Pre-Conference Workshops

Workshop 1

International Educators Training Program (IETP) from Queens University: “Intercultural training and student success”

This workshop will explore intercultural initiatives at Canadian institutions and examine current activities, models, tools, and resources. Through a combination of lecture, interactive activity, and facilitated discussion, the workshop will allow for optimum inter-institutional exchange for international educators dedicated to growing the value intercultural diversity brings to classrooms, campuses and communities. Through large and small group discussions, participants will share "good practices" for intercultural approaches that prepare students for diverse contexts. The session will elicit and highlight good use of intercultural theory, techniques and tools which can be used to transform our current practices into training opportunities that grow skill and knowledge. In the fall of 2011, Garson, Myles, and Odgers conducted an intercultural training survey among Canadian international educators; results pertinent to the British Columbia IE context, that will be shared during the workshop. Maximum of 40 registrants.

Facilitators: Kyra Garson, Wayne Myles, Todd Odgers
Time: 11:00-15:00
Cost: $175 ($195 for out-of-province attendees)

Workshop 2

PART 1: Developing, Negotiating, and Managing International Contracts and Agreements

Developing, negotiating and managing international contracts and agreements can seem intimidating, yet contract negotiation and management are critical tools for the international educator. Demystify and enliven the process in this interactive session, which will cover common terminology and clauses, challenges related to legislative and institutional policy issues and opportunities for creative innovation. Participants in this 3-hour workshop will learn common terminology, clauses, and addendum, as well as begin to explore different approaches to developing agreements and contracts.  The workshop will also help participants identify opportunities and challenges when negotiating international contracts and agreements, including those of legislation and institutional policies.

Facilitators: Kate Jennings, SFU; Dawn Sutherland, Maple Leaf Education System (MLES), China
Time: 9:00-12:00
Note: Part 1 of this workshop is a repeat of the BCCIE professional development workshop on the same topic which was offered in December, 2011.

PART 2:  Developing, Negotiating, and Managing International Contracts and Agreements

For those who participated in Part 1, or in the December 11, 2011 BCCIE workshop on the same topic, or who are otherwise more advanced in your understanding of international contracts and agreements we invite you to join us for this more in-depth look at developing, negotiating and managing international contracts and agreements.

Participants in this 3-hour workshop will further explore different approaches to developing agreements and contracts as well as common challenges and opportunities in negotiating and managing international agreements and contracts. Participants will have an opportunity to critically review agreements and contracts to identify potential issues and make recommendations for improvement.  Depending on the interests of those who register, we expect to break into groups based on types of agreements/contracts (agents, student mobility, dual/double degrees, professional service contracts, etc.) or on stages of agreement/contract management (developing, negotiating, managing) with each group led by an "expert" on the topic to further develop our skills and knowledge in these areas.

Facilitators: Kate Jennings, SFU; Dawn Sutherland, Maple Leaf Education System (MLES), China
Time: 13:00-16:00
Cost: Part 1 AND 2 COMBINED: Registration: $175 ($195 for out-of-province attendees) Part 1 or Part 2 SINGLE Session Registration: $100 ($115 for out-of-province attendees) 

Workshop 3

BC Homestay Network Workshop Session (Co-sponsored by BCCIE and Languages Canada)

The BC Homestay Network session will provide a professional sharing and training forum for homestay industry professionals from all sectors -  private, public, K-12, post-secondary. This workshop is an interactive opportunity to exchange information between homestay professionals, share best practice procedures and work collectively toward ensuring that all participating institutions are offering quality programs, striving to establish high industry standards and ensure a positive image for the Canadian homestay industry.  Although the focus of this session will be on BC programming, the session is open to and inclusive of homestay professionals from across Canada and beyond.  Maximum of 50 registrants.

The Homestay Workshop will be covering best practice topics, such as:

• Homestay Family Application Process (screening, educating, monitoring)
• Homestay family recruitment, retention and management
• Pre-arrival information for students
• Student movement/relocation (criteria and policies)
• Dealing with dietary/medical restrictions/conditions
• Addressing cultural adjustment issues (homesickness, culture shock, depression, etc)

In addition, guest speakers will be invited to share their expertise on:

• Mediation & conflict resolution
• Effective ways to convey culture information to homestay families and students (Homestay and Student orientation)

Facilitators: Nancy Blundell, Homestay Manager, School District 62; Kana Hashimoto, Homestay Program Director, International Language Schools of Canada Education Group, Vancouver
Time: 12:00-16:00
Cost: $175 ($195 for out-of-province attendees)

Please email seminar@bccie.bc.ca to receive updates and be added to our Seminar mailing list.

Plenary Sessions

Please email seminar@bccie.bc.ca to receive updates and be added to our Seminar mailing list.

Concurrent Sessions

Dates, times and locations may be subject to change.

Indian Education Sector: Opportunities and Challenges

In this session we wish to present views based on our experience with the Indian education sector and encourage discussion of issues related to the Indian market.  The Indian education sector is in a period of growth, change, and government mandated reform.   Family income levels and the numbers of students attending post-secondary education are also climbing rapidly.  This provides opportunities for international education providers in the areas of recruitment, institutional partnerships and operating programs or campuses in India.  However, there are many risks involved in recruiting and pursuing partnerships in the Indian market.

We will explore the following:

• Why do Indian students go abroad for study?
• What are best practices and pitfalls in recruiting?
• What are best practices and pitfalls in forming institutional partnerships in India?

Presenters:
Brock Dykeman, Manager, Director MBA Programs, Vancouver Island University
Prashant Srivastava, Associate Director for Global Recruitment, New York Institute of Technology
Bruce Condie, Director, International Marketing, Recruitment and Business Development, Vancouver Island University

Audience: Post-Secondary

Five ‘Glocal' Marketing and Recruitment Technologies You Should Be Using

‘Glocal’ technologies are enabling educational institutions to localize their global marketing and recruitment. Attend this presentation to learn about 5 prominent ‘glocal’ technology trends for attracting international students to your institution. The presentation will introduce leading technologies for analytics, advertising and lead generation, email, news aggregation and agent networking.

How do you make your institution stand out in today's competitive market? How do you ensure that you're making the most out of every student interaction? Are you allocating your resources effectively and how much should you be investing in social media sites, like Facebook? These are just some of the questions you will be able to answer after attending this presentation.

Presenters:
Marco Qaqish, Coordinator, International Marketing and Recruitment, Vancouver Island University (VIU)

Audience: K-12, Post-Secondary, Language

International Relations in the Context of Confucius Institutes

In order to strengthen educational cooperation between China and Canada, support and promote the development of Chinese language education, and increase mutual understanding among people in China and in Canada the Confucius Institute Headquarters of China and School District No. 43 (Coquitlam) of Canada, moved through a five year process for the establishment of the Confucius Institute at Coquitlam.

This presentation will chronicle the events from the initial establishment of the Coquitlam Confucius Classroom to the awarding of Institute status in 2011. It will track steps taken to install such programs in the school district, to prove market demand, to develop community sensitive programs and events, to hire of teachers and to identify key points in the decision curve to move forward on international relations in the context of Confucius institutes and classrooms.

Presenters:
Patricia Gartland, Assistant Superintendent, SD 43 Coquitlam
Robert Lajoie, Director Confucius Institute, SD 43 Coquitlam

Audience: K-12, Language

Dollars and Credits: Student Aid for Education Abroad - Updates, Challenges, and Solutions

Recent changes to Student Aid BC requirements bring new challenges to colleges and universities in managing and promoting education abroad programs to potential outbound students, as well as in selecting potential partner institutions. Join us in this session to learn about fundamental changes at Student Aid BC and the resulting impacts on best practices for developing education abroad agreements and programs that aim to enhance student mobility.

Specific topics discussed will include impacts on partner selection, exchange/transfer credit processes, as well as barrier reduction for, and promotion of, education abroad opportunities.

The session will be led by education abroad and financial aid professionals from a BC college and research university perspective.

Presenters:
Marc Bavin, Manager, International Recruitment, UBC Okanagan
Kate Jennings, Associate Director, International Partnerships & Mobility, Simon Fraser University
Gail Hirsch, Associate Director, Financial Aid & Awards, Simon Fraser University

Audience: Post-Secondary

Effective Social Media Use for International Student Recruitment

Social media is an essential component of reaching your target market. 95% of teens are on Facebook so you must reach your audience where they feel comfortable. In this presentation you will learn the basics of how to reach your market with a limited budget. TRU World’s Facebook page has become an important part of our student recruitment strategy. Our fans have tripled in one year and we have utilized this form of communication as a tool to speak directly to our students and guide them through their decision-making and application process.

Presenters:
Mike Henniger, International Marketing Director, Thompson Rivers University
Sherri King, International Marketing Coordinator, TRU

Audience: Post-Secondary

Bringing Order to the Chaos: Using Technology to Create Efficiencies and Enhance Effectiveness

Developing and managing education abroad programs and partnerships is complex.  Information generated ranges from agreements and contracts, to student files and advising, to exchange/transfer credits, to risk/safety management and logistics - all of which requires management.

Education Abroad professionals work with a variety and growing amount of information and documentation. These come in many forms, including everything from paper-based systems to disparate technologies, such as spreadsheets and disconnected database tools.

Creating order and meaning out of all this information is a seemingly endless and overwhelming task. Join us as we explore the administrative and strategic importance of creating electronic systems that streamline the management and use of the information that fill our work lives. We will demonstrate how systems allow broader access to data while working with existing systems where possible.

Examples from two institutions in BC will be highlighted.  A database consultant/instructor will also share his experience and advice.

Presenters:
Kate Jennings, Associate Director, International Partnerships and Mobility, Simon Fraser University
Marc Bavin, Manager, International Recruitment, UBC Okanagan
Jack Hughes, Owner & President, Data A La Carte Consulting

Audience: K-12, Post-Secondary, Language

Connecting Students - Can We be Friends?

At the UBC English Language Institute (UBC-ELI), we strongly believe that international students must have opportunities to form meaningful and enduring connections with their local peers. In this session, we discuss why this is so important, how the UBC-ELI practices this belief and what types of programs/activities are run at the UBC-ELI. At the same time, we will also be approaching this topic from the perspective of an ESL institution.

More specifically, we will delve into issues relating to UBC's overall goal of greater campus internationalization, English language learning, student led programming and cost.

Presenters:
Jon Wong, Manager, Socio-Cultural Program, UBC English Language Institute

Audience: Language, Post-Secondary

Creating Internal Pathways to Undergraduate Success

The English Foundation Program is a new initiative at UBC's Okanagan campus designed to offer an admission pathway to applicants who have not yet satisfied the university's English language admission standards. The program is a partnership between the AVP Student Portfolio and the Faculty of Education. Leah Sanford and Scott Douglas will discuss the essential pieces of creating such as program: collaboration between academic faculties and Student Services/Development; informed and researched program and curriculum design; the consultation and needs analysis process; accreditation; inquiry-based integrated curricula; the importance of instructional leaders; and the implementation of the program. Attendees will explore the Internal Pathway model, learn more about this unique program at UBC's Okanagan campus, and comprehend the necessity of full-campus involvement and input in creating a program which integrates academic courses and accredited intensive English language training.

Presenters:
Leah Sanford, Manager - International Programs and Services, University of British Columbia's Okanagan Campus
Dr. Scott Douglas, Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia's Okanagan Campus

Audience: K-12, Post-Secondary, Language

ICEF and Imagine Canada: A Case Study on Private-Public Partnerships

In this session, we will review and discuss how ICEF and DFAIT have worked together to leverage Canada as a study destination in the global marketplace. ICEF expanded into Canada three years ago and from the outset, ICEF and DFAIT partnered in a number of projects including: the launch of the North America - Canada Workshops, DFAIT's attendance at each of the nine ICEF Workshops around the world each year, promotion of the Imagine brand and the recent development of Canada Agent Training Course (CATC).

We will give a brief presentation and open the floor for comments and discussion on this private-public partnership.

Presenters:
Sarah Mines, Manager - Canada, ICEF
Lee-Anne Hermann, Deputy Director, Edu-Canada, DFAIT

Audience: K-12, Post-Secondary, Language

Viewing International Education Through a Local Lens

Embedding international education within local BC environments creates long-term benefits. The groundwork begins while foreign students are home.  Before leaving, they participate in a teacher directed one-to-one synchronous online English language assessment. This initial connection provides valuable information about the learners’ language abilities and necessary ESL support. Completion of a two-course Pre-Arrival Pack allows credit toward graduation (on arrival) and initiates relationships with BC teachers. While studying here, the students fully participate in Canadian school and Canadian culture.  They become members of local communities.  The bond develops while the students return to their homes during holidays. They may accelerate their progress through continuing online courses in ESL or selected academic subjects. Coordinated partnerships with post-secondary institutions enable successful students to seamlessly progress through higher levels of education.  Neighbourhood high schools, DL schools, and post-secondary institutions work together to create an integrated learning experience. The rewards are numerous and ongoing.

Presenters:
Lloy Falconer, Teacher, SIDES (school district #63)

Audience: K-12, Language

Mining the Potential in Summer Programs

Summer Programs are a great way of attracting students to your campus for a short-term stay, and then enticing them to either return later or just never go home. This session will explore how summer programs can be designed, marketed, and delivered to complement the work of Admissions and Recruiting departments within your institution. Look at some sample summer programs and look at actual data to find out how to create synergy between departments and ensure that all departments are working towards greater recruitment and retention.

Presenters:
Dawn Wilson, Director, Education Extension & International Programs, St. Michael University School
Melanie Koenderman, Quest University Canada, Dean of Student Affairs

Audience: K-12

Breaking Down the Barriers: Working with BC's Private Post-Secondary Institutions

While private educational institutions have been a longstanding part of BC's educational environment, changes over the past decade have brought about the expansion of private post-secondary institutions in the province ranging from career training and language schools to degree granting universities.   There are now over 15 private and out-of-province institutions which offer degrees in our province and 11 institutions that are part of the BC transfer system. 

There has been much discussion and debate about the role of private education in the province.  This session will look at some of the institutions in our province, what they bring to the BC education environment and what barriers they have faced and continue to face.  The session will also include a discussion on what opportunities exist for greater collaboration between institutions to help benefit students.

Presenters:
Neil Mort, Director of Enrollment/Student Services, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Audience: Post-Secondary

'Bespoke' Customized Group Programs: Finding the Perfect Fit

Tailoring a customized training program can be a challenging task, but one that is extremely rewarding for the client organization, program participants and hosting institution.  This presentation will help to define the scope of customized programming, and will examine a variety of examples offered by both K-12 and post-secondary institutions to demonstrate how to create unique and specifically designed programs to fit the needs of your client.

This session will address customized programming issues such as:

• client sourcing
• assessing client needs
• benefits to host and client institutions
• program content and curriculum design
• negotiating final details and feesprogram staffing and delivery

Please note that while examples deal primarily with customized programs for Asian client groups, session content will apply to programming for most countries/cultures and discussion is welcome regarding non-Asian client experiences.

Presenters:
Dawn Wilson, Director, Education Extension & International Programs, St. Michael University School
Glen Allen, Faculty, Camosun College

Audience: K-12, Language, Post-Secondary

International Education & Tourism: Making the Links

When recruiting out-of-province students, most institutions promote the benefits of living in the surrounding community--in addition to selling the attributes of the school and programs.  Until recently in British Columbia, there has not been a provincial approach to identify synergies between international education marketing and the campaigns of the tourism industry to attract visitors to the same high-appeal destinations.

Learn how LinkBC, an organization supporting tourism programs in 20 colleges and universities, is now building a multi-year strategy, with BCCIE’s support, to create connections between tourism and education, each important economic drivers for BC. The goal is to harness the resources of both to encourage more international students (and their friends and families) to choose British Columbia as their learning (and vacation) destination.

Hear about this new initiative, and get involved in a discussion about creative ways international educators can benefit from a partnership with local tourism professionals.

Presenters:
Terry Hood, General Manager, LinkBC: The Tourism Education Network
Morgan Westcott, Communications Manager, LinkBC: The Tourism Education Network

Audience: Post-Secondary

Special Events 

UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College Campus and Winery Tour - Sunday, June 24, 10:00 to 15:30-16:00

On Sunday, June 24, starting at 10:00 am and ending between 3:30-4:00pm, enjoy a introductory tour and lunch at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan Campus and Okanagan College's Kelowna Campus. Top off the afternoon with a trip to the beautiful St. Hubertus winery. This tour is geared towards secondary school representatives looking for information about the options available to their students in the Okanagan Valley. Registration is free, but space is limited to 30 participants.

Please email seminar@bccie.bc.ca to receive updates and be added to our Seminar mailing list.