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The Nominating Committee of the Forum Council is pleased to present the following candidates for election to the Council. The candidates have provided these statements in support of their nominations:
Andrea Custodi (The Alliance for Global Education)
Andrea Custodi’s professional background includes over 10 years of program development and management in South Asia, with particular interests in and focus on organization-building, development of policies and protocols, and health and safety issues. A member of the Forum Standards Committee since March 2007, Andrea brings these interests to bear in her contributions to the development of best practices for the field.
Andrea has also been a part of the Forum Working Group on Ethics since its inception in September 2007, as well as the recently-formed School of Record Working Group. She is strongly committed not only to Forum’s work in the development of standards, best practices, and ethical guiding principles, but also to the collegial and collaborative approach that embodies the spirit of international education. To this end, Andrea has served as leader and moderator of the Association of U.S. Academic Programs in India (AUSAPI) since 2006, working to promote professional exchange and resident staff development opportunities for all U.S. study abroad programs operating on the subcontinent.
Andrea’s academic background is interdisciplinary, with doctoral research and publications incorporating contemporary critical, feminist, and psychoanalytic theory with a focus on South Asian religious materials. Andrea is fluent in French and Italian, with written proficiency in Sanskrit.
Through election to the Council, Andrea hopes to continue her service to the field through the valuable work of the Forum
Monique Fecteau (Tufts University, Paris)
As a longtime resident director in France with considerable experience as a French language instructor in private and public institutions in the U.S. and a doctorate in second language acquisition, I am particularly interested in program and curricular design as they relate to the following issues and the Standards of Student Learning and Development and Academic Framework:
1) the proliferation of English-language programs and courses (in U.S. programs and, increasingly, French and other EU universities) and the implications for more traditional immersion programs focusing on language and the humanities. What is function and the future of language instruction in study abroad programs?
2) the tension between U.S. philosophies and student-centered approaches to teaching and learning and more traditional instructional modes that still prevail in many countries and pose a challenge to students enrolled in local university courses (totally or partially). What is the balance between ensuring academic credit by imposing U.S. curricular norms and exposing students to a different approach to higher education, an integral part of the culture?
3) the perception of study abroad as a primarily experiential, non-academic experience on the part of many students, faculty and administrators in the U.S. and abroad where U. S. students are frequently viewed as “cultural tourists”. How to reconcile experiential and academic goals on site and reinforce the message that they are not incompatible?
Viewpoints and “reality checks” from faculty and academic staff abroad are critical to the Forum’s mission. Having served as president of the Association of U.S. University Programs in France since 2008 and also conducted two recent surveys with students and administrators in France, Spain and Italy, I would welcome an opportunity to share the knowledge and information I have acquired and to contribute to the Forum’s goals and future projects.
Stephen Ferst (The Education Abroad Network/Study Australia)
Stephen Ferst is currently the Director of University Relations and Development at The Education Abroad Network. He has been working professionally in international education since 1989 as an advisor, recruiter, resident director, and director. Over his 20 year career he has been responsible for the development and management of dozens of short-term programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Dr. Ferst has studied abroad in Israel and lived and worked abroad in the UK.
In addition he has served on several task forces and committees for both NAFSA and The Forum. He served in positions in advocacy, public policy, education and development, and conference planning. These opportunities have afforded him the knowledge and competencies to promote the goals of international education and the Forum in particular to others both inside the field and inside the larger academic and political communities. His regular contributions to the field through presentations at region, national, and international conferences on topics such as technology in education abroad, gender and identity, woman’s health and safety, sexual assaults, advocacy, academic engagement, underrepresented populations, and international education policy can serve as an important base of knowledge for the Forum Council to draw upon.
In the Forum’s mission statement is the initiative “…to help to improve education abroad programs to benefit the students that participate in them.” Steve believes his prior record of service speaks directly to this goal. Serving as a member of the Council would allow him to contribute even more to support the on-going work of the Forum.
Kline Harrison (Wake Forest University)
Having been a member of the Forum for three years and having served as chair of the 2010 Annual Conference, I am eager to contribute more fully to this organization which serves our field so effectively.
My background in education and training abroad includes both theory and practice. In the late 1980’s my dissertation focused on the then nascent field of cross-cultural management training. Since that time I have published a variety of articles focused on business expatriates and students abroad, with the two most recent appearing in Frontiers. In practice, I have led a dozen summer study tours to Europe and Asia over the last twenty years.
Since 2007, I have served as Associate Provost for International Affairs at Wake Forest University. In addition to the University’s Center for International Studies and its overseas residential properties falling under my purview, one of my primary responsibilities has been the implementation of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan focused on preparing students to become global citizens. One key aspect of the plan has been the development, implementation, and assessment of an Intercultural Competency Program for students participating in education abroad.
At a time when the Forum is focusing on making the connection between praxis and theory in education abroad, I feel I can provide significant contributions from both perspectives given my experience. Furthermore, with my academic background in organizational behavior and management, I feel I also can provide insight and feedback on the continuing development of the Forum as an organization.
Irene Gawel (
AustraLearn / AsiaLearn / EuroLearn [Globalinks Learning Abroad]
Essential traits of a leader in international education include common sense, specialized knowledge in Education Abroad, ability to get things done, creativity and self-reliance. As an entrepreneur in international education, I led a boutique education abroad provider for over twelve years. I presented forward thinking and vision for the future. By committing the necessary means to programming while also investing in human resources, my vision came to fruition. This included a multitude of program options of varying lengths and recognition as a leader in the field, if in my experience with my own organization or through providing assessments to enhance overall education abroad programming.
My foundation in diverse leadership opportunities has positioned me at this time for the Council and I have the support of my current organization. The environment would challenge me, my knowledge, expertise and fulfill my desire to give back to our larger community. Interest in standards commenced early in my international education career as I sought lexis to assist in the building of partnerships, as clear expectations need articulation. As the current co-chair of the sub-Committee on Institutional Relations the dialogue is ongoing. The endeavor is to provide all types of organizations a transparent path on the intersection of mutually agreeable and respectful relationships. Without the foundation in these key debates I would not be prepared for the discussions with the Standards Committee and most recently the School of Record Working Group.
Sue Mennicke (Southwestern University)
I currently serve as Director of Intercultural Learning at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. In this position, I engage daily with my fundamental interests in the field, including the ways in which education abroad functions as a vehicle for the liberal arts, how faculty engage with and understand the pedagogical possibilities engendered by a philosophically well-grounded off-campus study program, and the exploration of the implied moral and ethical imperative for those working and participating in education abroad.
Building on these interests, my Forum Council membership would find articulation in conversations on quality and standards in education abroad. It is my firm belief that such conversations are most fruitful when coupled with attention to foundational educational goals. In other words, finding a balance between the procedural/practical and the philosophical presents an invigorating and challenging space in which to work, and constructing the conversation in a way that positions the profession as a group of educators (and not simply administrators) is of critical importance.
I have extensive experience serving on a variety of advisory and governance boards in the field, and thus have a deep understanding of current issues most pressing for the field. I very much enjoy learning from others and work in a collaborative style to ensure inclusion and richness in dialogue. This style seems particularly well suited to the work of the Council and I would look forward to engaging with colleagues to help shape the terrain on which the education abroad field unfolds.
Paul Primak (Oregon State University)
Paul Primak is the Director for the Oregon University System International Programs and IE3 Global Internships. Paul works with a staff of over 25 professionals to expand international opportunities for Oregon and Pacific Northwest university partners.
Education abroad is a value-added endeavor. Long interested in the synergies of the academic, cultural and personal development dimensions of education abroad, Paul and his colleagues at the OUS are beginning a series of assessment projects to attempt to measure second language acquisition and cultural literacy. His involvement with the Forum on Education Abroad has been a significant influence in seeking to improve the quality and measurement of the international experience.
The preparation of our students for the 21st century economy works hand in hand with our outreach to government, NGOs, business development and academic institutions for the improvement of Oregon’s economy and quality of life. Through continued involvement with the Forum, we expect to expand our assessment efforts, improve the quality of our programs, and develop programming that is accessible to our students.
Jen Sydow (Scottsdale Community College)
Jen Sydow is the Education Abroad Advisor in the International Education Programs Office at Scottsdale Community College (SCC). She has worked at the two-year institutional level for over 10 years (SCC and Northcentral Technical College). She also worked for a study abroad provider for one year. Jen holds a B.A. in Spanish and a Certificate in International Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.A. in International Education from the SIT Graduate Institute. Jen’s main focus has always been international education at the community college level and specifically developing and promoting education abroad.
“I am currently responsible for helping faculty design and prepare their summer education abroad programs, assisting faculty in the creation and maintenance of exchange programs, advising students interested in an overseas experience as well as facilitating pre-departure orientations and re-entry seminars for both faculty and students. I am a strong advocate that with the right tools, students can increase their intercultural awareness during a short-term program.
I presently serve as Co-chair of the Maricopa District Education Abroad Sub-committee in which I helped to revise and streamline the policies and procedures for education abroad district-wide (10 colleges). This year I created a health and safety training workshop for all faculty leading a program. I am passionately interested in promoting education abroad at the community college level and feel that my 10+ years of experience in education abroad and community colleges will bring an additional perspective to the Forum that will only help to further its mission.”
Margaret Wiedenhoeft (Kalamazoo College)
I am interested in serving on the Forum Council to further the excellent work of my colleagues in the field and to contribute to an organization that is such an asset to the professionalization of education abroad. Since beginning my career in international education over 12 years ago, I have been impressed by the breadth and depth of the intersection of four important areas in the field: the growth of study abroad and our students’ expectation of international opportunities; the development of sophisticated systems for managing student health and safety; the necessity of managing programs and offices with limited resources due to the economic climate; and the emphasis on curriculum integration. The Forum’s work regarding the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad, the code of Ethics for Education Abroad, and emphasis on outcomes assessment have proved durable and timely resources for the field, not just for Forum members. I will work hard as a member of the council to continue to address not only these themes, but also to contribute to new developments and research as these emerge.”
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