CCIE Newsletter

Vol. 9, no. 5 April 2011 Click Here to View Past Newsletters

In This Issue:

CCIE PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION – GENERAL INFORMATION
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CORNER
GENERAL CCIE INFORMATION
CCIE PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES

DUES FOR 2010-2011

CCIE wants to remind all our members that, now, more than ever, it is important to pay your dues. CCIE dues are collected on the academic year - July 1 - June 30. It is critical that every member be current with their dues in order for CCIE to continue to support activities such as the Newsletter, Web-Page, Workshops, and Student Scholarships. Please consider processing your 2011-2012 dues now. If you can, we would love for you to pay your 2010-2011 dues as well. During our economic crisis, CCIE does appreciate the effort that all of you are doing to help support international education at our colleges.

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CALABROAD: CALIFORNIA STUDY ABROAD TOWN HALL MEETING - APRIL 1 AT UCLA

CalAbroad announces the 3rd annual Town Hall Meeting on April 1 at UCLA from 9:30 - 2:30 pm. The format includes short presentations on topics, followed by small group discussions and follow-up by all attendees.

Topics include:

  • Financial Challenges: Responding to the financial crisis in California: Strategies for maintaining current funding. Financial models for program sharing. Federal and State financial aid support for study abroad.
  • Increasing Collaboration Through Study Abroad Program Sharing in California Within and Across Systems. Easing the Process of Study Abroad Participation for Students During the Transfer Transition and After Transfer From a Community College to a 4 Year College or University
  • Study Abroad Health and Safety Issues and Resources: Assessing, Preparing, and Responding to Health and Safety Challenges and U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts: From Egypt to Mexico to Australia to Chile to the U.K. - Civil Unrest, Crime and Safety, Floods, Earthquakes and Environmental Challenges, and Heightened Alerts to Terrorism

The California Town Hall Meeting is co-sponsored by:

  • Region XII, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Education Abroad Knowledge Community
  • California Colleges for International Education
  • California State University Systemwide Office of International Programs
  • University of California Systemwide Education Abroad Program
  • Center for Global Education at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

Additional information is available on the California Study Abroad Collaboration Website at: http://www.calabroad.org/meeting.html

NOTE: There are limited travel grants that can cover all or part of an inexpensive coach flight. Grants will be given on a first-come basis. Participants will need to attend the entire Town Hall meeting plus a special community college session that will be from 3:00pm - 5:00pm.

Please RSVP to Rosalind Raby at rabyrl@aol.com

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International Student Town Hall Meetings - March 17 (City College of San Francisco) and March 18 (Long Beach City College)

Town Hall meeting with SEVP Director Louis M. Farrell and Chief of SEVP Policy Sharon Snyder. The meeting will include a discussion on whether SEVP should issue a reduced course load for international students in light of the ongoing budget crisis facing California. Two Town Hall meetings will be held at March 17 (City College of San Francisco) Room 318 and March 18 (Long Beach City College) Room T1200. RSVP: info@destinationCA.org

The International Student Town Hall was headed by Lou Farrell and Sharon Snyder from SEVP in Washington. Most local community colleges and a few CSU campuses were present.

CCIE INVITES OUR MEMBERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO A DISCUSSION ON THESE TOPICS. PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO ROSALIND FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER

The following are updates provided by CCIE members: Donald Culton, Independent Consultant, West Los Angeles College The Town Hall Discussions had the Following Results:

All of the colleges reported the same budget problems, although not many have so far lost staff. At the same time, nobody is growing their offices. However, most of the programs have lost numbers over the past several years. It was positive to bring so many people together to share concerns about the field.

Major Concerns:

  1. Almost all of the colleges say their biggest problem is getting classes for students. very few colleges offer students the chance to pre-enroll before they arrive so that when they do arrive, they can get classes.
  2. With worldwide problems, also, there is an increasing number of problems facing schools and their students, such as getting money out of some countries, while students from other countries needing to go home, etc. Colleges continue to report difficulty of getting visas for certain countries, especially from Africa and several agreed that Vietnam was increasingly hard. China remains the one area where there is optimism about growth and relatively easy visas. One college had all their student visa applications from Nigeria rejected.
  3. ESL schools must be accredited by December, which may eliminate some.
  4. Some of the community college language academy programs are closing because they are losing money.
  5. Several people said that California may still be very popular for international students but colleges outside the state were doing a better job than California, especially the Washington State schools. Some of these have continued to recruit aggressively, have slowly grown.

Outcomes:

  1. Farrell warned that his ruling this year that students could take less than 12 units if no classes were available was a one time thing, it does not mean for the future. He said he was overruled, and students must be enrolled in 12 units. Lots of discussion took place on nursing programs where students are enrolled in less than this and consequences from the inability to provide classes across the curriculum.
  2. Farrell warned not to try to expand the use of technology to get around the one class limit with on-line classes. Teachers need to be present.

    3. Support from Washington:

    1. Farrell emphasized more than once that the mood in Washington is on providing increased care in allowing students to come. His office has spent much time explaining why so many language schools and private colleges have been allowed to operate fraudulently. This apparently includes agreements with overseas institutions where standards are low.
    2. Snyder emphasized in getting visas for students that students need to be prepared and come to the interview with a plan of action that they understand and can explain. She advised that students be sure to visit the EucationUSA offices before applying.
    3. On a discussion about using agents, Snyder held rather firmly to the old standard approach, too many bad agents and they do not recommend using them.
    4. On a discussion about paying commissions, both Snyer and Farrell said they did not know of any Department of Education ruling against the paying of commissions on a per head basis.

    Farrell and Snyder said that they would provide answers to questions raised by the meeting in a report later.

    Rosemary Santillan, Senior International Student Advisor, City College of Santa Barbara, Principal Designated School Official Lou Farrell and Sharon Snyder gave the opportunity to all who were present to express their concerns and needs.

    Some Key Concerns of DSO’s:

    • Course availability due to budget crisis.
    • 30 day prior to school arrival regulation and no courses available by then.
    • Canceled courses which result in students being enrolled less than full time.
    • Students having to get F grades because they don't want to lose their status.
    • The SEVP directive that was only good for one semester and schools are still using it.
    • On campus employment availability reduced ( due to budget) for international students.
    • The financial crisis in Japan and how it will affect our Japanese students and their funding
    • The nursing program and unit requirement for status.
    • CPT and off campus employment

    SEVP will send a new directive regarding the reduced course load authorization directive sent in Fall 09. It was valid for only for one semester, but due to the confusion students who used it through Spring 11 will not be considered out of status.

    Sharon mentioned that an EAD economic hardship permit for students from Japan is in the works.

    ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM ADVOCACY Rosalind Raby, Director, CCIE

    The NAFSA and IIE Open Doors Report of “International Student Financial Contributions from 2009-2010" show that international students not only bring significant increases in tuition to California Community Colleges, but that they and their dependents significantly add to the local tax base.

    • Contribution from Living Expenses (i.e. additions to local tax base) : 567,003,900 (Thousands)
    • Contribution from Tuition and Fees: $ 136,086,100 (Thousands)
    • Total Contribution to State Economy: $ 670,789,400 (Thousands)

    These are considerable dollars being brought into the state for a program that not only serves economic, but more importantly, political diplomacy through internationalization of the classroom and campus experience. Yet, across the state, there is a lack of full-time professionals working in this field, limited access to income generation to reinvest in marketing, and limited access to income generation for student support services.

    While these monies alone will not solve our budget crisis, the elimination or shrinking of these dollars will have a significant negative impact. It needs to be repeated that revenue generated by international students actually pays for faculty salary, college materials, college equipment, and college services - all of which provide support so that more domestic students can enroll and complete the community college. Calculations show that international students DO NOT TAKE SEATS AWAY FROM DOMESTIC STUDENTS. Instead, tuition from every 30 International Students pays for 1 full-time faculty position. These extra faculty teach classes in which a small portion of students are international students. The remainder are domestic students. Therefore, the extra income allows the College to accommodate more domestic students, including under-represented domestic students in their classes.

    In conclusion, the economic, social, cultural, and educational impact made by international students is unique and all attempts should be made to preserve these educational experiences.

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    DIVERSITY NETWORK INNOVATION AWARD

    The Diversity Network Innovation Award, sponsored by CAPA International Education, recognizes institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to addressing issues of diversity, equity and underrepresentation in international education. The award is designed to acknowledge and celebrate the innovative strategies employed by colleges and universities to address issues of diversity, equity and underrepresentation in international education.

    Areas of focus for 2011 Awards:

    • Recruitment strategies/initiatives for diverse student populations
    • Research that supports the advancement of diversity and equity in education abroad
    • Collaboration between international education office and departments/offices that serve the needs of diverse and underrepresented student groups
    • Promoting diversity engagement in host countries among study abroad participants

    Nomination process: ALL nominations must be accompanied by a letter of support from a member. PLEASE contact Rosalind Raby for details.
    Deadline: April 15, 2011
    Application: INNOVATION_22.pdf

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    GOING GLOBAL 5 CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG by Mandelkern, Michael, Orange Coast College

    Recently, I attended a conference on international education called Going Global 5 in Hong Kong. The conference was sponsored by the British Council. The conference was very large with approximately 1,100 delegates. While these delegates were from all over the world, I was struck by the fact that there seemed to be relatively few from the United States. The four previous Going Global conferences were held in London; this is the first one that the British Council has ever sponsored outside the U.K. It was no coincidence that the Council chose to hold the conference in Hong Kong, as enhancing east-west relations through student exchange and international cooperation was a major theme of the conference.

    Another major theme was transnational education. I met a professor in International Business at Leeds Metropolitan University in the U.K. who helped establish a campus of his university in Namibia. It seems that this idea of creating higher educational institutions in different parts of the world, including developing countries, is gaining ground. The institutions are created through international partnerships that can involve colleges and universities as well as governments and private funding. I find it very interesting that the conference focused on international education not only as something that broadens students but also prepares them for the job market since employers want students who are globally aware citizens.

    Overall, I thought that the conference was excellent. I would encourage any of you who are interested to attend the next Going Global conference, which is in London in March 2012. The video link has another video embedded about two-and-a-half minutes into it about the conference that I went to as well as how Hong Kong aspires to become an international education hub. http://www.policyreview.tv/video/530/3269

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    BO MORTON GRANT CORNER

    A former Director of Grants at El Camino College, Bo has always had a passion for international education. During her tenure between 2000-2010, ECC received 13 grants for international projects. Bo will be providing CCIE members with information about grants that can be used to fund the colleges’ international activities. Please contact Bo directly at bmorton@linked2grow.com if you have any questions about any of these grants, funding sources for international projects or finding an international partner.

    Grant:National Council for Eurasian and East European Research - Grants and Fellowships for Eurasian and East European Research
    Description: The National Council for Eurasian and East European Research seeks humanities and social science policy research on Russian, Eurasian and East European social, political, economic, and historical development. National Research Competitions support collaborative and individual research. Hewett Fellowships support research under a United States government agency. Short-term Travel Grants and other awards are also available.
    Deadline: varies depending on program (check the website)
    Link to announcement or program page: http://www.nceeer.org/Programs/programs.php

    Grant:USAID/Peru Development Assistance Fund Program
    Description:The objective is to create the competitive environment for small development activities that benefit the communities within the USAID/Peru operating environment. USAID-Peru seeks responses/grant ideas from local communities that: •Advance local economic growth. •Promote human health and education. •Foster stronger democratic practices and community level organizations. •Pursue licit livelihoods in former coca-growing regions. •Conserve the environment. Only NGOs/NPOs in Peru are eligible to apply so if you have partners in Peru, [please inform them of this opportunity.
    Deadline:September 30, 2011
    Link to announcement or program page:contact Bo

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    SPONSORSHIP UPDATES

    This section provides updates on the various CCIE Sponsors.

    CEA GLOBAL EDUCATION
    Never has international higher learning been more important than it is today for college students who are interested in joining an increasingly globalized workforce. The ability to work across multicultural environments, communicate across language barriers and lead increasingly diverse project teams has gone from what makes a job candidate leap to the top of the resume stack to what hiring managers use to weed out the unqualified.

    CEA Global Education shares in your commitment to connect more students with the education they need to succeed in today's world through study abroad. We've designed our Global Campus programs to foster hands-on intercultural learning through: a) Behind-the-scenes tours of museums and significant sites of interest, such as art restoration labs and government legislatures; b) Guest lecturers who contribute first hand experience and/or expertise regarding class discussions on topics ranging form the Holocaust to sustainability; c) Excursions to surrounding cities and countries to deepen students' cultural understanding of the surrounding region.

    The result is our students' ability to return to their home campus better equipped to articulate their experiences, newly acquired intercultural skills and, in many cases, improved language proficiency. We realize universities and colleges face a tough budget outlook this year. In recognition of those declining resources, we've redoubled our efforts to provide the kids of services universities and colleges need to connect more students to the advantages of international education. Those services include:

    a) Flexible programming; b) Integrated curriculum, approved and transcripted by the University of New Haven; c) International faculty and staff who reside in the cities they work and teach; d) Financial resources for student and faculty, including additional grants and scholarships for affiliate schools; e) One-on-one guidance to help students select the program that best fists their academic needs and goals.

    To find out more about how CEA Global Education can assist yoru campus, contact universityrelations@GoWithCEA.com or visit www.GoWithCEA.com/GlobalCampus

    EF COLLEGE STUDY TOURS
    EF College Study Tours provides short-term study abroad opportunities for college students and professors. With a focus on international experiences on college campuses, EF College Study Tours provide easy and affordable opportunities for community college students to acquire the international experience they need to compete and succeed in today’s global economy. Short-term programs have proven to be effective in helping college students become globally engaged, and EF’s one- to four-week tours allow professors to incorporate their curriculum and academic goals into any of more than 50 itineraries to 33 countries around the world.

    EF College Study Tours is a division of EF Education First, the world leader in international education. With 400 offices and schools in more than 50 countries, EF offers a range of 16 educational programs focused on language learning, educational travel, cultural exchange and academic degrees. Since its founding in 1965, EF has helped more than 15 million students learn a language, discover the world or earn an academic degree.

    ISIC CARD / STA TRAVEL
    STA Travel is offering student exclusive pricing on their Airfare Deposit Program that is available to students on financial aid who are going to study abroad. Eligible students can lock into a specific airfare and then pay the full payment seven days prior to departure. The airfare price is guaranteed upon receipt of the deposit. There is a $ 300 nonrefundable deposit. This is a special program designed for CCIE member college students. For more information, call 800-535-7172 or e-mail Programforms@statravel.com

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    INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION – GENERAL INFORMATION
    AACC and ACCT Joint Statement on the Role of Community Colleges in International Education

    The Joint Statement can be found at AACCACCT_Joint_Statement.pdf

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    INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CORNER

    I-STUDENTADVISOR PUBLICATIONS

    CCIE has section in the i-studentadvisor publications that are based in England and which produce a range of online magazines for international students considering their study options. These magazines have a subscribed readership of 10,000 guidance counselors in schools in 165 countries and a secondary readership of 1/4 million international students. http://www.i-studentadvisor.com/isa/2010/usa/12/usa-2010.html

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    LA PIER: LOS ANGELES PROFESSIONAL INT'L EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE

    Friday, April 8 | 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM | California State University, CSUN

    Special Topic - Applying for a Student Visa – Representatives from Wolfsdorf Immigration Law Group will update us as to new developments in the visa application process (DS-160, biometrics, etc.) as well as share troubleshooting tips for issues that may arise. They are a nationally known and prestigious immigration law firm that has presented at NAFSA nationally and regionally. www.wolfsdorf.com. Emphasis will be on working with F-1 and/or J-1 students.

    Please RSVP to Becky Peterson, rebeccjp@usc.edu

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    COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS

    Spotlights on CCIE member colleges are provided in each Updates. Please send any information that you would like to share about your college, including information on faculty, students, international guests who have recently visited your college, and related international educational activities. In addition, if any of your students or faculty have received international related scholarships or grants, please share that with CCIE so that we can publicly congratulate your students.

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    GENERAL CCIE INFORMATION

    UPDATE YOUR COLLEGES´ INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS ON CCIEWORLD.ORG

    Please review the CCIE web-site to make sure that you college is accurately listed. The CCIE web-site includes information on all programs related to international education and highlights awards, grants, and other information to showcase your college. Please send any updates to Rosalind at rabyrl@aol.com

    The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE)'s Web site

    This web-site provides links to information about several initiatives including Foreign Language Programs, Community College Exchanges, and Diversity & Disability. The NCDE, administered by Mobility International USA and sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, assists international exchange programs in the process of including people with disabilities in all types of international exchange programs. Visit: http://www.miusa.org/ncde.

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    SCHOLARSHIP UPDATES & DEADLINES

    Visit the CCIE web-site section to view various scholarship opportunities for students studying abroad and for international students studying at California community colleges. Please send information on any scholarship that your students have been rewarded that assist them gain international literacy skills.

    Check the web-site for deadlines for:

    Note Special Scholarship Opportunities just for CCIE member colleges

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    UPCOMING EVENTS
    • April 1: : CalAbroad Town Hall Meeting
    • April 5 - 8. Making the Connection: Praxis and theory in Education Abroad. The Forum on Education Abroad. Boston.http://www.forumea.org/
    • April 8. LA PIER meeting
    • May 29 - June 3: NAFSA Annual Conference. Vancouver

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    CCIE Corporate Sponsorship provided by:

    Thank you!

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    BENEFITS OF COLLEGE & DISTRICT CCIE MEMBERSHIP

    Members of full status are entitled to:

    a) ability to vote in all elections and to enjoy other rights and privileges accord to all members; b) access of CCIE Website and inclusion of college / institution in Website; c) access to a collaborative network of community colleges who are devoted to international / intercultural education; d) access to CCIE thematic workshops at reduced rates (TBA); e) access to the CCIE International Negations Modules Project (INMP); f) access to technical assistance team on global competence and its development on community college campuses; g) eligibility for CCIE faculty and staff grants; h) eligibility for CCIE student scholarships; I) eligibility for officer positions; j) inclusion in CCIE annual reports that documents the individual activities of member colleges and which is shared with colleges and organizations throughout the state and nationally; k) inclusion of College in CCIE list-serve; l) participate in the annual business meeting; m) receipt of CCIE on-line monthly newsletter; n) receipt of the CCIE quarterly Directory of Study Abroad Programs; o) receipt to reports and publications prepared by CCIE experts; p) reduced CCIE conference fees.

    CCIE Supporting Member for 2010 - 2011

    As of April 1, CCIE Supporting Members for 2010 - 2011 are: Barstow; Cabrillo; Citrus; Coast District; Contra Costa District; El Camino; Glendale; Kern Community College District; LACCD; Long Beach City College; Los Rios District; Ohlone; Peralta District; San Francisco; Santa Barbara; Sequoias; State Center CCD.

    Thank you all for processing 10/11 dues, especially during these economically challenging times.

    CCIE dues help support our activities such as the Newsletter, Web-Page, Workshops, and Student Scholarships and Faculty Grants. CCIE gives each of you our sincere thanks for your continued support for CCIE.

    Please Support CCIE With Your Active Participation!

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