John Wells, Arcadia University, College of Global Studies, Chair
Diane Elton, University of California, Riverside

Jason Fenner, Trinity College

Mark Ferguson, Wayne State University
Joseph Sevigny, IES Abroad

Susan Thompson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Advocacy

The Forum’s advocacy efforts focus on developing tools to promote education abroad on member campuses. We provide information on the purposes of education abroad, its standards and practices, and its relevance to higher education. 

We strive to convey that education abroad is an integral part of higher education and deserves funding, resources, and appropriate consideration when passing legislation affecting higher education. When appropriate, the Forum extends its advocacy to state legislatures, organizations that represent other areas of higher education, the federal government, and even parties outside the U.S.

Advocacy goals include:

• To provide tools to education abroad professionals for advocating within their institutions for education abroad-friendly policies.
• To provide tools to education abroad professionals for lobbying at the state or regional level.
• To provide a voice for education abroad with a variety of constituents - media, national policy groups, groups representing higher education administrators, and academic associations.
• To collaborate with national education organizations in their lobbying efforts.
• To identify and work with international organizations that influence education abroad, such as country or regional associations.

The Peter A. Wollitzer Advocacy Award

The Peter A. Wollitzer Advocacy Award was established to recognize a Forum member who has been remarkably effective in influencing educational institutions to understand and support education abroad through the dissemination of the Forum’s goals. Presented annually at the Forum's conference, the recipient of the award in 2007 was Michael Paige (University of Minnesota), and in 2008 was David Larsen (Arcadia University CEA) .