At this year’s Association of International Education Administrators (
AIEA) Annual conference, over 800 Senior International Officers (SIOs) came together in San Francisco for three days of engaging sessions, speakers and networking. From sessions ranging from best practices in supporting the internalization strategy of an institution, faculty and student engagement and perspectives, to the impact of technology and innovation on an institution’s internalization strategy, as well as current trends.
Supporting vulnerable students
AACRAO was again pleased to contribute to the AIEA Annual Conference. This year, Annetta Stroud (AACRAO) and Jane Roche (University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants (
UARRM)) led the Networking Conversation on international Education Leadership and Refugees, discussing best practices and lessons learned. Though these best practices and lessons learned came from a variety of institutions, both four year and community colleges, public and private, it was clear that to have a successful program that supports refugee and vulnerable students, buy-in must be created at all institutional levels. From student led initiatives and faculty engagement, to the support of the president, all voices are necessary to support student success for vulnerable students.
In addition to leading the Networking Conversation, Stroude and Roche teamed up with Katherine Miller (IIE-PEER) to present an update on current innovative initiatives that university professionals, including SIOs, can use to harness the institution to support access to higher education for vulnerable populations. The session focused on IIE-PEER international initiatives that HEIs can become involved with, and the 6 Action Areas of the UARRM, specifically Action Area 2 – Overcoming Barriers to Entry into Colleges and Universities. Within this Action Area, AACRAO presented an update on the
Article 26 Backpack and next steps, as well as a sneak-peek into the content of the AACRAO Policy Paper on Inclusive Admissions Policies for Displaced and Vulnerable Students that will be presented at the
AACRAO Annual Meeting for membership endorsement.
Further the conversation
AACRAO is proud to be a leader in supporting policies that our membership can apply at their institutions, and we look forward seeing you and continuing the conversation at the
2019 AACRAO Annual Meeting.
For more information on how your institution can become involved and support our vulnerable communities, please join Dr. Kyle Farmbry, Dean - Graduate School, Rutgers University, and co-chair of the UARRM, and Annetta Stroud, Associate Director for Training and Program Development, AACRAO, at their session on Tuesday, April 2, 2019.