In An Age of Budget
Cuts, Using Your Alumni
To Fill in the Gaps
An open discussion on the value of
study abroad alumni.

Overview
• The Budget
• The Students
• The Resource
• The Incentive
• The Work
• The Field

Presenters
• Andrew Bennett - ISA
• Lisa Loberg - Cal Lutheran
• LaSharon McLean Perez - UC Riverside
• Andra Jacques - Point Loma Nazarene

Sources
• Interviews conducted with study abroad staff from:
– UC San Diego – 10 study abroad, 2 Global Seminar workers
– UC Irvine – 10 -13 peer advisors
– UC Riverside – 3 paid student workers, 10-14 volunteers
– CSU Fullerton – 2 paid student workers
– CSU Long Beach – 4 paid student workers
– CSU San Marcos – 1 study abroad, 1 IP student worker
– California Lutheran University – 5 paid and 2 interns
– Point Loma Nazarene – 1 paid student worker, 8 volunteers
– ISA Alumni Department – 250 Global Ambassadors nationwide

The Budget

The budget
• $750 million was cut from both the UC’s and CSU’s last year
• While tuition has increased by 28% percent across the
nation in the last five years, UC tuition risen 73% and CSU
tuition has increased 84%.
• 2.5 billion in higher education since 2008
• Like the rest of campus, study abroad offices are seeing
their budgets cut too.
• Positions are being released, retirees are not being
replaced, and new hires are being offered miniscule salaries
or partial hours.

Evolving Responsibilities
• While study abroad alumni have always worked or
volunteered at study abroad offices, their roles are now
evolving to fill in what the budget cuts have taken away
• Taking on roles like:
– Advising
– Processing applications
– Transcripts
– Handling financial aid
– Communicating with admissions, financial aid, professors,
departments, students and parents

The students

The Returnee Student
• Unparalleled energy
• They desire to retain some sort of connection to the
experience
• Friends willing to listen to “when I was abroad” stories
becoming scarce
• Looking for a flexible campus job
• Looking for work experience and resume building
• Interested in the international field

Alumnus Potente
• Studied in multiple locations
• Studied in non-traditional locations
• Takes initiative
• Unafraid of public speaking
• Problem solving/advising skills
• Has camera, will shoot
• Graphics savvy
• Social media savvy
• Was not a pain in the application process
• Organizational skills
• Communication/public speaking skills

Variety of relations
• Office Workers Paid by the SAO
– Peer Advisors
– Outreach
– Front Desk
– Administrative
• Federal Work-Study
• Global Ambassadors (ISA)
– Paid for by providers
– Training
• Periodic Volunteers
– Keeping a list of dependable alumni
• Submission of media (blogs/pictures/video)

Provider Interns
Free assistance or bias influence?
• Nearly every major provider has an alumni internship
program.
• Free resource
• The provider, study abroad office, and intern need to
coordinate on how the student will promote the provider
program along with study abroad in general on campus.
• What has been you experience? Positive/negative?

ISA’s Global
Ambassador Program
• Started in 2007
• Enlist returnees as promotions/marketing interns on their home
campuses.
• Duties include:
– Assisting study abroad office
• Volunteering at fairs
• Classroom presentations
• Office hours advising
– Postering
– Greek presentations
– Tabling. Many make posters.
– Accompanying the ISA rep
– ISA workshop

The Resource

Marketer Supreme
• From the moment they get of the plane, returnees
become your most vocal and visible proponents of
studying abroad.
• While you’re trying to get more likes on your office’s
Facebook page, they’ve been adding friends since they
were in middle school.
• Peer to peer advising.
• They are the demographic you’re trying to reach

Masters of Media
• Encourage these activities during orientation, remind them
while abroad through email, and ask for submissions after they
return.
– Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram,
– Graphic design
– Photography
– Film and video editing
– Web design
– Blogs
• Still, there is also much on the job training that happens in the
office.

Alumni Behind the Lens
• Photo contest, then show photos from our submissions.
• Are you hosting photo contests?
– Free content for websites, social media posts, print material
– Promotes student involvement
– Increases their connection to your office
• The next wave: video content
• Video blogging scenery, university, housing, excursions and
personal anecdotes

Reporters on the
ground
• Incentivise blogging by offering it as an internship
– Reach out to your English, Journalism, or Creative Writing
departments
– Broach the subject of coordinated internships with
appropriate academic departments on campus. Ask that
writing submissions be included in the assignment
– Talk to the school newspaper about publishing opportunities
– Connect writers with classrooms

The Incentive

Recruitment of Alumni
• During their study abroad application process, keep an
eye for the all-stars
• Email blast all returning students
• But personally invite a few stand out returnees to apply
• Work through career center, emphasizing experience
working in an international field

Payment
• Pay ranges from minimum wage to $12 across surveyed
schools.
• Raises are possible in some schools, not all.

The Incentive
• All this is grand, but how do you get the students to
actually follow through with these tasks, especially on a
tight budget? How do you keep them motivated?

The Work

Training
• Bring students in before the semester starts
• Keep close tabs on students at the beginning of their
advising.
• Ask your provider representatives to hold info sessions
to educate the students on the different programs

Duties
• Marketing/Customer Service: • Administrative:
– First line of advising in the - Processing applications
office - Review transcripts
- Processing financial aid
– Leading info sessions
- Following up for missing
– Classroom presentations documents
– Tabling on campus - Taking passport pictures
– Pre-departure orientations
– Re-entry orientations
– Working reception

Where do you
draw the line?
• As helpful as student workers can be, there must be a
line of responsibility they can’t cross
– Final grades from transcripts
– Confidential Information
• What duties should we keep from them?
• What duties require an advisor’s approval?

The field

Real importance
• These are jobs with real responsibilities
• The students work has an affect on peoples lives
• They are selling something they believe in
• Their passion and interest is rooted in a life-changing
experience they had themselves, but it is our
responsibility to inform them on how to turn this
experience and work into a potential career.

Professional
Development
• Already exposed to professional aspects of working in and
office: demeanor, marketing, customer service,
communication skills
• The relationships built with study abroad staff naturally lead
to mentoring students on life after college
• Resume review
• International resources at their fingertips
• Letters of recommendation from international professionals
• Help applying for grad school, Fulbright, Rotary, etc.

In-House Networking
• See the inner-workings of a study abroad office
• Exposed to university administrative functions
• Have support in attending conferences in the field
• Get to meet different providers reps and hear about
their offices in different cities and life on the road

Lessons From Abroad
• Saturday event taking place in San Diego, Los Angeles,
Bay Area, and now…NEBRASKA!
• Students dress in business attire and bring a portfolio of
resumes
• Sessions pertaining to the field of international
education, going abroad again by myriad routes, travel
writing, photo journalism, etc
• Networking with a wide variety of professionals in the
field: schools, providers, corporations, non-profits, etc.

NAFSA
• 32 students attendees here this week
• 222 at the NAFSA national 2012
• Job networking, resume distribution
• Informational interview
• Professional development and training

Success Stories
• Most alumni who return to work in the study abroad
office stay connected to the international community in
some form
• Many go back abroad. Half the student workers at UCSD
have or are planning to study abroad twice
• JET, Peace Corps, teaching abroad
• Graduate school domestic and abroad
• Joining int’l ed. (EA, ISSS, or provider)

Thank you for attending
Thank you for listening
Thank you for participating

links
lessonsfromabroad.org
facebook.com/isaabroadalumni
abennett@studiesabroad.com
loberg@callutheran.edu