Note: The following information was e-mailed to interest group members on 8-24-04.

TO: Study Abroad Advising Interest Group Members
FROM: NACADA Executive Office

Please welcome Joe Rojo as co-chair for the Study Abroad Advising Interest Group who will be assisting Nick Conrad with activities and events. Joe is currently the Associate Director of International Programs in the Undergraduate Programs Office for the Warrington College
of Business Administration at the University of Florida, 267 Stuzin Hall, PO Box 117160, Gainesville, FL 32611-7160. Joe's e-mail address is joe.rojo@cba.ufl.edu and his phone number is (352) 273-0165. His contact information can also be found on the interest group web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/InterestGroups/C38/index.htm.

We hope you will be able to attend the Study Abroad Advising Interest Group annual meeting, which meets on Friday, October 8, 10-11am, in Room 241 in the Convention Center during the Cincinnati national conference. The following are possible topics for discussion during this meeting session.

STUDY ABROAD: GREAT FOR STUDENTS, TIME CONSUMING FOR ACADEMIC ADVISORS

1. Why do we (academicians and higher education administrators) think study abroad is important?
2. Assess the needs of your students.

   a. Can your students attend a full semester? Most nontraditional
   students (working people/older students) may not be able to participate in a semester study abroad program. However, a study abroad program that lasts one, or several weeks, might work much better.

   b. Where do the students want to go? If the school selects an exotic
   location, how can the school market the program, so the students will feel comfortable in the new culture?
   c. Cost. Most study abroad programs are priced at $8,000 or higher. For many students, this price tag is exorbitant. What can the students at your school afford?

3. Consider models of study abroad programs and the best model for your school.
   a. Exchange vs. transfer
   b. Home grown programs
   c. Is there an International Center on campus in charge of facilitating
   study abroad for students?
   d. Who is the designated academic advisor? The Colleges, or the
   International Center?
4. Preparing the students.
   a. Promotion and recruiting for the programs.
   b. Orientations.
   c. Course evaluations and equivalencies.
   d. Resources in the home and partner school administrators must be
   responsible to the students (student services.)
   e. Cultural adjustment
5. What information do students need to help them facilitate study abroad?
   a. Clear and easy to use websites and informational brochures.
   b. Coordinators who respond to inquiries quickly and with dependable
   information.
   c. Access to affordable housing in the host country.
   d. Confidence that adapting to a new country will be fun, and enrich
   their lives.
   e. Good networks for students to share information. Use the students who
   have studied abroad to promote the experience to younger students. In UF the creation of a student organization has been influential in increasing our numbers.
6. Does your institution hosts exchange students?