Data Collection

 

Data Committee

This committee seeks to expand the scope of data collection and analysis in the field through a variety of initiatives.  It is charged with the development of new and effective methodologies for collecting quantitative and qualitative data about education abroad, including data about student participation, program characteristics, and issues and topics in the field.

 

New Working Group: STAIR Working Group: Strategic Alliances, Infrastructure and Resources

Lisa Donatelli, Georgetown University, co-chair

Sarah Groskreutz, University of Minnesota, co-chair

Sarah Spencer, University of Saint Thomas, co-chair

This working group will develop resources based on collected data to assist Forum institutional members to assess and advance their education abroad resources and infrastructure.

Goals and Objectives

  • Collect data on and set benchmarks for education abroad administration ( advising and program management) that includes workload, salaries, and job descriptions;
  • Develop an online archive of education abroad organizational structures;
  • Develop an online archive of typical job descriptions and salary ranges.

Initiatives:

  • Human Resources partnerships and resource building [Project lead: Sarah Groskreutz] This project seeks to evaluate the Education Abroad profession based on human resource standards. We will focus on building partnerships with human resource professionals and advocate for the recognition of the range of positions in the field by CUPA-HR.
  • Organizational structures and staffing [Project lead: Lisa Donatelli] This project seeks to compile library of examples of organizational structures, so that education abroad offices may successfully build and train staff, and strategically design positions

Learn more: STAIR

 

Forum/IIE 2011Snapshot Survey Results Available: Study Abroad Continues Increase

The results of a survey by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the Forum on Education Abroad has found that study abroad by U.S. college students was on the rise in 2010/11 for the second year, after leveling off during the economic uncertainty that began in 2007.  IIE’s Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs, reports that 270,604 U.S. students studied abroad for credit during the academic year 2009/10, an increase of 4 percent from the previous year. The new IIE/Forum online survey conducted in October 2011 indicates that this upward trend is continuing. The survey also reveals that campuses have added faculty-led programs, increased study abroad staffing, formed more partnerships with overseas and domestic institutions, and are sending more students to India and China.

 

Brian Whalen, President and CEO of the Forum, commented, "The survey results are extremely encouraging and reflect the strong commitment for and belief in the value of study abroad.  U.S. campuses, provider organizations and overseas partner institutions have worked together during these challenging economic times to make education abroad accessible for more students.  Our shared future goal should be to continue to increase participation for a greater range of students so that the benefits of study abroad are experienced more widely."

 

For more information, read the Press Release or read the full 2011 Snapshot Survey Report

 

The Forum 2011 State of the Field Survey

The Forum State of the Field Survey is a signature initiative which takes the pulse of the field on a wide range of issues for all education abroad constituents. The State of the Field Survey data has a significant impact on the field and on the direction of future Forum initiatives.

 

Institutional Representatives from each member institution or organization received an email with instructions and a link to the online survey.

Preview the 2011 State of the Field Survey questions here: 2011 State of the Field Survey

 

Deadline for completion of the survey was Friday, June 17, 2011.

 

If you did not receive the email, encounter any problems or have a question, please email: info@forumea.org .

Thanks to Stephen Hall, Kim Kreutzer, and to members of the Data Committee and Forum Council for developing the 2011 survey.

 

The Forum's Education Abroad Glossary, 2nd Edition

In April 2011, the Forum released the 2nd edition of it Education Abroad Glossary, a project of the Glossary Task Force. The Glossary is currently available to all professionals in the field in hard copy and online. An electronic version can be viewed here: Education Abroad Glossary .

 

The second edition of the glossary represents a substantial revision. The number of entries has increased, including an entirely new section on geographical regions; there are new subsections on higher education organizations, and sustainability and social responsibility. Some entries have been reassigned to different locations, and the order of sections and subsections has been rearranged for more logical flow. Many individual entries have been heavily edited for length, clarity, and consistency of format.

 

The Task Force benefited from the assistance of countless others in preparing this second edition. Focus groups of education abroad professionals at meetings in Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin provided many suggestions for improvements. Professional organizations lent their expertise, including volunteers from NASFAA (the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators), NACADA (National Academic Advising Association). Barbara Kappler (University of Minnesota) and Bruce LaBrack (University of the Pacific) and colleagues in the Forum’s Environmental and Social Responsibility Working Group all made significant contributions to this second edition.

 

The Education Abroad Glossary Task Force, Second Edition

Chip Peterson, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Chair)

Jason Kinnear, University of Missouri, Columbia

Kim Kreutzer, University of Colorado Boulder

Kurt Olausen, University of Cincinnati

Karen Ramos, University of Cincinnati

David Rudd, Arcadia University

 

The Forum on Education Abroad Incident Database

The Incident Database represents the field's first serious effort to collect comprehensive data on the range and number of incidents that occur on education abroad programs.  The goal of the project is to understand better the range, types, and frequency of education abroad incidents and the factors that contribute to them. By documenting and learning what incidents occur in education abroad, the field will be better prepared to refine protocols for health, safety, security, and risk management, and continue to develop and disseminate effective best practices.  Moreover, the field will be better able to understand factors that contribute to incidents, and thereby be prepared to mitigate and plan for risk, as well as utilize resources more strategically.

 

The Incident Database Task Force and the Forum's Data Committee will make recommendations on the future use of the data that is collected.  Preliminary thinking is that the Forum will issue an annual report that analyzes the data in the aggregate to track the types and frequency of incidents that occur, as well as the factors that contribute to or are associated with certain types of incidents.  

 

Data reports might also compare this education abroad incident data with other data.  For example, analyses might compare education abroad incident rates with country-specific incident rates when available.  Another analysis might compare education abroad incident data with the type and frequency of incidents that occur on U.S. college and university campuses.

 

A second phase of the project, which is expected to begin in late 2010, will allow those reporting incidents to describe in narrative form how they responded to an incident and the lessons learned.  This is expected to be a valuable resource for Forum members seeking to learn how best to manage incidents.

 

The Forum encourages all of its institutional members to participate in this important project.   To register to participate, please complete and submit the following forms by September 1, 2010:

Participants must agree to report all incidents that occur on programs they manage or operate. The Forum will manage the data collection, analysis and dissemination of information that results from the project and has taken steps to ensure the confidentiality of the information collected. 

 

History of the Incident Database Project

The Incident Database Project is a result of the Forum's Fireside Dialogue, “Beyond the Basics of Risk Management,” that was convened in Portland, Oregon in February, 2009. Attendees identified a need for the field to collect accurate information on the number and range of incidents that occur on education abroad programs to help inform health, safety and security policies and practices. In response, the Forum formed a task force led by Bill Frederick of the School for Field Studies.

 

The "Snapshot Survey": IIE-Forum on Education Abroad Survey of Study Abroad Enrollments during
Academic Year 2009/10

A new survey by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the Forum on Education Abroad has found that study abroad by U.S. college students was on the rise in 2009/10, after experiencing a slight downturn the previous year. The online survey conducted in October 2010 included questions about increases or declines in the numbers of students studying abroad, changes in student choices, changes in campus study abroad budgets and staffing, and steps taken by campuses to increase study abroad. Educators at 238 campuses responded, including 169 campuses that each send over 100 students abroad annually.  For more information, visit Forum IIE Snapshot Survey

 

The Forum 2009 State of the Field Survey

The results of the survey are now available here: The Forum State of the Field Survey 2009

Thanks to Elise Rayner, Charlotte Blessing, Kim Kreutzer, and to members of the Data Committee and Forum Council for developing this year's survey.

 

Preliminary Report: The Forum Education Abroad Incident Database Pilot Project

The Forum's Incident Database Pilot project sought to track the types and number of incidents and provide information about the patterns of incidents based on variables such as location and program type through a consistent, standardized reporting mechanism. The Pilot Project collected this data between August 15, 2009 and February 1, 2010. A Preliminary Report on the data collection methods, sample, profile of participating institutions and programs, and incidents reported is now available:

 

Preliminary Report: The Forum Education Abroad Incident Database Pilot Project

 

Results of Survey on the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Education Abroad between August 24 – September 4, 2009, the Forum conducted a survey of its members to assess the impact of the global economic crisis on education abroad. The results provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date data on how the economic crisis is impacting U.S. education abroad activity.  The survey asked about the impact of the economic crisis on enrollment in education abroad programs, budgeting for education abroad, and impact on students' choice of education abroad programs.

 

Read the results here: Forum Survey on Impact of Economic Crisis

 

The Incident Database Project is a direct result of the Incident Database Pilot Project, which sought to track the types and number of incidents and provide information about the patterns of incidents based on variables such as location and program type through a consistent, standardized reporting mechanism. The Pilot Project collected this data between August 15, 2009 and February 1, 2010. A Preliminary Report on the data collection methods, sample, profile of participating institutions and programs, and incidents reported is now available: at the link on the left-hand menu of this page. This report was distributed at the Forum's 2010 annual conference in Charlotte, NC.

 

The evaluations by institutions and organizations that participated in the project are available here: Education Abroad Incident Database Pilot Evaluation

 

The Forum Pathways Survey

This long-anticipated project examines the professional development of the field by gathering data about salaries, workload, and other job-related topics. The Forum is pleased to present a report summarizing the data, discussing the challenges faced by institutions and organizations, and the next steps the Committee will take based on these results.

 

The Forum Pathways Survey 2008: Report and Results The data set from the survey is available to Forum members in the Standards Toolbox.

 

The Forum thanks the Data Committee, and Sarah Spencer, Kim Kreutzer, and David Shallenberger for their leadership on this project.

 

This survey completes the original Pathways to the Profession survey dataset, authored and conducted by Dr. Joe Brockington (Kalamazoo College), presented at the NAFSA-conference in May 2002. The text of a report on the original findings, and a powerpoint presentation discussing them are linked here: Pathways Report to SECUSSA 2003, Pathways Presentation 2003.

 

At the April 2008 Forum conference in Boston, the Data Committee reported on benchmark dat. Kim Kreutzer, David Shallenberger and Sarah Spencer's presentation is available as a pdf: Professionalizing the Field: Salaries, Workload and Other Job-Related Topics That We Don't Discuss.

 

 

The Forum Education Abroad Glossary

The terminology of the field of education abroad is as diverse as its practices. Education abroad professionals have lacked an agreed-upon set of definitions to which to turn, whether for use in data collection, grant and funding applications or effective outcomes assessment. The Forum's Education Abroad Glossary addresses the pressing need to standardize the field's terminology. The Glossary made its print debut at the Forum conference in Portland Oregon in February 2009.

 

The  Education Abroad Glossary is a project of the Forum's Data Committee, resulting from a four-year effort of the Glossary Task Force, led by Chip Peterson (University of Minnesota), along with feedback and dialogue from Forum members and the field at large.

 

The Education Abroad Glossary is the next in a series of groundbreaking essential resources produced by the Forum for the field of education abroad. 

 

The Forum thanks the following members for supporting the publication of the Education Abroad Glossary:

 

Partner

 

Supporters

Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)

Dartmouth

Ohio State Unviersity

Southern Methodist University

University of Melbourne

 

READ Database

The committee, led by Vija G. Mendelson, has created a new resource for the field: the Research on Education Abroad Database.

 

Ongoing and Past Projects

The committee has also undertaken the following projects: