Pre-Conference Workshop I
Wednesday, November 14 9am–1pm
Critical Theory and Study Abroad
Chair: Lance Kenney, Villanova University
Presenters: Martha Johnson, University of Minnesota; Karen Rodríguez, CIEE Guanajuato, Mexico; Brent Keever, CIEE Paris, France
“Critical theory” in its broadest sense is a catch-all term used to describe many facets of contemporary thought in the fields of literature, cultural studies, and philosophy. It includes many of the key ideas used throughout the academy today: post-modernism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, feminism, eco-criticism, deconstruction, etc. To put it another way, critical theory is a theory that does not explain society but instead tries to change it within its historical specificity: what Michel Foucault called “an ontology of ourselves.”
The purpose of this workshop is two-fold: one, to expand on these theories and others that were introduced in the similarly-titled CIEE conference session in Seville; and two, to demonstrate in more detail how these schools of thought can constructively impact the field of education abroad.
This workshop will have a seminar format, with presenters briefly introducing important concepts before leading discussions on how those concepts might have bearing on the profession. Key readings will be distributed to participants prior to arrival.
Pre-Conference Workshop II
Wednesday, November 14 9am–1pm
Practical Approaches to the Challenges of Mental Health Issues in Study Abroad
Chair: John Lucas, IES
Presenters: Mary Catherine King, Reed College; Mike Brody, Reed College
What are your biggest fears concerning students studying abroad? Do you ever wonder if there might be more you and your colleagues could do to prevent those nightmares from coming true? How would you handle the worst-case scenario if it actually happened?
As the incidence and complexity of mental illness on college campuses the world over continues to rise, these questions are increasingly relevant to anyone working in the field of study abroad. In an effort to work toward practical solutions, we propose to initiate a dialog that will combine the collective wisdom and experience of professionals working in diverse areas of education abroad.
In this workshop, a practicing college health clinician, an experienced resident director, legal counsel, and a vice president and dean of students will focus on practical approaches to the mental health issues that arise in the context of 21st century study abroad. The workshop will explore real-world issues and case studies in search of best practices for both sending and receiving institutions, and will do so by drawing on the interdisciplinary expertise of the panel members, as well as the experience of workshop participants.
The focus will be on practical advice and interventions that can be applied to situations that actually occur on our programs. At the end of the workshop, we will discuss the legal ramifications of various interventions that we propose, specifically in the context of FERPA and ADA.
At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will have developed:
- mechanisms of assessment to maximize prevention of worst-case scenarios
- early intervention and emergency response techniques to improve student outcomes
- relationships to enhance existing resources via ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration
- an understanding of the legal framework for mental health issues in study abroad
Pre-Conference Workshop III
Wednesday, November 14 2pm-6pm
The Research Results Are In: Now What Do We Do with Them?
Co-Chairs: Michael Vande Berg, CIEE; Michael Paige, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; Darla Deardorff, Duke University
While studies of student learning abroad date back at least as far as the 1950s, interest in that research has grown at an extraordinary rate since the mid-1990s. The two best-known journals in our field, Frontiers and The Journal of Studies in International Education, published their first volumes in 1995 and 1996. The promotion of study abroad research is one of the five strategic goals of the Forum on Education Abroad, founded six years ago. And with more studies carried out during the past decade than during the preceding fifty years, research on student learning is moving into the academic and administrative mainstream at many of our colleges and universities.
Yet in spite of this surge of interest, and the considerable body of knowledge that has been amassed about student learning abroad, our profession has been slow to apply research results to our work. This workshop, which builds on a session at last year's CIEE conference in Seville, aims to provide participants an opportunity to explore how they might apply the results of recent research to their work on and off campus.
Prior to the conference, co-chairs will send participants, material to prepare them for the workshop. The material will summarize key results and some of the implications of four research studies: “Maximizing Study Abroad”, “Georgetown Consortium”, “Employer Attitudes Toward Study Abroad”, and “Intercultural Competence”.
The workshop will consist of three parts:
- Part I will allow participants to identify one specific result from the four studies above that they'd particularly like to learn about.
- During Part II, the co-chairs will summarize and invite participants to discuss the major results of the four studies.
- In Part III, participants will break into small groups to identify ways to apply the research results that have been discussed. Each group, working from one of several case studies that profile an institution and its approach to study abroad, will identify how a number of the research results discussed earlier might be applied to improve study abroad advising, policy, and programming at the profiled universities. During the last half hour, each small group will share the results of their discussions with the rest of the participants.