Sessions will be held on March 14 at Rockford University!

Conference Session Descriptions 

• Congratulations! You've been promoted to a managerial position in an ISS Office. Now What? 
  • This presentation will examine best practices surrounding the supervision of ISS offices and staff members. The world of International Student Support is founded in specific rules and processes for universities, P/DSOs and A/ROs, and individual students themselves. While ISS Advisors are fundamentally integral to students' success, managing an ISS Office or an ISS Team requires you to approach issues using different strategies. Going from an ISS Advisor to a managerial position of an ISS Office or Team can often include a steep learning curve, as different skills are required to be successful with the new contexts that the role brings. 
• Its Not You, It's Me: Breaking Up in Education Abroad
  • Working in Education Abroad requires staff members to think and work collaboratively with a large variety of partners, from faculty-led programs to external program and service providers. But what if your partnerships are no longer serving you and your students? You will leave this session feeling confident in how to assess programmatic issues, approach them appropriately, and learn when and how to back away from the relationship. 
• Who's Advising Whom? CPT and Academic Advisors 
  • Curricular Practical Training (CPT) sits at the intersection of academic advising and international student support, requiring active collaboration from both departments, as neither can fulfill these responsibilities in isolation. This session will address shared challenges faced by international and academic offices in supporting their students with CPT. These challenges are often the result of failure to ask the right questions, varying internship requirements across programs, and advising staff turnover. Presenters will discuss strategies for refining communication and collaboration between academic and international offices to ensure compliance, clarity, and support for students. Topics will include the importance of maintaining records, establishing clear roles and responsibilities, and hosting regular workshops to review CPT procedures and address department-specific needs.
• Mundos Conectados: Latinx Experiences in Study Abroad
  • In the evolving landscape of higher education, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are essential for creating equitable opportunities in study abroad programs. This presentation will explore the critical need for representation of Latinx students in international education, addressing the current disparity between the rising Latinx student population on college campuses and their low participation rates in study abroad programs.
    Our office has launched the "Identities Abroad: The Latinx Experience" initiative, which includes a series of targeted events designed to support and empower Latinx students in their study abroad journeys. From a welcoming kickoff event to focused discussions on Latinx identities abroad, resource sharing, returnee dialogues, and student panels, these programs aim to foster a sense of belonging and community among Latinx students.
• PPT Killed the Presentation: Designing Experiences to Engage your Audience 
  • Transform those passionless PowerPoints into purposeful productions! Learn how to curate experiences that go beyond the presentation to draw your audience in and create a lasting impact.
• Managing an Application Pipeline
  • This session will help international admissions counselors how to effectively manage their application pipeline throughout all steps of the process. Effective time management strategies, organizational skills, and challenges will be discussed. Attendees will also have a chance to discuss their own strategies and come away with new ideas on how to better manage their process. Perfect for those just starting in the international admissions field or for those looking to implement better strategies for their office.
• Life After F-1 Status: Employment Visas
  • This session will explore popular employment-based visa options for F-1 and J-1 students following completion of their studies.
• Roundtable: Supporting Leaders of Faculty-led Programs
  • This will be an open roundtable discussion about strategies and practical solutions for supporting faculty who lead instructor-led programs abroad. Participants will bring their own questions and experiences in this area as we learn from each other.
• Introduction to the IEI Mentorship Program 
  • Session will give an overview of the IEI Mentorship program including history, schedule/structure, benefits, as well as a panel discussion with a current mentor/mentee pair.
• Evaluating International Credentials: Setting Up Processes and Settling on Policies
  • This presentation lays out the foundations for setting up an effective process to handle foreign credentials and receive credential evaluation reports. It involves discussions on establishing policies that infuse industry best practices and align with institutional needs. The session provides various insights for creating an effective international admissions office and addresses several key questions that should be considered to attract a robust international student application pool
• International Student Support from a DSO's Perspective: What Else Can We Do? ​
  • International students face unique challenges that can impact their immigration status and academic success. This session, led by three international student advisors, will explore the evolving role of DSOs in providing holistic support to international students beyond regulatory responsibilities. Attendees will gain insights into effective strategies for fostering a supportive environment, from addressing language and cultural adjustment issues to de-escalating difficult scenarios. Through case studies, practical examples, and interactive discussions, participants will leave with actionable ideas to better support international students at their institutions.
• I can, I will, End of Story. Conquering Impostor Syndrome
  • Impostor Syndrome doesn't have to keep us from succeeding! We will discuss the common obstacles of Impostor Syndrome, how to overcome them, and how to reshape your thinking into "I can, I will, end of story."
• National Interest Waiver Petitions - An Alternative to Labor Certification and Outstanding Professor or Research Petitions
  • The National Interest Waiver ("NIW") petition avoids the lengthy PERM process and the need to obtain a prevailing wage determination from the U.S. Department of Labor.  It also provides a viable alternative to researchers who may not qualify under the Outstanding Professor or Researcher category which has a subjective final merits determination.  The NIW petition can be filed by the institution or filed as a self-petition. It allows qualified PhD and Postdoctoral Researchers to control their own green card process. If qualified, they do not need their employer to sponsor them.  The Dunn Law Firm, LLP and the Arkell Immigration Team has successfully filed NIW petitions for 1000s of individuals throughout the United States and around the world affiliated with the world’s leading universities, research institutions, and businesses, as well as Federal and International Agencies.  They have also successfully filed NIW petitions for many different institutions of higher education throughout the country.
• What Do We Do Now? A Collaborative Reflection & Discussion About Potential & Real Immigration Challenges & Changes in the Current Political Climate from a DEIJ/B Lens
  • Many school ISSS offices have fielded questions and concerns from their students, faculty, and fellow staff. Ultimately, school administrations have dictated how our offices should and can respond, and the approaches have varied greatly. This session will offer a safe space for participants the opportunity to discuss what their institutions have done (or not done) to respond to potential and actual immigration changes enacted by the new administration. Participants will engage in collaborative problem solving and idea sharing around DEIJ/B related case studies with special attention given to the potential and any already actualized pressures of the current administration.
• • Reintegration Realities: Guiding Students Through Their Return Journey
    
  • Returning home after studying abroad can be just as challenging as the departure. Students may face reverse culture shock, shifting relationships, and a struggle to articulate their experience in meaningful ways. This session will explore key reintegration challenges and strategies for supporting students in their academic, personal, and professional growth post-study abroad. We’ll discuss best practices, reintegration needs, and interactive approaches to helping students process their return.
• Hiring and Onboarding: Challenges and Strategies for Finding and Supporting New International Student Advisors ​
  • In this discussion based session, attendees will learn best practices and approaches to hiring and onboarding international student advisors as well as learn from their peers about different nuances offices face in the process. *Modified from a session at the Region IV & V Biregional Conference*
• Developing a Recruitment Strategy on a Low Budget 
  • Do you have a limited budget for recruitment? Do you have no budget at all? This session will discuss recruitment resources that can assist professionals in IEM roles that don’t have much of a budget to work with and recruitment limitations that small institutions face. Attendees are welcome to share their recruitment plan methods and stories. Presentation and open discussion. 
• Co-curricular Programming and Student Impact 
  • Student groups share in community and grow in coalition with one another, having shared through a narrative-based lens, centering wholistic learning, ethical global engagement, and social justice. The Coalition is a program of mutual support and mentorship. In attending each meeting, led through discussions and interactive activities about identity, community, collaboration, envisioning, leadership and impact, centering various types of learning. The goal is for student groups on campus to transform their global outlook and connect it to their locally centered work, and to grow a greater understanding of the global cultural geography around them. Within the Coalition, the goal is to see the world through each other's eyes, cultivating curiosity led by empathy while tackling issues that each student group is facing.
• The Future is Now: What International Students Can Expect from the New Administration
  • This session will address possible changes to our country's immigrations policies and procedures in the years to come under the new Congress and Presidential administration. Learn everything an international student advisor needs to know in order to counsel and guide the students in their care.
• Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) & Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Updates
  • Collaborative government session with SEVP and CBP sharing the latest updates and trends and highlighting upcoming opportunities for stakeholder engagement.​

LOCATION

Rockford University ​
5050 E State St
​Rockford, IL 61108