Strategies for International Student Services Management

Hello and welcome everyone to the NAFSA Collegial Conversation, Recruit, Retain, and Reimagine, Navigating Model Practices and Tools for the ISSS Managers. In this discussion, we will explore creative approaches that can help you recruit top talent, retain your team effectively, and reimagine how you approach daily challenges in a dynamic, globalized environment. Our expert speakers will share... actionable insights, innovative solutions, and model practices for fostering staff engagement while achieving departmental goals and performance targets. My name is Marietta Dzemisanova, and I serve as the NAFSA Region 10 KISS liaison. I'm also the Executive Director for the Office of Global Initiatives at New Jersey Institute of Technology. This collegial conversation is recorded on September 20, 2024. At this time, I will allow our panelists to introduce themselves and the institutions they come from. Allie, would you like to start? Certainly. Hello everyone. My name is Allie Meyer and I'm the new Managing Director of International Student and Scholar Services at the Pennsylvania State University. I assist in management of office operations and our various team support services. We are a unit made up of 34 IE professionals with eight student assistants. Currently we're supporting just at 11,000 international students, faculty, staff, and scholars across Penn State's 20 commonwealth campuses. I have held various managerial roles within the areas of international student scholar services such as incoming student services, continuing student services, and J-1 scholar services. I am very honored to be a part of this timely discussion. Thank you for having me today. Thank you. Noelle, would you like to start as well? Hi everyone, my name is Noelle Willica and I'm the Associate Director for International Student Services at Columbia University in New York City. I am part of a team of about 20 or so advisors that support students that are currently enrolled at Columbia and who are also working on OPT and STEM. All together we support about 20,000 international students. And I'm very happy to have been a manager at Columbia for almost 10 years. So really looking forward to this conversation today with my colleagues. Hello, everyone. My name is Parinaz Zartashti. I'm the Senior Director of Global Programs and Services at San Jose State University, which is one of the 23 California State University campuses. I manage the International Student and Scholars team and the Study Abroad and Away team, a team of 14 professional staff members, and we have about 14 student assistants as well. The international student population, including those on OPT and STEM OPT, is about 4,500 students. I have been in managerial roles throughout my tenure in international education at various institutions and looking very much forward to this conversation with other colleagues. Thank you, Karina. And last but not least, Pauline. Hi, everyone. My name is Pauline Filamoni. I'm the director for the Center for International Programs and Services at Embry-Riddle in Prescott, Arizona. I am an office of one currently at the moment, but we actually have two people, two staff for the Center for International Programs and Services, and we have nine international student assistants. But I have worked in other... institutions with very large populations. I worked at UC Berkeley. I also worked at the University of Hawaii, and I also worked at the University of Nevada, Reno. And so between all those institutions, I have worked at a very small institution, which I consider now, and a medium-sized institution, which probably is University of Nevada, Reno, and a very large institution, UC Berkeley. So I'm glad to be a part of this conversation. I think it's really something important. And I hope that what I can share will be of use to anyone listening. Thank you all so much for joining us today and for your willingness to share your expertise and experience in building and retaining strong teams, which starts really with the recruitment and hiring process. And it's a crucial process that ensures that we have the right talent to support our international students and scholars. And so Ali, let's start the conversation with you. And if you don't mind sharing, how can managers affect... effectively balance recruitment, onboarding, management, retention, and professional development to create a sustainable and thriving ISSS team? Yes, certainly. You know, I can say as a manager, I think it's really important that there's a balance in the cycle you mentioned. And that balance is through intentional collaboration and shared responsibility for the staff that we have. So I know that hiring managers are going to often work with HR for their postings and recruitments and actual hiring. But, you know, I'd like for the responsibility of the onboarding and training of a new hire to be shared amongst the various members of the existing team. And this collaboration and shared responsibility to help a new hire will allow them to learn about the various areas of the ESA team, and more importantly, really build those strong relationships across the units. It really prevents silos from building and I have found it fosters transparency and also I've found that it creates great opportunities for cross-training in the future. You know, the management, retention, and professional development for staff is really monitored by our unit's leadership team. Leadership finds that very important as retaining staff and developing them. And so here at Penn State, our leadership team meets fairly regularly to discuss what's working well amongst our group, what isn't. And our AVP has created a space where us as managers can really advocate for our staff and what they need and how to support them. And I will say document as much as you can in a way that's easy to navigate. Some of us have the budgets to investigate and procure maybe training and manual guidance creation or software. But for others, it's really not an option. We here at Penn State actually use just Microsoft Office. And we even have a shared drive that holds all of our resources that allow us to ensure we're following proper protocol and procedure for hiring, onboarding. And then we also have great resources for our managers to work well with the staff and building them and supporting them. Absolutely. Thank you. So if you don't mind sharing, what are some of the screening? criteria that you prioritize in hiring staff for and filling your positions in ISSS? I think this depends a lot on the institution. And when you're in a place like Prescott, where there aren't that many, I mean, there are two other schools in this area, but they don't have large international student populations. So if I'm trying to attract people. I always have to think about my community and who's here. And there are not many DSOs here. So what I'm going to be looking for is somebody who is going to have the soft skills that I need to help serve my students. I'm going to be looking for somebody who has great customer service experience, loves working with people of diverse backgrounds, somebody who is going to be able to help me with my work. may have some experience, you know, traveling abroad. But that is usually optional for me. What I really want to find are people who want to work with students and are willing to get the training to establish their, you know, F1J knowledge. So those are... You know, the things that I look for, I look for somebody, I will look at anyone who says they're interested in this position for because they like higher education and they like working with international students or the prospect of working with international students because of their experience with people from different backgrounds. That's a starting point always for me. And then I will, you know, continue down the line with the questions to see how far we can. get to understand this person but commitment to to commitment to uh have it you know serving people from diverse backgrounds is really important to me because I won't be able to find the DSOs. I won't be able to find them here in my area. I can go off of what Pauline has shared. I think some of those I appreciate as well, you know, the soft skills versus the hard skills. I do want to note that there I feel like there's been an evolution in terms of hiring practices since I've been in the field for a while. I think in the past, one would look for those hard skills like you have had F1 advising experience before. But as you mentioned, Pauline, it's become more difficult, especially post-COVID. to find that right fit. There are many, you know, online, fully online and hybrid opportunities for folks. So what are ways that we can ensure that we're getting the right person in? Because our field of work involves a lot of training as well, a lot of investment of resources. So you want to make sure you're getting the right person, even if the recruitment takes a longer time. So I think some of those, just to elaborate on some of the soft skills you have shared, Pauline, you know, I look for that enthusiasm, that sense of empathy, flexibility. And I think another really important piece is the fit with the rest of the team. So sometimes you might have a stellar candidate, but you have to consider the balance with the other team members and how that dynamic will work out. And just to elaborate a little further. in terms of assessing candidates. I do have a rubric and I have woven in the NAFSA IE competencies in there as we are doing our assessments. So some other things for people to consider. And I would say this model has definitely evolved over the years as I've gained more experience as a manager, and I'm sure it will continue to evolve and build. So the ability to pivot. as well and change your criteria if need be. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing. Those are very important insights in the process. And it really leads to the next question about turnover because the reducing of the turnover starts with the proper hiring and onboarding process. But what are some strategies that you have found effective in reducing or eliminating staff turnover? And we've seen that increase of staff turnover, especially in our international education field during and post-COVID. So what are some of the things that have helped you navigate that changed environment? And also, how do you build on that? And what are some of the organizational perks, if you wish to say, that help you attract that talent and keep them? I can certainly jump in here and please, fellow colleagues, follow. I do think it's really important to set the context a little bit in terms of the turnover, especially COVID and post-COVID. And I think one thing to remember as we set that context is what have we learned from employees who have transitioned out? So what I go back to at my institution. The most popular reasons that they've cited during exit interviews have been pay and high cost of living in the area. We live in the Bay Area, which is probably one of the most costly areas in the United States, looking for fully remote opportunities to have that work-life balance. There's been no room for growth, and they felt burnt out. I also want to just share this quote from Professor McClure from the University of North Carolina. who noted in an interview, and I quote, we've got a set of HR practices and hiring practices that are Byzantine. They reflect a state-based bureaucracy more so than a nimble knowledge-based organization. And it creates a whole bunch of problems where it's just not keeping up with the pace of change that I think we're seeing in other knowledge organizations that are really dedicated to the idea of talent development and retention, end of quote. So pay is low compared to industry, rigid and less flexibility. We are also seeing generational differences. And as middle managers, we are often stuck with bureaucracies and not able to practice the flexibility we want. So some ways I have tried to manage turnover. is, I do believe wholeheartedly in what Ken Blanchard has named situational leadership. And if you're interested in learning more about that, make sure you look into NAFSA's MDP program. So what that means is that the approach is personalized for each employee or staff member or matching leadership style to the needs of the staff member. I try to adapt and pivot and try my best to keep up with understanding the generational differences and gaps, which sometimes, but not always, play a part. Each team member has unique traits and needs which need to be nurtured. I try to be flexible with team members and encourage them to take care of their mental and physical well-being by taking mental health days. I've looked into reclass or change in titles and salary increases, which is ever more challenging with budget constraints, work-life balance, professional development opportunities, and just looking at other growth opportunities. But I will allow my other colleagues to chime in here. Yeah, Parnas, I love how you talk about... Yeah. You know, what can we do to keep them looking at the available options that we have in our wealth as managers? I found most of those I support when they depart the team. It's been primarily in my history because money, the salary and compensation is not there that they need to either survive or their goal is not being met. And there may not be advancement within the office. That's most of the. time when students are leaving or excuse me when faculty or staff that they leave it's because there's just no room for advancement and so what I've done is try to really focus on development opportunities and this isn't just professional it's also personal development. I like to also I also want to say if you're going to grow someone professionally and personally you're going to have to be comfortable sitting in the fact that you may be growing them up to grow them out. if you don't have any mobility in your space. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you're able to keep a valued team member on the staff working with you as long as possible, you want to. And when you have someone that you may grow up and eventually grow out, you're going to have that great partner out in the world, someone who is an example and will be an advocate or support anyone wanting to join your institution. looking back at their time with you and saying, hey, they cared about me. They were invested in me. And one example I have is actually was using a perk that was at an institution I formerly worked out, and that's the staff tuition assistance. I know a lot of institutions have this as a perk, allowing full-time staffers to pursue degrees or programs at the institution at a discount, or maybe even a completely free rate. And so... I've actually used this in my practice of encouraging staff to further their education and take advantage of that tuition assistance, because I know if they can start that academic program or professional program, I might have them for the entire duration of that time that they're in that program. And so I'm looking at maybe a guaranteed one to two years of them remaining on my staff and keeping that valuable, valuable knowledge. But something you also mentioned is the flexibility and the ability to be nimble. If I'm going to offer this opportunity as a way to retain them, I need to be ready to be flexible in possibly their schedule. Maybe they're signing on early, signing off early, allowing them to kind of navigate their work schedule around their academic one. So I will say it has been an experience if I remain flexible in accommodating what my staff want to do. where they want to grow, I'm more likely to keep them just a little longer. And also if they do depart, they don't leave with a bad memory, but a fond one and that someone was invested in them. I love that phrase, grow up and grow out. I'm going to steal that from you. I think it's something that we look for as well. And even in just the recruiting and screening process, is there something in our university for this person? Is there something in this position for this person? You know, is this an opportunity for them to grow in their career? And I love that term that was used earlier, evolution. Even just like, is somebody going to experience their own personal evolution by coming to, you know, maybe they're previously at a smaller institution, and then they're coming to Columbia to gain that new experience of working at a much larger institution with a larger student body. Or like you said, Ali, maybe they haven't gotten their master's yet and they express that interest in their application or during the interview. And so I really like looking at our time with our employees as quality over quantity. So can we have them for a great couple of years where they're fully invested and interested and working hard and growing? And if we get them for a shorter period of time, but they've had a great experience, then that's better than having them for a longer period of time. Because even when they grow up and grow out, you are still having colleagues, you know, that are out there that are still part of your network. And we'll probably continue to say great things about your institution. And they'll always be a little bit connected with us. I love all of what you guys said, but I have one more to add, and it's related to the tuition option. So sometimes, you know, some of the stuff that you may look at might actually be parents who have children who might be interested in, you know, using the tuition waiver for their children. I think our school has a waiver for... attending our school but they also have options where they can kind of match the tuition for students outside our institution so yeah then you'd have them for maybe four years instead of just the two years for that master's yeah but yes I agree with all of you on what you just mentioned Thank you all for sharing your insights. It's very valuable and all of you made great points for us to to consider. I would like to also ask you about your experience in utilizing student assistants. All of us have used them to help us navigate shortage of staff during different periods of time but They also can be great contributors to our teams, especially when resources are scarce and we are not able to hire full-time or even part-time positions. So would you share your strategies of utilizing student assistants in your offices and how do you integrate them in your teams? Oh, Marietta, student assistants are the golden nugget. They are where it's at. When you're experiencing those budget constraints or the HR processes are stifling your ability to quickly hire needed professional staff, I'm telling you that student assistance is the way to go. They can assist with clerical tasks. You know, I have utilized student assistance on the front line. So they are front student customer facing. And honestly, it's a win-win situation. They, as students, get valuable work experience. They get the opportunity to network with their peers and those that they're serving. And, you know, we as an ESA office get the needed help. If you have a well-trained student assistant, you can keep an ISSS office humming and running smoothly. Almost daily, I get to see how the students that we serve really enjoy engaging and connecting with our student assistants. The majority of them here at Penn State are domestic students. And, you know, while I'm not as hip, cool and with it as I used to be, it's just really nice to have someone who is a student and they're on the staff and they can really relate and guide the international students and clients we serve to resources within our office and even those sources outside of our office or our scope. You know, that they're certainly an asset and definitely make our office a more welcoming space for those that we serve here on campus. Thank you. And many of them become the future international education professionals. How many of us started as graduate assistants or student employees, student assistants in ISSS offices? Right. Indeed. Yeah, I'm going to agree with Ali. I couldn't have survived these past couple of months without my student assistant. I'm in the process of hiring a second staff member, but I've used. I should say I've not, my student assistants have helped me with orientation, even pre-orientation. They serve as our ambassadors, doing the work of responding to students who are, who have questions about coming to campus. They know better than I do about where to shop and where to buy the best sheets. You know, they, they do that all. But. I've also kind of trained them to be kind of mini DSOs. There are some things that they can advise about, like, you know, oh, you're working on campus and here's the type of letter you need for Social Security. Oh, you're working on campus with a third party employer. Here's the type of letter you need. So driver's licenses. You have, you know, you come from a reciprocity country. So I've had to do that. because I needed the help. Because my, actually, I believe that the reason my office is quite popular is because I have student assistants. So international students come in here all the time, even domestic students come in here all the time just to hang out. So As a result of that, I get a lot of traffic because they don't just come in and just hang out. They're like, oh, I have a question. I have a question. But so because that happened, I decided to to create like a manual for my student workers so they could answer the basic common questions. We have a form that we looked at what what the traffic was and why they were coming in. So we took those we took that data and created. Little, you know, answers. Well, not little, but we created responses that the students could give at the front desk to help, you know, students. If I'm not here, they can still get the help from our student workers. So I think here, Ali, they are the golden nugget. Without them, I wouldn't have, I probably would have no hair right now. But because they're there, they helped me. Yeah, they've helped me keep my sanity. So I'm grateful for them. Yeah. I could just add, just echoing what you both said. But I think another absolute valuable trait of our student assistants is they bring that contemporary perspective, which I don't have. So they're able to manage our social media, look at things from the student lens, help us in that way. As I'm sure most of us have experienced, we often hear our students don't read emails. And so what are ways that we can utilize our student assistants to help us strategize in communicating with our students? Many of our student assistants are international students. So they really are the face of ISSS. And I think, as you mentioned, Pauline, that, you know, some students just come by to hang out. And so building that sense of community. So they are. really a golden nugget. Thank you. They're lifesavers sometimes. Moving to the next stage in our in building strong teams, really, it's the onboarding and training. We finally managed to find that right person for the job. But what are your strategies and tools that you utilize in onboarding and training new staff? Because I think that's one of the very first experiences. they have with our teams and our institutions. And I consider that to be a make it or break it phase in whether they decide to remain with the team or to search for other opportunities. So what are some of those standing practices that you have that you found to work over the years for onboarding and training? I love the onboarding and training process. I think it can be such a fun time to get to know someone, to see, you know, their skills being put to use, to go back to a little bit of like teaching background that I have and get to tie that all together. I personally, what I've been doing is I developed sort of an onboarding checklist and it has, you know, the most basic things like the first steps of getting an ID card or keys or whatever it is, access to different things, sharing resources that we have, policy libraries that we've created. You know, it's really sort of that like that checklist of the basic things. But then I also incorporate a checklist that's broken down by time of the things that I want them to be able to do by a certain time. So one month in, my hope is that they're answering emails and processing cases. Three months in, by then they should be fully doing the role of their, you know, whatever that position is. Six months in, I'm hoping they feel more comfortable, but I still feel like they have a lot to grow. So really, it's interesting because that document, we sort of like live off of it for the first week. And we're checking off every little thing and the new hires, just carrying it around with them everywhere. You know, I give it to them digitally, but we also print it out. And then after the first week, we just don't use it anymore. So I always make a point that after the one month mark that we go to the checklist, we review and see here's all the things that you've learned so far. Are there any that we need to revisit because you learned so much in the first month? And then we also use that checklist to let them know that their training doesn't end at one month, that we're going to do a three month check in for the first year. And that's also one of my favorite times where. You get to know them a little bit more. What is your favorite thing about the job? What did you like that you did in the past three months? What are you looking forward to in the next three months? And then that ties back into that retention piece of finding out what interests them, what they like, and kind of tying that into their regular onboarding and training. So for me, it's a very fun year. That checklist continues to evolve and change. We also are hoping to create sort of an online training course. So sort of a self-study. Um. but it's in the works. So maybe we can come back to this conversation next year. Thank you. Anyone else would like to add? I think one key thing for a small institution like mine is the need to cultivate partnerships across the campus because we're such a small office. And so. That is also part of our onboarding is to make sure that our staff is able to get out into the community and to meet like key partners that we work with often so they can establish rapport and so they can understand what our role is within the rest of the campus. That's also something that I want to make sure that it's part of our onboarding list. Maybe that's already included in what Noel mentioned, like with the check-ins. If somebody doesn't have experience at all, no DSO experience, they are going to just be thrown into the fire because there's only one other person that can teach them. So anything that comes in, that person is shattering me for a while. they're um yeah they may get annoyed by it but most of them don't you know they're interested in the cases that come in but um if you're just a one person in office when you have bring somebody else and they just have to um you're doing a lot of shadow work with your workers um how do you approach hiring new graduates specifically and who value the hands-on experience, and they may not have the DSO practical experience, but they value the hands-on experience and learning through direct feedback. How do you use that one-on-one follow-up to foster their innovation and professional growth and continued interest in the field? That's a great question. I kind of want to piggyback to answer that a little bit off of what Pauline just said. It's the shadowing, learning while working. A lot of recent grads, it could be their first time, their first professional job in an office. And so I think it's important to let that new hire and that new graduate you've just hired know you're going to get plenty of support. Like Noelle said, here's a training plan. We're going to follow it. There are steps. Nothing is going to be unpredictable. We want to make this as predictable as possible to alleviate any stress and anxiety. And I certainly have found with hiring new grads, they enjoy the shadowing. They want to do that before they're actually let loose to be independent and advise possibly or create petitions on their own. And so doing that shadowing and also incorporating, Mary, as you said, the one on one. I am a huge advocate for one on ones. I think that they're fabulous and they're so helpful when it comes to setting goals, measuring progress and even just getting feedback. from that staff like how's it going how are you doing what's working what's not working for you personally during my one-on-ones i like to ask what they've accomplished um how are you coming along with the assigned tasks that you have and what support do you need from me and then also importantly what development are you craving um because i want to know what is it that they're they're wanting to get out of their their work are they are they being fulfilled And I use that feedback to seek and advocate for opportunities for them. That way they see that I'm invested as their supervisor and hopefully will entice them to stay with us longer and make it a, how do I say, a pleasurable experience for everyone involved with the onboarding. I love one-on-ones as well, Allie. So I think. they are, you know, they are very time consuming, however, really, really critical in building that staff member. Going back to what you said earlier in this conversation with regard to cross-training, I think it's really important to tap into other team members as well and ensure that this new grad or this new staff member is also meeting with other team members who might have better skill sets than I do in certain areas because they're doing that work on a daily basis and helping build that team morale and support. But I do think new grads are wonderful because they have the enthusiasm. They're excited. Sometimes they tend to be a little too excited. So how do you manage that? Managing the overexcitement and setting those expectations. as well as something that one would want to consider. So I just wanted to add that onto what you shared, Ali. Thank you. And to move on to the next phase in kind of the natural progression in the cycle of becoming a staff member at our institutions in the ISSS field, you know, during the hiring and... onboarding and training, but then how do we continue to retain our staff and how do we continue to support professional development? So what are some professional development opportunities that you and your institution are able to offer your team members and how do you, what strategies do you use in retaining your teams? All right. I'd love to comment on this. Something that, you know, we are lucky to have a professional development budget for our staff. Not all institutions have it, but I will say we are lucky that here at Penn State we do have it and that our associate vice provost is very keen on ensuring everyone has equal. How do I say adequate and equal access to these professional development opportunities and these. funds. And so we're able to look at things like some of the NAFSA workshops and the online courses. We can offer those to some of our staff. And in times when we can't, we have to get creative. And I know something that we are recently doing is we're taking a trip to New York University to meet with our global services office, and we're taking staff with us so that they could meet their counterparts in these spaces and can build their network and get, you know, a I grander view of how we can do operations and do policies and do procedures, we see how other institutions are doing it. And I will say, while there is certainly cost associated with that, it allows them, as we know we love, that hands-on opportunity to actually meet with people in person, sit with them in their office and ask them questions and collaborate and work together. And I think that that is something that our staff is definitely been very happy to have the opportunity to do. We've taken advantage of a professional development budget as well. Obviously, we love to take advantage of the NAFSA resources, especially F1, J1, certification workshops, potentially trainer core conferences. Internally at the university, our HR does have a learning and development center. So they have some great workshops, even just on like time management, project management, learning your behavior style, and then you can learn and identify behavior styles of your teammates so that you have a better working relationship with them. So we really encourage them to take advantage of those things. When money is tight, or when maybe they've done those, or it doesn't align with the areas that they want to grow in. Sometimes we look internally into the team. So I know someone mentioned earlier about how, you know, we can shadow different team members and that can help so much with training, but sometimes it can be really fun just for a personal growth experience or professional growth experience. For example, at Columbia, we do have a team of advisors who are our compliance team. They issue the initial like twenties, they do a lot of the OPT reporting processing for us. And then there's my team that does the advising piece. So in times when they're busy, if. I have a team member who's maybe never issued initialized 20s. They want to learn more about that compliance piece. They can spend a couple of weeks or a couple of months maybe helping that team during their busy time. And now they've just gained a whole new skill set as a DSO that they can also put on their resume. So sometimes we'll even look internally for that professional development piece. I do want to add another. idea, and that is at times when we have budget constraints like we do currently within the CSU system, there are other ways for staff members to get their professional development, and that is to sign up for opportunities to be part of a NAFSA regional team, for example. That is at no cost to the institution, but it really does build those leadership qualities and traits. I would say out of my 14 team members, I have four who are very actively involved with NAFSA in some capacity. They're on a regional team, on a district team, and they love it. And that is professional development for them because they're able to network with others in the field. Thank you so much. Would you like also to share any strategies or ways that you may use performance evaluations as part of professional development and how do you tie it so that the performance evaluation is just not one of those bureaucratic things we all have to do as managers, but how do you tie those to that part of professional development and also retention for the teams, but also helping team members understand. the strategic goals of our departments and how all of them play a role in that because that contributes towards that sense of ownership and belonging to the institution and to our teams. Yeah, I can talk about that. We actually have our professional and personal growth as part of our performance evaluation. It's already built into it. So then we make sure that conversation happens and we ask our employees to kind of identify a couple of areas that they may like to grow in personally or activities they might like to do. So we ask them to bring that to the performance evaluation. I know I mentioned earlier how when I do onboarding and training that first year, I do these three month check ins for at least the first year. I always offer it to my employees as something that they can continue. So I tell them, if you like these quarterly check-ins and you want to do these one-on-ones every year, as you continue to work with us, you're welcome. We can continue to do that and just check in or at a minimal, we can meet six months and then do the official 12-month evaluation. And I find that those either three or six-month check-ins, we also sort of benchmark and talk about those professional personal goals. Like what have you worked on the six months? that you liked working on? What would you like to accomplish before we hit that performance evaluation? So sort of using those moments of conversation to lead up to the performance evaluation. Piggybacking on what Noel just said, for me, performance evaluations is an opportunity just to talk with your employer, with your staff. and find out what their interests are and what they want to focus their time on during the year. I've always found it very interesting to see what staff want to spend their time on, whether it might in addition to being great advisors or Being great programmers, they may want to focus on developing scholarships for international students or developing a role on the faculty or staff committee that's on campus, trying to establish those resources. So it's a great opportunity to find out what they find meaningful and providing. The space for them to work on those tasks during the year, I think, is really important. And it's, you know, a key part of their evaluation when it comes around. If I could just add, tying goals to professional development opportunities and tying them back to the IE competencies, I think, is really helpful. Because that one shows them that it's not just a bureaucratic process that we're going through. You as a manager have given this some thought and you are invested in that staff member's professional development and growth opportunities. Thank you all for this insightful discussion. And to conclude our collegial conversation, would you like to take a few minutes and share your key takeaways? for the ISSS managers who are listening to this discussion today? I would just say if you take something away, which I'm sure you've taken many nuggets away, being invested, letting the staff that you support know that you are invested in their growth. You are invested in their progress. Whether that progress be personal, professional, both, it should be both. And even if this investment means, Noelle, that they go up and out, you've at least done them a service and you have shown that they are valuable. They're valuable to you. They're valuable to the world and the work that they do. Yeah, I think it is an investment. It's also a balancing act from the perspective of a manager, balancing the various life cycle of a staff member. But I think flexibility is also really important and our ability as managers to remain agile, nimble, and quick to pivot with new and innovative ways to approach each need and situation. is really important, which requires a cultural care and understanding with intentionality. But really just helping those individuals with their career goals and helping them move on to the next opportunity, if that's what it is. So really, once again, going back to what you shared, Ali, it is an investment. I think a big takeaway for me from this conversation is just being creative in all aspects. So when we don't have a lot of resources or we don't have a lot of staff, let's be creative and use our graduate students. And sometimes that's such a blessing and a gift because those graduate students might become future DSMs. And when we don't have the resources for training, let's look internally. And, you know, really these opportunities that may seem like we're not giving a lot may actually be giving a lot. to that personal individual and continue to rely on each other. Even this conversation, I have some takeaways. I'm going to steal this great phrase from Ali of growing up and growing out and some of these other ideas for training. So just constantly being creative. We're all doing the best we can in sometimes a difficult time and also with limited resources. From this conversation, I think. It's obvious to me that everybody's in this for the same reason. We all want to help students and we all want to see them grow. So we want to make sure that the staff that are in our offices are supported and supportive. I think it's important to remember why we do the work that we do. And when we are looking for people to join us, be open. and see what the possibilities might be. When you're in office of two and now currently one, that's what you have to be. You have to remember why you're doing this job and look for people that you think are going to fit. Thank you for participating in this collegial conversation and sharing your insights and contributing to our field. with your experiences. And I hope that our listeners can take away some of those key points that you made and can continue the conversation and the discussion through my NAFSA network, through the ISTA and ISCA discussion boards. And we look forward to growing together and to sharing experiences in how we can recruit, retain, and build strong teams. for ISSS. Thank you so much.

actionable insights, innovative solutions, and model practices for fostering staff engagement while achieving departmental goals and performance targets. My name is Marietta Dzemisanova, and I serve as the NAFSA Region 10 KISS liaison. I'm also the Executive Director for the Office of Global Initiatives at New Jersey Institute of Technology. This collegial conversation is recorded on September 20, 2024. At this time, I will allow our panelists to introduce themselves and the institutions they come from. Allie, would you like to start?

Certainly. Hello everyone. My name is Allie Meyer and I'm the new Managing Director of International Student and Scholar Services at the Pennsylvania State University.

I assist in management of office operations and our various team support services. We are a unit made up of 34 IE professionals with eight student assistants. Currently we're supporting just at 11,000 international students, faculty, staff, and scholars across Penn State's 20 commonwealth campuses.

I have held various managerial roles within the areas of international student scholar services such as incoming student services, continuing student services, and J-1 scholar services. I am very honored to be a part of this timely discussion. Thank you for having me today. Thank you. Noelle, would you like to start as well?

Hi everyone, my name is Noelle Willica and I'm the Associate Director for International Student Services at Columbia University in New York City. I am part of a team of about 20 or so advisors that support students that are currently enrolled at Columbia and who are also working on OPT and STEM. All together we support about 20,000 international students.

And I'm very happy to have been a manager at Columbia for almost 10 years. So really looking forward to this conversation today with my colleagues. Hello, everyone.

My name is Parinaz Zartashti. I'm the Senior Director of Global Programs and Services at San Jose State University, which is one of the 23 California State University campuses. I manage the International Student and Scholars team and the Study Abroad and Away team, a team of 14 professional staff members, and we have about 14 student assistants as well.

The international student population, including those on OPT and STEM OPT, is about 4,500 students. I have been in managerial roles throughout my tenure in international education at various institutions and looking very much forward to this conversation with other colleagues. Thank you, Karina. And last but not least, Pauline.

Hi, everyone. My name is Pauline Filamoni. I'm the director for the Center for International Programs and Services at Embry-Riddle in Prescott, Arizona.

I am an office of one currently at the moment, but we actually have two people, two staff for the Center for International Programs and Services, and we have nine international student assistants. But I have worked in other... institutions with very large populations.

I worked at UC Berkeley. I also worked at the University of Hawaii, and I also worked at the University of Nevada, Reno. And so between all those institutions, I have worked at a very small institution, which I consider now, and a medium-sized institution, which probably is University of Nevada, Reno, and a very large institution, UC Berkeley. So I'm glad to be a part of this conversation.

I think it's really something important. And I hope that what I can share will be of use to anyone listening. Thank you all so much for joining us today and for your willingness to share your expertise and experience in building and retaining strong teams, which starts really with the recruitment and hiring process. And it's a crucial process that ensures that we have the right talent to support our international students and scholars. And so Ali, let's start the conversation with you.

And if you don't mind sharing, how can managers affect... effectively balance recruitment, onboarding, management, retention, and professional development to create a sustainable and thriving ISSS team? Yes, certainly. You know, I can say as a manager, I think it's really important that there's a balance in the cycle you mentioned. And that balance is through intentional collaboration and shared responsibility for the staff that we have.

So I know that hiring managers are going to often work with HR for their postings and recruitments and actual hiring. But, you know, I'd like for the responsibility of the onboarding and training of a new hire to be shared amongst the various members of the existing team. And this collaboration and shared responsibility to help a new hire will allow them to learn about the various areas of the ESA team, and more importantly, really build those strong relationships across the units. It really prevents silos from building and I have found it fosters transparency and also I've found that it creates great opportunities for cross-training in the future.

You know, the management, retention, and professional development for staff is really monitored by our unit's leadership team. Leadership finds that very important as retaining staff and developing them. And so here at Penn State, our leadership team meets fairly regularly to discuss what's working well amongst our group, what isn't.

And our AVP has created a space where us as managers can really advocate for our staff and what they need and how to support them. And I will say document as much as you can in a way that's easy to navigate. Some of us have the budgets to investigate and procure maybe training and manual guidance creation or software. But for others, it's really not an option.

We here at Penn State actually use just Microsoft Office. And we even have a shared drive that holds all of our resources that allow us to ensure we're following proper protocol and procedure for hiring, onboarding. And then we also have great resources for our managers to work well with the staff and building them and supporting them. Absolutely.

Thank you. So if you don't mind sharing, what are some of the screening? criteria that you prioritize in hiring staff for and filling your positions in ISSS?

I think this depends a lot on the institution. And when you're in a place like Prescott, where there aren't that many, I mean, there are two other schools in this area, but they don't have large international student populations. So if I'm trying to attract people.

I always have to think about my community and who's here. And there are not many DSOs here. So what I'm going to be looking for is somebody who is going to have the soft skills that I need to help serve my students. I'm going to be looking for somebody who has great customer service experience, loves working with people of diverse backgrounds, somebody who is going to be able to help me with my work. may have some experience, you know, traveling abroad.

But that is usually optional for me. What I really want to find are people who want to work with students and are willing to get the training to establish their, you know, F1J knowledge. So those are... You know, the things that I look for, I look for somebody, I will look at anyone who says they're interested in this position for because they like higher education and they like working with international students or the prospect of working with international students because of their experience with people from different backgrounds.

That's a starting point always for me. And then I will, you know, continue down the line with the questions to see how far we can. get to understand this person but commitment to to commitment to uh have it you know serving people from diverse backgrounds is really important to me because I won't be able to find the DSOs. I won't be able to find them here in my area.

I can go off of what Pauline has shared. I think some of those I appreciate as well, you know, the soft skills versus the hard skills. I do want to note that there I feel like there's been an evolution in terms of hiring practices since I've been in the field for a while. I think in the past, one would look for those hard skills like you have had F1 advising experience before.

But as you mentioned, Pauline, it's become more difficult, especially post-COVID. to find that right fit. There are many, you know, online, fully online and hybrid opportunities for folks.

So what are ways that we can ensure that we're getting the right person in? Because our field of work involves a lot of training as well, a lot of investment of resources. So you want to make sure you're getting the right person, even if the recruitment takes a longer time.

So I think some of those, just to elaborate on some of the soft skills you have shared, Pauline, you know, I look for that enthusiasm, that sense of empathy, flexibility. And I think another really important piece is the fit with the rest of the team. So sometimes you might have a stellar candidate, but you have to consider the balance with the other team members and how that dynamic will work out.

And just to elaborate a little further. in terms of assessing candidates. I do have a rubric and I have woven in the NAFSA IE competencies in there as we are doing our assessments. So some other things for people to consider.

And I would say this model has definitely evolved over the years as I've gained more experience as a manager, and I'm sure it will continue to evolve and build. So the ability to pivot. as well and change your criteria if need be.

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing. Those are very important insights in the process.

And it really leads to the next question about turnover because the reducing of the turnover starts with the proper hiring and onboarding process. But what are some strategies that you have found effective in reducing or eliminating staff turnover? And we've seen that increase of staff turnover, especially in our international education field during and post-COVID. So what are some of the things that have helped you navigate that changed environment?

And also, how do you build on that? And what are some of the organizational perks, if you wish to say, that help you attract that talent and keep them? I can certainly jump in here and please, fellow colleagues, follow.

I do think it's really important to set the context a little bit in terms of the turnover, especially COVID and post-COVID. And I think one thing to remember as we set that context is what have we learned from employees who have transitioned out? So what I go back to at my institution. The most popular reasons that they've cited during exit interviews have been pay and high cost of living in the area. We live in the Bay Area, which is probably one of the most costly areas in the United States, looking for fully remote opportunities to have that work-life balance.

There's been no room for growth, and they felt burnt out. I also want to just share this quote from Professor McClure from the University of North Carolina. who noted in an interview, and I quote, we've got a set of HR practices and hiring practices that are Byzantine.

They reflect a state-based bureaucracy more so than a nimble knowledge-based organization. And it creates a whole bunch of problems where it's just not keeping up with the pace of change that I think we're seeing in other knowledge organizations that are really dedicated to the idea of talent development and retention, end of quote. So pay is low compared to industry, rigid and less flexibility.

We are also seeing generational differences. And as middle managers, we are often stuck with bureaucracies and not able to practice the flexibility we want. So some ways I have tried to manage turnover.

is, I do believe wholeheartedly in what Ken Blanchard has named situational leadership. And if you're interested in learning more about that, make sure you look into NAFSA's MDP program. So what that means is that the approach is personalized for each employee or staff member or matching leadership style to the needs of the staff member. I try to adapt and pivot and try my best to keep up with understanding the generational differences and gaps, which sometimes, but not always, play a part. Each team member has unique traits and needs which need to be nurtured.

I try to be flexible with team members and encourage them to take care of their mental and physical well-being by taking mental health days. I've looked into reclass or change in titles and salary increases, which is ever more challenging with budget constraints, work-life balance, professional development opportunities, and just looking at other growth opportunities. But I will allow my other colleagues to chime in here. Yeah, Parnas, I love how you talk about...

Yeah. You know, what can we do to keep them looking at the available options that we have in our wealth as managers? I found most of those I support when they depart the team. It's been primarily in my history because money, the salary and compensation is not there that they need to either survive or their goal is not being met.

And there may not be advancement within the office. That's most of the. time when students are leaving or excuse me when faculty or staff that they leave it's because there's just no room for advancement and so what I've done is try to really focus on development opportunities and this isn't just professional it's also personal development.

I like to also I also want to say if you're going to grow someone professionally and personally you're going to have to be comfortable sitting in the fact that you may be growing them up to grow them out. if you don't have any mobility in your space. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you're able to keep a valued team member on the staff working with you as long as possible, you want to.

And when you have someone that you may grow up and eventually grow out, you're going to have that great partner out in the world, someone who is an example and will be an advocate or support anyone wanting to join your institution. looking back at their time with you and saying, hey, they cared about me. They were invested in me.

And one example I have is actually was using a perk that was at an institution I formerly worked out, and that's the staff tuition assistance. I know a lot of institutions have this as a perk, allowing full-time staffers to pursue degrees or programs at the institution at a discount, or maybe even a completely free rate. And so... I've actually used this in my practice of encouraging staff to further their education and take advantage of that tuition assistance, because I know if they can start that academic program or professional program, I might have them for the entire duration of that time that they're in that program.

And so I'm looking at maybe a guaranteed one to two years of them remaining on my staff and keeping that valuable, valuable knowledge. But something you also mentioned is the flexibility and the ability to be nimble. If I'm going to offer this opportunity as a way to retain them, I need to be ready to be flexible in possibly their schedule.

Maybe they're signing on early, signing off early, allowing them to kind of navigate their work schedule around their academic one. So I will say it has been an experience if I remain flexible in accommodating what my staff want to do. where they want to grow, I'm more likely to keep them just a little longer. And also if they do depart, they don't leave with a bad memory, but a fond one and that someone was invested in them. I love that phrase, grow up and grow out.

I'm going to steal that from you. I think it's something that we look for as well. And even in just the recruiting and screening process, is there something in our university for this person?

Is there something in this position for this person? You know, is this an opportunity for them to grow in their career? And I love that term that was used earlier, evolution. Even just like, is somebody going to experience their own personal evolution by coming to, you know, maybe they're previously at a smaller institution, and then they're coming to Columbia to gain that new experience of working at a much larger institution with a larger student body. Or like you said, Ali, maybe they haven't gotten their master's yet and they express that interest in their application or during the interview.

And so I really like looking at our time with our employees as quality over quantity. So can we have them for a great couple of years where they're fully invested and interested and working hard and growing? And if we get them for a shorter period of time, but they've had a great experience, then that's better than having them for a longer period of time.

Because even when they grow up and grow out, you are still having colleagues, you know, that are out there that are still part of your network. And we'll probably continue to say great things about your institution. And they'll always be a little bit connected with us. I love all of what you guys said, but I have one more to add, and it's related to the tuition option. So sometimes, you know, some of the stuff that you may look at might actually be parents who have children who might be interested in, you know, using the tuition waiver for their children.

I think our school has a waiver for... attending our school but they also have options where they can kind of match the tuition for students outside our institution so yeah then you'd have them for maybe four years instead of just the two years for that master's yeah but yes I agree with all of you on what you just mentioned Thank you all for sharing your insights. It's very valuable and all of you made great points for us to to consider. I would like to also ask you about your experience in utilizing student assistants.

All of us have used them to help us navigate shortage of staff during different periods of time but They also can be great contributors to our teams, especially when resources are scarce and we are not able to hire full-time or even part-time positions. So would you share your strategies of utilizing student assistants in your offices and how do you integrate them in your teams? Oh, Marietta, student assistants are the golden nugget. They are where it's at. When you're experiencing those budget constraints or the HR processes are stifling your ability to quickly hire needed professional staff, I'm telling you that student assistance is the way to go.

They can assist with clerical tasks. You know, I have utilized student assistance on the front line. So they are front student customer facing.

And honestly, it's a win-win situation. They, as students, get valuable work experience. They get the opportunity to network with their peers and those that they're serving.

And, you know, we as an ESA office get the needed help. If you have a well-trained student assistant, you can keep an ISSS office humming and running smoothly. Almost daily, I get to see how the students that we serve really enjoy engaging and connecting with our student assistants. The majority of them here at Penn State are domestic students.

And, you know, while I'm not as hip, cool and with it as I used to be, it's just really nice to have someone who is a student and they're on the staff and they can really relate and guide the international students and clients we serve to resources within our office and even those sources outside of our office or our scope. You know, that they're certainly an asset and definitely make our office a more welcoming space for those that we serve here on campus. Thank you. And many of them become the future international education professionals. How many of us started as graduate assistants or student employees, student assistants in ISSS offices?

Right. Indeed. Yeah, I'm going to agree with Ali.

I couldn't have survived these past couple of months without my student assistant. I'm in the process of hiring a second staff member, but I've used. I should say I've not, my student assistants have helped me with orientation, even pre-orientation.

They serve as our ambassadors, doing the work of responding to students who are, who have questions about coming to campus. They know better than I do about where to shop and where to buy the best sheets. You know, they, they do that all.

But. I've also kind of trained them to be kind of mini DSOs. There are some things that they can advise about, like, you know, oh, you're working on campus and here's the type of letter you need for Social Security. Oh, you're working on campus with a third party employer. Here's the type of letter you need.

So driver's licenses. You have, you know, you come from a reciprocity country. So I've had to do that. because I needed the help. Because my, actually, I believe that the reason my office is quite popular is because I have student assistants.

So international students come in here all the time, even domestic students come in here all the time just to hang out. So As a result of that, I get a lot of traffic because they don't just come in and just hang out. They're like, oh, I have a question.

I have a question. But so because that happened, I decided to to create like a manual for my student workers so they could answer the basic common questions. We have a form that we looked at what what the traffic was and why they were coming in. So we took those we took that data and created.

Little, you know, answers. Well, not little, but we created responses that the students could give at the front desk to help, you know, students. If I'm not here, they can still get the help from our student workers.

So I think here, Ali, they are the golden nugget. Without them, I wouldn't have, I probably would have no hair right now. But because they're there, they helped me. Yeah, they've helped me keep my sanity. So I'm grateful for them.

Yeah. I could just add, just echoing what you both said. But I think another absolute valuable trait of our student assistants is they bring that contemporary perspective, which I don't have.

So they're able to manage our social media, look at things from the student lens, help us in that way. As I'm sure most of us have experienced, we often hear our students don't read emails. And so what are ways that we can utilize our student assistants to help us strategize in communicating with our students? Many of our student assistants are international students. So they really are the face of ISSS.

And I think, as you mentioned, Pauline, that, you know, some students just come by to hang out. And so building that sense of community. So they are.

really a golden nugget. Thank you. They're lifesavers sometimes. Moving to the next stage in our in building strong teams, really, it's the onboarding and training.

We finally managed to find that right person for the job. But what are your strategies and tools that you utilize in onboarding and training new staff? Because I think that's one of the very first experiences. they have with our teams and our institutions. And I consider that to be a make it or break it phase in whether they decide to remain with the team or to search for other opportunities.

So what are some of those standing practices that you have that you found to work over the years for onboarding and training? I love the onboarding and training process. I think it can be such a fun time to get to know someone, to see, you know, their skills being put to use, to go back to a little bit of like teaching background that I have and get to tie that all together. I personally, what I've been doing is I developed sort of an onboarding checklist and it has, you know, the most basic things like the first steps of getting an ID card or keys or whatever it is, access to different things, sharing resources that we have, policy libraries that we've created. You know, it's really sort of that like that checklist of the basic things.

But then I also incorporate a checklist that's broken down by time of the things that I want them to be able to do by a certain time. So one month in, my hope is that they're answering emails and processing cases. Three months in, by then they should be fully doing the role of their, you know, whatever that position is.

Six months in, I'm hoping they feel more comfortable, but I still feel like they have a lot to grow. So really, it's interesting because that document, we sort of like live off of it for the first week. And we're checking off every little thing and the new hires, just carrying it around with them everywhere. You know, I give it to them digitally, but we also print it out.

And then after the first week, we just don't use it anymore. So I always make a point that after the one month mark that we go to the checklist, we review and see here's all the things that you've learned so far. Are there any that we need to revisit because you learned so much in the first month?

And then we also use that checklist to let them know that their training doesn't end at one month, that we're going to do a three month check in for the first year. And that's also one of my favorite times where. You get to know them a little bit more. What is your favorite thing about the job?

What did you like that you did in the past three months? What are you looking forward to in the next three months? And then that ties back into that retention piece of finding out what interests them, what they like, and kind of tying that into their regular onboarding and training. So for me, it's a very fun year.

That checklist continues to evolve and change. We also are hoping to create sort of an online training course. So sort of a self-study.

Um. but it's in the works. So maybe we can come back to this conversation next year. Thank you.

Anyone else would like to add? I think one key thing for a small institution like mine is the need to cultivate partnerships across the campus because we're such a small office. And so. That is also part of our onboarding is to make sure that our staff is able to get out into the community and to meet like key partners that we work with often so they can establish rapport and so they can understand what our role is within the rest of the campus. That's also something that I want to make sure that it's part of our onboarding list.

Maybe that's already included in what Noel mentioned, like with the check-ins. If somebody doesn't have experience at all, no DSO experience, they are going to just be thrown into the fire because there's only one other person that can teach them. So anything that comes in, that person is shattering me for a while.

they're um yeah they may get annoyed by it but most of them don't you know they're interested in the cases that come in but um if you're just a one person in office when you have bring somebody else and they just have to um you're doing a lot of shadow work with your workers um how do you approach hiring new graduates specifically and who value the hands-on experience, and they may not have the DSO practical experience, but they value the hands-on experience and learning through direct feedback. How do you use that one-on-one follow-up to foster their innovation and professional growth and continued interest in the field? That's a great question.

I kind of want to piggyback to answer that a little bit off of what Pauline just said. It's the shadowing, learning while working. A lot of recent grads, it could be their first time, their first professional job in an office. And so I think it's important to let that new hire and that new graduate you've just hired know you're going to get plenty of support.

Like Noelle said, here's a training plan. We're going to follow it. There are steps.

Nothing is going to be unpredictable. We want to make this as predictable as possible to alleviate any stress and anxiety. And I certainly have found with hiring new grads, they enjoy the shadowing.

They want to do that before they're actually let loose to be independent and advise possibly or create petitions on their own. And so doing that shadowing and also incorporating, Mary, as you said, the one on one. I am a huge advocate for one on ones.

I think that they're fabulous and they're so helpful when it comes to setting goals, measuring progress and even just getting feedback. from that staff like how's it going how are you doing what's working what's not working for you personally during my one-on-ones i like to ask what they've accomplished um how are you coming along with the assigned tasks that you have and what support do you need from me and then also importantly what development are you craving um because i want to know what is it that they're they're wanting to get out of their their work are they are they being fulfilled And I use that feedback to seek and advocate for opportunities for them. That way they see that I'm invested as their supervisor and hopefully will entice them to stay with us longer and make it a, how do I say, a pleasurable experience for everyone involved with the onboarding.

I love one-on-ones as well, Allie. So I think. they are, you know, they are very time consuming, however, really, really critical in building that staff member.

Going back to what you said earlier in this conversation with regard to cross-training, I think it's really important to tap into other team members as well and ensure that this new grad or this new staff member is also meeting with other team members who might have better skill sets than I do in certain areas because they're doing that work on a daily basis and helping build that team morale and support. But I do think new grads are wonderful because they have the enthusiasm. They're excited. Sometimes they tend to be a little too excited. So how do you manage that?

Managing the overexcitement and setting those expectations. as well as something that one would want to consider. So I just wanted to add that onto what you shared, Ali. Thank you.

And to move on to the next phase in kind of the natural progression in the cycle of becoming a staff member at our institutions in the ISSS field, you know, during the hiring and... onboarding and training, but then how do we continue to retain our staff and how do we continue to support professional development? So what are some professional development opportunities that you and your institution are able to offer your team members and how do you, what strategies do you use in retaining your teams? All right. I'd love to comment on this.

Something that, you know, we are lucky to have a professional development budget for our staff. Not all institutions have it, but I will say we are lucky that here at Penn State we do have it and that our associate vice provost is very keen on ensuring everyone has equal. How do I say adequate and equal access to these professional development opportunities and these. funds. And so we're able to look at things like some of the NAFSA workshops and the online courses.

We can offer those to some of our staff. And in times when we can't, we have to get creative. And I know something that we are recently doing is we're taking a trip to New York University to meet with our global services office, and we're taking staff with us so that they could meet their counterparts in these spaces and can build their network and get, you know, a I grander view of how we can do operations and do policies and do procedures, we see how other institutions are doing it.

And I will say, while there is certainly cost associated with that, it allows them, as we know we love, that hands-on opportunity to actually meet with people in person, sit with them in their office and ask them questions and collaborate and work together. And I think that that is something that our staff is definitely been very happy to have the opportunity to do. We've taken advantage of a professional development budget as well. Obviously, we love to take advantage of the NAFSA resources, especially F1, J1, certification workshops, potentially trainer core conferences.

Internally at the university, our HR does have a learning and development center. So they have some great workshops, even just on like time management, project management, learning your behavior style, and then you can learn and identify behavior styles of your teammates so that you have a better working relationship with them. So we really encourage them to take advantage of those things.

When money is tight, or when maybe they've done those, or it doesn't align with the areas that they want to grow in. Sometimes we look internally into the team. So I know someone mentioned earlier about how, you know, we can shadow different team members and that can help so much with training, but sometimes it can be really fun just for a personal growth experience or professional growth experience.

For example, at Columbia, we do have a team of advisors who are our compliance team. They issue the initial like twenties, they do a lot of the OPT reporting processing for us. And then there's my team that does the advising piece. So in times when they're busy, if. I have a team member who's maybe never issued initialized 20s.

They want to learn more about that compliance piece. They can spend a couple of weeks or a couple of months maybe helping that team during their busy time. And now they've just gained a whole new skill set as a DSO that they can also put on their resume.

So sometimes we'll even look internally for that professional development piece. I do want to add another. idea, and that is at times when we have budget constraints like we do currently within the CSU system, there are other ways for staff members to get their professional development, and that is to sign up for opportunities to be part of a NAFSA regional team, for example.

That is at no cost to the institution, but it really does build those leadership qualities and traits. I would say out of my 14 team members, I have four who are very actively involved with NAFSA in some capacity. They're on a regional team, on a district team, and they love it.

And that is professional development for them because they're able to network with others in the field. Thank you so much. Would you like also to share any strategies or ways that you may use performance evaluations as part of professional development and how do you tie it so that the performance evaluation is just not one of those bureaucratic things we all have to do as managers, but how do you tie those to that part of professional development and also retention for the teams, but also helping team members understand.

the strategic goals of our departments and how all of them play a role in that because that contributes towards that sense of ownership and belonging to the institution and to our teams. Yeah, I can talk about that. We actually have our professional and personal growth as part of our performance evaluation. It's already built into it.

So then we make sure that conversation happens and we ask our employees to kind of identify a couple of areas that they may like to grow in personally or activities they might like to do. So we ask them to bring that to the performance evaluation. I know I mentioned earlier how when I do onboarding and training that first year, I do these three month check ins for at least the first year. I always offer it to my employees as something that they can continue.

So I tell them, if you like these quarterly check-ins and you want to do these one-on-ones every year, as you continue to work with us, you're welcome. We can continue to do that and just check in or at a minimal, we can meet six months and then do the official 12-month evaluation. And I find that those either three or six-month check-ins, we also sort of benchmark and talk about those professional personal goals.

Like what have you worked on the six months? that you liked working on? What would you like to accomplish before we hit that performance evaluation?

So sort of using those moments of conversation to lead up to the performance evaluation. Piggybacking on what Noel just said, for me, performance evaluations is an opportunity just to talk with your employer, with your staff. and find out what their interests are and what they want to focus their time on during the year. I've always found it very interesting to see what staff want to spend their time on, whether it might in addition to being great advisors or Being great programmers, they may want to focus on developing scholarships for international students or developing a role on the faculty or staff committee that's on campus, trying to establish those resources.

So it's a great opportunity to find out what they find meaningful and providing. The space for them to work on those tasks during the year, I think, is really important. And it's, you know, a key part of their evaluation when it comes around.

If I could just add, tying goals to professional development opportunities and tying them back to the IE competencies, I think, is really helpful. Because that one shows them that it's not just a bureaucratic process that we're going through. You as a manager have given this some thought and you are invested in that staff member's professional development and growth opportunities. Thank you all for this insightful discussion. And to conclude our collegial conversation, would you like to take a few minutes and share your key takeaways?

for the ISSS managers who are listening to this discussion today? I would just say if you take something away, which I'm sure you've taken many nuggets away, being invested, letting the staff that you support know that you are invested in their growth. You are invested in their progress. Whether that progress be personal, professional, both, it should be both.

And even if this investment means, Noelle, that they go up and out, you've at least done them a service and you have shown that they are valuable. They're valuable to you. They're valuable to the world and the work that they do.

Yeah, I think it is an investment. It's also a balancing act from the perspective of a manager, balancing the various life cycle of a staff member. But I think flexibility is also really important and our ability as managers to remain agile, nimble, and quick to pivot with new and innovative ways to approach each need and situation. is really important, which requires a cultural care and understanding with intentionality. But really just helping those individuals with their career goals and helping them move on to the next opportunity, if that's what it is.

So really, once again, going back to what you shared, Ali, it is an investment. I think a big takeaway for me from this conversation is just being creative in all aspects. So when we don't have a lot of resources or we don't have a lot of staff, let's be creative and use our graduate students. And sometimes that's such a blessing and a gift because those graduate students might become future DSMs.

And when we don't have the resources for training, let's look internally. And, you know, really these opportunities that may seem like we're not giving a lot may actually be giving a lot. to that personal individual and continue to rely on each other. Even this conversation, I have some takeaways. I'm going to steal this great phrase from Ali of growing up and growing out and some of these other ideas for training.

So just constantly being creative. We're all doing the best we can in sometimes a difficult time and also with limited resources. From this conversation, I think.

It's obvious to me that everybody's in this for the same reason. We all want to help students and we all want to see them grow. So we want to make sure that the staff that are in our offices are supported and supportive. I think it's important to remember why we do the work that we do. And when we are looking for people to join us, be open.

and see what the possibilities might be. When you're in office of two and now currently one, that's what you have to be. You have to remember why you're doing this job and look for people that you think are going to fit. Thank you for participating in this collegial conversation and sharing your insights and contributing to our field. with your experiences.

And I hope that our listeners can take away some of those key points that you made and can continue the conversation and the discussion through my NAFSA network, through the ISTA and ISCA discussion boards. And we look forward to growing together and to sharing experiences in how we can recruit, retain, and build strong teams. for ISSS. Thank you so much.

Transcript for:Strategies for International Student Services Management

Transcript for:
Strategies for International Student Services Management