Program Development

• Provide expertise and resources in the development of education abroad programs
• Partner with institutions to develop and facilitate education abroad opportunities
• Align education abroad programs with academic goals, including working with campus units for clear articulation of credit
• Conduct program assessments with an objective of continuous improvement

Program Management

• Coordinate signature, exchange, direct enroll, and customized education abroad programs
• Advise for and communicate with students on the entirety of the education abroad process
• Develop and implement a variety of programming for students during all stages of their education abroad experience
• Maximize safety abroad by actively collaborating with the Office of International Safety and Security

Partner Relations

• Maintain collaborative links with partners through agreements that allow for student mobility
• Support partnerships through communications management and coordinated visits

Business

• Post education abroad program fees to student accounts
• Execute international financial transactions
• Provide detailed program information to allow for the disbursement of federal financial aid

Outreach & Marketing

• Collaborate with academic units to make education abroad an integral part of the curricula
• Create a dynamic print and media presence to communicate the value of education abroad
• Promote education abroad opportunities to the campus community through targeted outreach
• Plan and implement the annual Illinois Abroad Day event in collaboration with campus education abroad partners

Systems

• Maintaining application requirements
• Providing system operations and training
• Managing a variety of program offerings
• Reporting unit and campus level data to internal and external stakeholders
• Software licensing
• Integrating data between education abroad software and university systems

The mission of the field of international education is to facilitate opportunities for students to develop global competencies. However, historic and current participation data reflects gaps in ensuring students of all backgrounds have access and support to study abroad. As international educators, we are committed to removing those inequities while expanding access to global opportunities for all students as a means to social justice and equity. It is our responsibility to acknowledge that we are part of a system that was built on and has perpetuated inequality and exclusion. We strive to ensure that our programs with host communities around the world are mutually beneficial and sustainable, while acknowledging the patterns of access and privilege that may be perpetuated through education abroad.

In alignment with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange is committed to fostering an inclusive campus community, engaging in meaningful dialogue, training staff, and taking actionable steps to break down barriers to serve students from historically marginalized communities and underrepresented backgrounds within study abroad seen in the data set below.

Click to enlarge.

In order to make progress toward these goals, IAGE has identified the following key initiatives:

• Membership and alignment of our unit practices with Diversity Abroad and the Forum on Education Abroad.
• Implementing training and advising standards for all full time staff.
• Ongoing development of resources for students of different identities, including the Identity and Inclusion resource pages and redesign of the Illinois Abroad Ambassador program.
• Seeking ethical partnerships within the Global South.

We will measure success by tracking our efforts in analyzing, identifying, and implementing procedural and programmatic changes, as well as engagements from stakeholders with our resources, programs, and events.