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Guests:
Dr. Amy Cicchino
Dr. Aaron Clevenger
Sue Macchiarella
Jenna Hejnar
Highlights
1. Study Abroad Requires Comprehensive Faculty Preparation Beyond Traditional Teaching
Jenna Hejnar emphasized that faculty leading study abroad programs face unique challenges: "We're not just teaching a class, we're also helping with planning. We're creating these programs... We're thinking about course logistics, right? What can I deliver in person? What am I delivering online? How am I doing this while we're traveling?" Faculty must redesign assignments, manage student well-being abroad, and integrate place-based learning effectively.
2. Communities of Practice Provide Sustainable, Faculty-Led Learning Networks
Amy Cicchino explained that communities of practice differ from traditional workshops because they are "faculty LED" where "faculty join because they have a shared interest." She noted that even after their formal year-long program ended, "the faculty who have participated have continued to have discussions about study abroad. They've continued to share resources."
3. Cultural Humility Over Cultural Competence Creates Better Learning Outcomes
Aaron Clevenger distinguished between these approaches: "Cultural humility would say that we can never completely and fully understand someone else's lived experience. And so we are, we are ourselves continually changing and growing." This shifts the focus from achieving fixed competency to ongoing learning and reflection.
4. Systematic Assessment Captures the Full Impact of Study Abroad Experiences
Amy Cicchino found that the community of practice encouraged "this more systematic approach to assessing study abroad than maybe they were previously accustomed to." Examples included students creating "public facing videos that were largely reflective" and writing "letters to them, their future selves and then revisited the letters and reflected on the differences."
5. Institutional Collaboration is Essential for Successful Study Abroad Programs
Sue Macchiarella stressed that "this is not something you do alone, and there are so many people that you can collaborate with." She hosts annual faculty and staff appreciation dinners because "there are so many people that we collaborate with to make these happen from our pre departure briefings... to post, you know, re-entry the curriculum." The success depends on partnerships across multiple offices and campuses.
