WAIE Conference Sessions
Subject to additions and cancellations without notice
Outsourcing Foreign Credential Evaluations: Does it make sense for your institution?
The session will provide the history of foreign credential evaluations in the U.S., the emergence
of private credential evaluation services, and highlight the benefits of outsourcing vs. in-house.
Presenters:
Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert, President & CEO, Academic Credentials Evaluation
Institute, Inc. (ACEI)
Laura Sippel, President, Laura Sippel Dynamic Consulting, LLC
Using Social Media to Build Relationships with International Students
Social media and instant communication play an integral part in the lives of the new generation
of international students. If you are not using social media to connect and build relationships
with your prospective, accepted and current overseas students, you are missing out.
Join us to talk about various social media platforms, their popularity among students from certain
countries, and what can be accomplished by using those platforms, from recruitment, to
outreach, to advising. Learn what others are doing and share your experiences in this
collaborative session about the new trends in student-centered communication.
Presenters:
Engineering
Kayla Maule, International Admissions Counselor, Milwaukee School of
Katerina Roskina, Senior Evaluator, China Credential Services
Millennials Vs. Generation Z
This session will assist all levels of EA professionals with communicating with students about
study abroad opportunities, and examine strategies for better connecting with students part of the
Millennial Generation (1980-1995) and Generation Z (1996-2016). Although both generations
may share similar characteristics and are often viewed as identical in many ways, Mill. and Gen
Z-ers are different. These differences affect how students communicate and impact their mindset
about study abroad. The presenters will discuss the way Mil. and Gen Z-ers interpret the world
and how that impacts their outlook on study abroad. Things like worth, convenience, and
efficiency all affect a student’s decision to study abroad. The presenters will share strategies and
practices for communicating and marketing the value of study abroad to both groups.
Presenters:
Platteville
Alyssa Shaff, Education Abroad Program Coordinator, University of WisconsinHannah Olevson, University Relations and Outreach Coordinator, Academic
Programs International
Trumped! Immigration in a New Era
Two attorneys and an ISSA ruminate on changes to the immigration aspects of international
exchange to which higher education institutions will need to respond in light of the new
administration and Congress. Attendees will not be required to pay for The Wall or undergo
extended security clearances.
Presenters:
Scott F. Cooper, Attorney, Scott F. Cooper, Attorney at Law
Elizabeth S. Murrar, Attorney, Murrar Law Office LLC
Brooke H.M. Stokdyk, Assistant Director, Michigan State University
Chinese International Student Challenges within the US Educational System
In 2015/2016, over 30% of the international students in the US came from China, amounting to
over 300,000 students that created or supported over 100,000 jobs and contributed over $10
billion to the US economy.
To address the needs of those students and ensure their academic success on US soil we need to
understand their unique cultural and educational background. Join us to learn about the
challenges commonly faced by international students from China, the reasons for those
challenges and the ways to address those challenges at your institution to provide your
prospective and current Chinese students with a level of support they need and deserve.
Presenters:
Katerina Roskina, Senior Evaluator, China Credential Services
The Small Campus Online Presence: using free online tools to improve communications
with students and your community
When it comes to a digital presence, small campuses and programs have just as much to gain as
those with dedicated marketing departments. Online tools can help to bring your messages to a
variety of audiences without the burden of cost. In this session we will review a free and lowcost online tools, including social media, which you can use to lift communications in your
office. These tools absolutely have a place in the international student experience but the trick is
knowing what is available and how to make it work for you and your office.
Special attention will be paid to the effective use of Facebook and Instagram but also Chinese
messaging app, WeChat. We will also explore easy-to-use online marketing tools which can be
implemented in your communications with students, host families, your campus and the wider
community.
Presenters:
Danielle Clarizio, International Student Programs Director, UW-Marinette
Defer the Dream no Longer: Study Abroad Programs for DACA Recipients
This session will explain the legal framework and specific steps to be followed by recipients of
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) who are interested in participating in their
college or university's study abroad programming.
Presenters:
Stuart Gilgannon, Attorney, Gilgannon Law, LLC
Digitization of the ISSS office - Round Table Discussion
In today's tech environment and the realities of working with a shoestring budget, this session
will cover areas within ISSS offices that can be digitized for greater compliance, more accurate
follow up and follow through and identify additional areas to improve automated services. This
session will be for all levels, but is primarily targeted to the small shops with limited tech
support. We will review the IS360 process (JZ's terminology) and how your office can use the
technology available to you to streamline your processes.
Presenters:
Jennifer Zabel (JZ), SEVIS Coordinator, UWM
Too Legit to Quit: Verification Resources for International Credential Evaluation
Build credential evaluation confidence as well as your resource library! Credential evaluation
experts share best practices and invaluable verification tools and resources, helping you swiftly
and assuredly identify and confirm authentic academic credentials.
Presenters:
Karin Christoph Brown, Executive Director & Senior Evaluator, One Earth
International Credential Evaluations
Katerina Roskina, Owner and Senior Evaluator, China Credential Services LLC
Timothy Kell, Senior Evaluator, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
Tax Season Blues: A Tax Solution and Discussion of Campus Practices
Tax season brings hundreds of difficult questions and if you are like us, you dislike seeing
students confused by the nuances of U.S. taxes. We will go over what everyone currently uses as
well as solutions to issues that arise.
Presenters:
Jennifer Gallagher, Vice President, Sprintax
Reading Documentation from Around the Globe
In this session we would review documentation from several different educational systems and
give a quick and succinct overview on how to quickly and accurately extrapolate information
from the documents. Our target audience would be people who handle credentials from all over
the world. We would look at important vocabulary, naming conventions, documentation features,
and pass on a few tips and tricks to make reading a seemingly incomprehensible document
easier. This session is not intended to be Evaluation 101, but would mainly focus on the
documents we would expect to receive and how to read them quickly and easily.
Presenters:
Alison Zaharias, Evaluator, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
Amy Kawa, Evaluator, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
Reflections on My First Year
As educators, we know the importance of and strategies for facilitating reflection. But to what
extent do we take time to reflect on our work in international education? In a candid discussion, I
will share my reflections on my first of Study Abroad & Off-Campus Programs at St. Norbert
College. I will detail my accomplishments and hardships, as well as the laughable and frustrating
experiences in between. As a participant, you will be encouraged to year as Director critically
reflect on your work in the field and share your thoughts.
Presenters:
Jeremy R. Doughty, Ph.D., Director of Study Abroad & Off-Campus Programs,
St. Norbert College
Cross-campus Graduate Mini-internships: A Foothold into International Education
During the 2016-17 academic year, the University of Wisconsin River Falls (UWRF) hosted 19
graduate students on its campus from the University of La Crosse Student Affairs Graduate
Program. These students had the opportunity to complete a mini-internship with another campus
office; two of the graduates (one from Residence Life and the other from the University Center)
chose to intern in the Office of International Education with International Student Services. This
led to a meaningful exchange between the three offices as the graduate interns undertook projects
focused on improving the experience of UWRF international students.
Presenters:
Conan Kmiecik, International Student Services Coordinator, University of
Wisconsin River Falls
Jannie Gonzales, Graduate Student, University of Wisconsin River Falls
Corie Anderson, Graduate Student, University of Wisconsin River Falls
Faculty-Led Program Roundtable
A roundtable discussion on faculty-led programs. Topics may include budgeting, student
orientations, network and relationship building, working with providers, promotion, etc.
Presenters:
Jemma Lund, Study Abroad Coordinator, UW-Green Bay
Intercultural Competence and Study Abroad
In our diverse world it is important to be inclusive to students studying abroad as well as for
students to have tools and skills to help them adapt to host cultures abroad. This session will
explain an option on how to include intercultural training into program orientations (both
faculty-led and long term) and also what suggestions to give students to practice intercultural
sensitivity abroad to both their peers and those in their host culture.
Presenters:
Jemma Lund, Study Abroad Coordinator, UW-Green Bay
Student orientation template for faculty-led programs
This session will introduce a variety of ways to offer pre-departure orientation meetings for
faculty-led study abroad programs. Examples and resources will include both an online and in
person template for students and ideas and resources for faculty leaders. There will also be time
for attendees to brainstorm and connect with others in the sessions to share ideas and jointly
address issues colleagues may be facing with orientation meetings for faculty-led student
programs.
Presenters:
Jemma Lund, Study Abroad Coordinator, UW-Green Bay
Managing Student Expectations
How do we manage student expectations for their academic and/or ESL program, particularly
those who are not realistic about what they need? Students with high expectations. Students with
low expectations. Students with entitlement issues.
How do we support students who have barely met our school’s admission standard for language
proficiency in college level classes?
How do we assist students when they do not perform well?
We will share our experiences and have an open conversation about the struggles of managing
student expectations for those students who are new to the U.S. education system.
Presenters:
Sarah Christensen, International Student Coordinator, UW-Fox Valley
Danielle Clarizio, International Programs Director, UW-Marinette
Amy Jacobson, Coordinator, English Language Services, UW Oshkosh
Bienvenido a Cuernavaca, México!
The session will focus on the 4-Track Study Abroad program in Cuernavaca, Mexico offered by
UWGB during the J-Term. It is one example of an interdisciplinary approach that addresses the
University's Mission as well as involves two different Colleges.
"The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay provides an interdisciplinary, problem-focused
educational experience that prepares students to think critically and address complex issues in a
multicultural and evolving world"
Presenters:
Steven Kimball, Associate Professor and Chair of the Education Department, UW
Green Bay
International Student and Scholar Programming: Roundtable Discussion
Often, the best programming ideas come from conversations with colleagues at other institutions.
Join other programmers for international students and scholars to share your ideas and learn from
others. What kinds of programmatic resources does your office provide? How do you approach
program planning, implementation, and assessment? Are you looking for new ideas to expand
your programming efforts or innovate current offerings? What examples can you share of lowcost, high-impact programs? Join this roundtable discussion to learn how institutions across the
state support international students, scholars, and their families through strategic programming.
Collaboratively brainstorm new program ideas, and borrow from successful models already in
place. Come ready to share your program success and “could have gone better” stories!
Presenters:
Zach Nelson, Program Coordinator, UW-Madison
Shannon Jolly, Assistant Director and International Student Advisor, Beloit
College
How to use oversea Agent to increase your international students population.
The use of agents in international student recruitment has been a controversial topic with divisive
opinions among international education and higher education professionals. Education agents
operate extensively in all the key international student recruitment markets. Today, with the low
domestic student enrollment, more universities and colleges have embraced the use of agent in
their recruitment strategy.
Is the use of commission-based recruitment agents bad for American higher education? In this
session, I will outline the role of agents in your recruitment Strategy and how to separate the
good from the Bad agents to maximize your international student population.
Presenters:
Yacouba Traore, Executive Director, Africa Global Education Link
Reading Chinese Credentials: Must-Have Tools for Evaluation
Ignore the fact that Chinese is one of the most challenging languages in the world and join us to
obtain an overview of the basic skills needed to overcome this language barrier. With a
comprehensive glossary, sample documents, and online tools all provided at this session, you
too, can read Chinese credentials with ease.
Presenters:
Jade Jiang Rieger, Evaluator, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
"Ask the Credential Doctor"
Have tricky foreign academic credentials? Want to ask about the evaluation process, the state of
the industry, or latest resources? Ask the Credential Doctor. This session is hosted by an expert
evaluator from Foreign Credits Inc., who will answer your questions, provide advice, and drive
dialogue about the evaluation process. Bring your tricky credentials with you, as well as your
questions and opinions.
Presenters:
Aleksander Morawski, Director of Evaluation Services, Foreign Credits, Inc.
Shaping the Future of International Education in Wisconsin: WAIE Bylaws Discussion
WAIE, Inc. has been working to establish bylaws. Since we are a member-driven organization,
membership input in this process is essential. Join in a round table discussion of the results of the
recent WAIE Membership Survey, brainstorm suggestions for new initiatives and activities, and
share ideas, questions and comments. Don't miss this opportunity to let your voice be heard!
Presenters:
Emily Anderson, Education Abroad Specialist, Waukesha County Technical
College (WCTC)
Stephanie Belmas, Senior International Student Specialist, Madison Area
Technical College
Caity Dawson, International Student Advisor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mark Eckman, Director of Study Abroad, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Laura Zuege, Director of Off-Campus Programs, Lawrence University