The Office of International Affairs will host a week-long event featuring informational sessions presented by NSU study abroad partners and NSU representatives from Feb. 5 through Feb. 9. Students interested in studying abroad are invited to attend the sessions to learn more about the programs, location possibilities and financing options. During this week, hour-long sessions will be held every day in room 104 of the Student Affairs Building.
According to Katie Goodroad, graduate assistant for international affairs, this will be the first time that the Office of International Affairs will present an event such as this instead of a traditional fair. Goodroad said that this format will allow students to have more facetime with providers to learn more and ask additional questions.
“Normally most colleges do an education abroad fair … and we had one in the fall that went really well but we wanted to switch it up to give students more information,” said Goodroad. “So, we decided that in the winter semester we wanted to have study abroad providers and students have this opportunity to dive into concepts a little more deeply.”
Jeannie Jaworski, director of international affairs, said that the idea for the event stemmed from a similar model which international student recruiters use as a chance to promote education by highlighting their programs.
“As an educator, it’s something that I really appreciate because when I’m recruiting for NSU I’m interested in what’s most important for the student,” said Jaworski. “All of our education abroad partners feel the same way, so, it gives them an opportunity to promote global education as a whole and still help students to find the right fit.”
Jaworski believes that this model will turn the traditional study abroad fair on its head because instead of partners tabling and presenting literature to students, which she admits can be repetitive, both parties will be able to come together and ask questions without feeling overwhelmed.
“We thought what might be more helpful was to give [students] presentations that answer questions we know they have and that they don’t even know that they have yet,” said Jaworski.
Goodroad and Jaworski both hope that the new format will be helpful to every student, regardless of which destination, level or program they decide to participate in. They also believe that multiple sessions will allow for more flexibility with student schedules.
“For example, a lot of the programs also offer post-graduation options for internships,” said Jaworski. “We’re seeing that more now where students already have their classes figured out with the institution, so they’re just looking for that extra experience so they might volunteer or intern abroad; this can help with that.”
In addition to learning about the specifics of program courses, providers, destinations and financing options, there will also be opportunities for students to win scholarships.
“When students attend these sessions, some of the presentations have scholarship raffles so [they] will have a chance of winning a $500 scholarship to be able to go on one of our programs,” said Goodroad.
Following the sessions, students who wish to explore study abroad opportunities can schedule meetings at the Office of International Affairs to begin looking for additional scholarships and learning more about the countries NSU has bases in, like Africa, Latin America, Europe and Southeast Asia.
“We hope that students will be able to see the value in going abroad. I lived two years in France, I taught in Tanzania and South Korea as well and those experiences have made me stronger in every single way,” said Goodroad. “There are a lot of resources available to students who want to study abroad but you have to plan ahead and hustle.”
All students are welcome to attend the sessions. Interested students can contact the Office of International Affairs for more information by calling 954-262-7240 or emailing intl@nova.edu.
