College
• Carrie Henderson, Senior International Student Advisor/PDSO/RO, Wichita State University
• Join seasoned DSOs to discuss various case studies, share institutional perspectives and more!

Applied Learning through Education Abroad

This presentation will discuss Education Abroad as an applied learning opportunity. We will briefly discuss the K-State Strategic Plan as it relates to Applied Learning and the work the university is completing related to this topic. The remainder of the presentation will include interactive discussion about applied learning practices, university support, and program examples. Ample time will be provided for questions and conversations with the audience.

ESL Program Roundtable

Network with others across the state who are working in ESL programs.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions B

Hot Topics in Leadership and Management

• Sara Thurston, International Student and Scholar Services Director, Kansas State University
• Kim Steinmetz, International and Immigrant Student Services Program Director, Johnson County Community College
• This discussion-based session is designed for those holding management positions in international education offices. We will brainstorm, share experiences and give advice to each other on a variety of topics including staffing, coaching for growth, retention, training, knowledge transfer as people leave and new people start, salary challenges, managing up, inter-generational offices, how to be a professional in the field, working with the community, and work-life balance.

Go with the OPT Flow – How and Why Modernize the OPT Process?

• Boglarka Davies, International Student Advisor, Kansas State University
• Shawn Wettlaufer, International Advisor, The University of Kansas
• This session will explore the ways K-State and KU have modernized the OPT process to better meet their students’ needs, as well as being more efficient with providing resources. This change in processing is a result of several different factors such as Covid-19 and remote work/school, the acceptance of I-765 form online, and international students’ and ISSS staff feedback. In this session, K-State and KU will share their current processes and how they transitioned, some of the strengths and challenge areas associated with each process, and participants will get an insider look into the video technology (free version of Powtoon) and resources K-State used for their OPT process. The goal of the modernization of the OPT process was to provide high quality accessible service to students and to keep the international student advisors OPT tasks feasible and manageable.

The 3Rs: Research, Recruit, Repeat

• Thomas Merlot, Director, Northwest Missouri State University
• The presentation is both interactive and discussion based. The idea is to guide universities who seek to recruit international students to develop strategy with budgeting, diversity, and enrollment goals in mind.

International Financial Documents: Best Practices for Receiving, Reviewing, and Verifying

• Julie Sisk, International and Immigrant Program Support Specialist, Johnson County Community College
• Stacey Bailey, Associate Director, Kansas State University
• Sarah Zey, International Student Advisor, The University of Kansas
• This session aims to provide DSOs with the opportunity to gain insight into how other institutions handle foreign financial documents as part of the requirement to receive proof of finances from F-1 students. Panelists will share their processes related to document submission requirements and methods, translation requirements, tips for verifying financial documents, and what action they take when they receive suspected or confirmed fraudulent documents.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions C

Strategies for Building Relationships for Student Support and Success

• Carol Solko-Olliff, Director of international Student Services, Fort Hays State University
• Heidi Starkel, Associate Director of International Programs for Student Services, Washburn University
• Chie Austin, Director of International Student and Scholar Services, Emporia State University
• This session will be facilitated in an interactive discussion format. The presenters will share challenges that international students may face related to their academics, new environment, adjustments to U.S. institutions, and how to develop and utilize relationship building to help students. Participants are encouraged to bring their own experiences as well as how students are supported on their campuses through relationship building. Sharing challenges, ideas and solutions for student success is how KIE members can collaborate and learn from each other. 

Flywheel Methodology: Retention and Recruitment

• Sarah Jimenez, International Student Support Coordinator, University of Missouri – St. Louis
• Jillian Bockhorst, Enrollment Advisor, University of Missouri – St. Louis
• Explore the art of becoming an international recruiter! Embracing the Flywheel methodology reveals that everyone plays a crucial role in recruitment. In this session, we’ll highlight the collaboration between International Enrollment Management and International Student and Scholar Services, showcasing how their partnership enhances recruitment endeavors and bolsters retention rates. Join us as we delve into the practical applications of Flywheel within your institution. From engaging perspective students to facilitating orientations and leveraging alumni networks, we’ll demonstrate how each individual contributes to recruitment efforts.

Education Abroad Roundtable

Network with others across the state who are working in Education Abroad.

An Interactive Discussion of International Engagement Programs on Campus & in Your Community

Is the programming landscape on your campus different than it was before COVID-19? Are you looking for ways to foster a more international campus and to connect international students to Kansan culture? During this interactive discussion, staff from KU and K-State international offices will discuss their current on- and off-campus acculturation activities. Participants will share their approach to (and the benefits of) student-led cultural presentations, reviving multicultural student organizations, and off-campus field trips and cultural experiences. We’d like to create space to exchange thoughts on how to deliver programs (hybrid, in-person or remotely), juggling staff capacity with student interest, whether or when to charge for an event, and other creative ways of fostering intercultural exchange.