How not to be overwhelmed by credentials in german
Effective strategies for increasing student participation abroad
1. Effective Strategies
for Increasing
Student Participation
in Study Abroad
Karen Eisenhut
Point Loma Nazarene University
Lisa Loberg
California Lutheran University
NAFSA Region XII Conference
San Jose, CA
October 24, 2012
2. Welcome
› Introductions
› Karen Eisenhut, Point Loma Nazarene University
› Lisa Loberg, California Lutheran University
3. Quiz / Questionnaire
1. Over the past year, semester study abroad numbers have:
a. Increased dramatically
b. Increased somewhat
c. Stayed the same
d. Decreased somewhat
e. Decreased dramatically
2. Over the past year, the office budget has:
a. Increased dramatically
b. Increased somewhat
c. Stayed the same
d. Decreased somewhat
e. Decreased dramatically
4. Quiz / Questionnaire
3. Does your office want to increase the number of students
who study abroad on semester programs?
a. yes
b. no
4. Is your office goal in support of or in conflict with institutional
priorities? Please explain briefly.
5. Quiz / Questionnaire
5. What barriers/misperceptions/myths do you think prevent
more of your students from studying abroad? Please rank 1-8.
______Can’t get the classes they need for their major
______Concerns about graduating on time.
______Don’t believe they can afford it
______Don’t know how the process works
______Don’t see the value or connection to their career
______Family pressure to stay close to home
______General fear about the experience
______Unaware of the opportunity
6. Quiz / Questionnaire
6. When your office is engaged in marketing and outreach,
who is the primary target audience?
a. students
b. university staff/administration
c. faculty
d. parents/families
e. other: please specify
7. Who is the secondary target audience?
a. students
b. university staff/administration
c. faculty
d. parents/families
e. other: please specify
7. Quiz / Questionnaire
8. What phrase best describes your current office operations:
a. Things are slow in the office, and we wish we had more projects
and work to do.
b. We are adequately handling the workload we have and
don’t need more staff/resources or projects.
c. Things are busy in the office, and we wish we had more
staff/resources.
d. The office is running beyond full capacity, and we desperately
need more staff/resources.
8. Quiz / Questionnaire
9. What do you think is the key to getting more students to
study abroad?
10. How can support from
faculty help eliminate
barriers to participation?
11. Quiz / Questionnaire
5. What barriers/misperceptions/myths do you think prevent
more of your students from studying abroad? Please rank 1-8.
______Can’t get the classes they need for their major
______Concerns about graduating on time.
______Don’t believe they can afford it
______Don’t know how the process works
______Don’t see the value or connection to their career
______Family pressure to stay close to home
______General fear about the experience
______Unaware of the opportunity
12. Implications
› Re-think strategies for marketing and outreach
› Where best to spend limited time, energy, and resources
› Improve the dynamic of the relationship between the
study abroad office and academic departments
› Perhaps the identified barriers go away with increased faculty
support and curriculum/academic integration of study abroad
14. Group
Discussion Questions
1. What are you finding to be
most effective in your
marketing and outreach
efforts?
2. Do you currently work with
areas across campus to
communicate opportunities to
study abroad?
3. What evidence to you see
that indicates how it is working?
15. Group
Discussion Questions
4. Have you considered a
marketing strategy for faculty
who may be very influential in
encouraging students to study
abroad?
5. How would you reach the
faculty and what information
would you give them?
How would the messaging
differ?
16. Thank you for your
participation
Karen Eisenhut, Point Loma Nazarene University
KarenEisenhut@pointloma.edu
Lisa Loberg, California Lutheran University
loberg@callutheran.edu
