Academic Directors Overseas: Challenges of Managing the ‘Academics’ in Latin American and European Programs

1. Academic Directors Overseas: Challenges of Managing the ‘Academics’ in Latin American and European Programs Jose B. Alvarez Ph.D. Vice President, Program Management and Development CEA Study Abroad Based in Rome, Italy

2. Study abroad experiences that shape my belief on administration and execution of all facets • Lausanne Switzerland: 1973 • US, undergraduate 1982: “Welcome to Boston” • Spain summer 1996. TA teaching responsibilities. 8-week program • 1996, hired as Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia. Tenured 2002. • UGA 2001 Valencia and Cadiz *Cannot be done! Expanded to Seville, Spring semester Valencia then year round. *Brand. Summer in Cuba, Venezuela and Peru • SIT Study Abroad: oversaw 30 programs in Latin America and Europe over 5 years. Based in US (2 years) then 3 Years in Rome • CEA: Based in Rome. Overseeing locations in Europe and LA since May 2013

3. My Supervisory roles: • Long distance: common denominator • Across multiple time zones • Multiple languages, many not proficient • Various expectations: Faculty & Admin • Multifacetroles • Academic • Administrative, incl budget & personnel • Development • Health&Safety/CrisisIntervention/Confidant

4. Academic Director: *Definition, *Qualifications, *Experience, *Roles • No standard title in our field (unlike academic titles): *Resident Director, *Field Director, *Center Director, *Program Director, *Dean, *Faculty Director, *other? • I have chosen to use for this presentation: Academic Director to highlight the essence of the job.

5. Definition: the primary mission of the AD is related to what gives meaning to the title: Academics • In essence we could argue that he/she is the Chief Academic Officer in the field • Curriculum Development and Supervision • Syllabi development • Faculty hiring, mentoring, supervision and evaluation • Teaching • Courses: selection, scheduling, assignments • Student Academic issues • Liaison with home office (US), sending institutions

6. Qualifications: • Advanced graduate degree (terminal degree preferred) • Field of Academic expertise • Previous supervisory role • In country knowledge/SA experience • Knowledge/experience US higher education • Bilingual in English and the local language

7. Experience; How does one qualify for a job that requires all that is expressed above: • Academic preparation and experience • Administration skills, including budgetary responsibilities and personnel management • Student services SA experience • And… • Can work long distance with little supervision • Follows directions • Not a research position

8. Roles: Depending on the size and staffing of the program: Various hats • Program administrator • Language coordinator • University liaison • Internship coordinator • Student Services Coordinator • Legal representative • Homestay coordinator, • Thus: Wonder WOMAN or Superman!

9. Challenges of the academicrole • Center program (autonomous) • Partner program • Faculty • US vs Foreign • Adjunct: buy in (facultymeetings, excursions, etc.) • Proficiency in English • Expectations: program and students • Understanding the audience (whoisit) • Basic matters: concept of time, syllabi, assignments, feedback, methodology • AcademicFreedom!

10. Faculty seminars • Origin: cooking classes homestay mothers • Audience: first year faculty teaching US students, others needed due to evals • Leader: Best: local national (AD/Peer) • Threats: faculty resistance, feeling insulted, University partner not allowing • How to present it: PD opportunity, time for sharing, intercultural seminar. • PAY: include in contract hours

11. Objectives • Train new instructors on U.S. standards on grading practices, scales, inflation • Provide an overview of U.S. students expectations on faculty feedback: frequency, type • Usage of methodological best practice (experiential learning cycle: theorize, plan, experience, reflect) • Strategies on engaging the student in the classroom, seeking an informed, participant atmosphere

12. Objectives: cont. • Identification of (SMART) learning objectives for the lesson/course • Training on course design (i.e. discussion of U.S. syllabus standards), lesson design, assessment design, classroom delivery skills • Exploitation of additional resources (visual aids, study sheets, etc.) BALANCE (ppt) • Communication with student: the importance of responsiveness, ability to answer student queries, and of clarity on course goals, expectations, requirements, etc. • Instructor approachability outside of class

13. Objectives cont. • Attitude toward different views in the classroom • Employment of teaching strategies to accommodate different learning styles • Understanding and incorporating student evaluation feedback into improving teaching

14. Audience • New instructors teaching for the first time • Instructors teaching U.S. students for the first time • Faculty identified from Student Evaluations • Optional continuous learning opportunity for current instructors/Refresher • Anyone that is teaching your students! • **Program staff

15. Format • Presentation of key information, combined with active discussion of best practices in higher education, exchange of experiences, discussion of cultural differences • Should follow the experiential model in that instructors have an active opportunity to get engaged in planning/experiencing/reflecting (e.g. developing SMART lesson learning objectives in a small group) • Role play

16. Learning outcomes By the end of the training, participating faculty should be able to: • Understand and employ/adhere to key U.S. standards on course and assessment design, methodological best practice, classroom delivery skills and management • Understand the profile/academic background/expectations of U.S. study abroad students and be better prepared to teach, communicate, and provide feedback to them • Comprehend the idiosyncrasies of US undergraduates