Administration and communications
- 2. Session Overview 1 This session will: • Review the key roles and functions of administrators at U.S. universities. • Highlight how to initiate contact and conversations with U.S. universities. • Suggest areas of interest to U.S. universities. • Discuss when and where to connect. • Indicate who manages the partnership and assesses its potential viability. • Provide some email templates and other best practices.
- 4. Common Roles and Functions at U.S. Universities Leadership President Provost Vice Presidents/Vice Provosts Deans Senior International Officer Faculty and Administration Directors Department Chairs Faculty Business Officers Coordinators International Office Compliance Legal Counsel Risk Management Export Control Technology International Student and Scholar Services Academic Programs and Research Development Academic Affairs Admissions Graduate College Research Office Advancement Alumni Office Development Office Communications
- 5. Common Roles and Functions at U.S. Universities Leadership President Provost Vice Presidents/Vice Provosts Deans Senior International Officer Primary Role • Development of the campus internationalization strategy • Public champion • Ceremonial role • Signing agreements • Reporting activity to public • Resources – Human and Financial
- 6. Common Roles and Functions at U.S. Universities Primary Role • Identify and evaluate opportunities for feasibility • Implementation of program or project • Agreement development • Tracking and reporting activity • Resource management Faculty and Administration Directors Department Chairs Faculty Business Officers Coordinators International Office
- 7. Common Roles and Functions at U.S. Universities Primary Role • Legal counsel and agreement/contract review • Insurance policy recommendations and protocol • Intellectual property regulations and protocols • Linking activity to industry • Immigration rules and regulations and advising Compliance Legal Counsel Risk Management Export Control Technology International Student and Scholar Services
- 8. Common Roles and Functions at U.S. Universities Primary Role • Oversees academic program development and protocols • Curriculum development and articulation • Admissions protocols and requirements • Research development support and seed funding Academic Programs and Research Development Academic Affairs Admissions Graduate College Research Office
- 9. Common Roles and Functions at U.S. Universities Primary Role • Alumni tracking and outreach • Relationship building • Cultivates financial support from donors • Announcements, distributing news items Advancement Alumni Office Development Office Communications
- 11. 1. International Office and Academic Units • Serve as the first point of contact at U.S. institutions • Administrative staff and faculty evaluate the potential viability of the initiative and alignment with institutional goals and priorities • Communicate directly with the partner • Coordinate the internal vetting and approvals at the U.S. institution • Often report to the Provost or Chief Academic Officer on campus 10
- 12. 2. Academic Collaboration: Areas of Interest • Dependent upon the institutional strengths, often differ by regional needs and geographic location • Varies by institution type (research/doctoral level, master level, bachelor level, community colleges) • Represented in this delegation are large, public research institutions with strengths and expertise in: - science and engineering - agriculture and life sciences - public policy and law - business - education - social sciences - health sciences - humanities 11
- 13. 3. When and Where to Connect • Professional international conferences for administrators • European Association of International Educators (EAIE) • Eurasia Higher Education Summit (EURIE) • Association of International Educators (NAFSA) • Asian Pacific Association of International Educators (APAIE) • Professional conferences for faculty and researchers (varies by discipline) • Campus visits, preferably when university is in session • Virtually (video calls) – anytime as needed • Written correspondence – email – anytime as needed 12
- 14. 4. Partnership Management and Assessment of Potential • International Office and the Academic Department oversee the management of the partnership and handle internal mechanisms for recruitment, enrollment and needs of the students and faculty on behalf of the U.S. institution • Assessment is handled by the International Office and the Academic Department in conjunction with the partner institution • Assessment criteria and techniques should be defined during the development phase and implemented at the inception of the program 13
- 15. 5. Email Sample Dear _______: My name is _____ and I am the _____ at ______ university in ______. ______ university is a public, state institution that offers degrees in _________. We have ______ students and are focused on providing education and training to support the growing need for _____ in our region. We are looking to ___________ in ___________ and I noted that your university has demonstrated strengths in this area. I would like to discuss possible opportunities for collaboration further with you and would be happy to send additional information while we arrange a time to meet. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, 14
- 17. 1. International Research • Research collaborations with U.S. partners are often created organically at the peer-to-peer level • meetings and conferences • contacting experts about their publications • leveraging networks for introductions • This does not mean it is a passive process. You should utilize every opportunity to be proactive and strategic in your search for collaborators. 16
- 18. 1. International Research – U.S. Context • There is usually a positive tension between faculty-driven partnerships and senior administrative-driven partnerships • Faculty – independent pursuits of interest • Administration – desire a unified direction • Collaborations can come from the top down, but often it is better to focus on faculty connections since they have the final decision • When it comes to research you are approaching individuals (faculty) much more than an entire institution or university 17
- 19. 2. Engaging Faculty for Research or Scholarly Collaboration • Be smart about who you are targeting • Be honest about your capabilities and those of your institution • No one is great at everything and that is okay • Look for complementarity as that gives you an opportunity to offer something to the partnership 18
- 20. 2. Engaging Faculty for Research or Scholarly Collaboration • Focus on finding motivations that align with faculty • desire for tenure • improved publications • access to populations, datasets, resources, or samples they would not have otherwise • desire to expand industry connections • employability of graduates • better positioned for funding opportunities • Rankings do not matter to faculty 19
- 21. 3. Research Collaborations: Areas of Interest • Do your research on potential faculty partners • Where are they in their career? • How will both partners benefit from the collaboration? • Do they have connections to the region? • Are their summers available or do they have sabbatical soon? • Deeply review websites (ex. ResearchGate) • This will tell you where individuals and institutions are strong and where they get funding • Get a student to compile dossier on possible partners 20
- 22. 3. Research Collaborations: Areas of Interest 21 • You may target a particular faculty member, but you can also start at the institutional level and then drill down to identify a faculty member you did not know about before
- 23. 3. Research Collaborations: Areas of Interest 22
- 24. 3. Research Collaborations: Areas of Interest 23 Washington State University Total R&D expenditures, by field: 2017–08 (Dollars in thousands) Field 2017 2016 2015 2014 All R&D fields 356,901 334,082 333,134 326,414 Science 260,144 261,298 252,474 245,649 Computer and information sciences 6,346 4,322 5,201 6,226 Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 11,001 9,811 10,614 7,557 Atmospheric science and meteorology 1,178 1,266 966 582 Geological and earth sciences 2,368 2,908 2,190 3,916 Ocean sciences and marine sciences 201 227 1,196 15 Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences, nec 7,254 5,410 6,262 3,044 Life sciences 187,072 185,075 166,580 182,940 Agricultural sciences 98,094 101,892 86,195 92,529 Biological and biomedical sciences 47,331 51,099 47,352 66,402 Health sciences 37,032 30,409 30,042 14,243 Natural resources and conservation 3,407 0 0 0 Life sciences, nec 1,208 1,675 2,991 9,766 Mathematics and statistics 777 1,340 909 2,194 Physical sciences 35,985 40,781 43,737 26,015 Psychology 4,440 3,094 2,004 3,053 Social sciences 12,866 16,300 20,322 14,162 Engineering 50,463 46,133 54,515 42,293
- 25. 3. Research Collaborations: Areas of Interest 24 Washington State University Federally funded R&D expenditures, by federal agency: 2017–08 (Dollars in thousands) Source of funds 2017 2016 2015 2014 All agencies 152,843 136,646 134,889 126,955 Department of Agriculture 50,929 42,813 35,338 34,009 Department of Defense 6,108 7,539 8,753 8,671 Department of Energy 17,812 17,207 18,549 11,427 Department of Health and Human Services (including NIH) 34,379 26,129 25,870 20,754 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 805 596 264 280 National Science Foundation 18,539 17,893 17,351 17,376 Other Agencies 24,271 24,469 28,764 34,438 SOURCE:National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Higher Education R&D Survey NOTE: . = data were not collected at this level or institution was not eligible to participate for this survey year.
- 26. 4. Project Management and Assessment of Potential • The choice of partners in most collaborations is at the discretion of the faculty member so you want to present yourself and your institution as a strong candidate. • Once the faculty member receives an award and becomes a Principal Investigator, they are responsible for fulfilling all the requirements of the award. They will have support from the university system, but they are ultimately held accountable. 25
- 27. 5. Initiating Contact: When and Where to Connect 26 • Send a targeted request, usually to a central unit rather than the faculty directly. This is often more effective as the unit will advocate for you. • Establish a recognized email address (i.e. Google) • Put together an elevator speech for the appropriate platform (email, leave behind, etc.) • Do not send attachments or urls in your initial outreach • Set up your professional LinkedIn page, ResearchGate profile, or other website (usually in English)
- 28. 5. Initiating Contact: When and Where to Connect 27 • Make sure you have something to offer when you reach out; this means knowing what the partner wants • Do not ask for too much immediately • Understand the academic calendar. Don’t email during finals or the summer and expect an immediate response. • Reference common connections • Follow-up is key; be persistent but not aggressive
- 29. 6. Outreach Sample – What not to do 28 • Not personal; no analysis was done to focus on WSU or a specific faculty member • Same letter probably sent to every U.S. land grant university
- 30. 6. Outreach Sample – General WSU 29 • Can make these general or specific to an audience. Specificity based on discipline or results or any factor important to your audience. • Send in your follow-up once you get a response.
- 31. 7. Other Suggestions • Watch forecasts (ex. https://www.usaid.gov/business- forecast/search; https://www.grants.gov, https://www.fbo.gov) and sign up for listservs. Send findings to possible U.S. partners. • As in institution, establish a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) with a recognized international agency • For individuals, explore the possibility of securing adjunct status at your partner U.S. university. It gives you a legitimate U.S. affiliation, including .edu email address, and access to resources like databases and virtual private network (VPN) for improved online access. 30
- 32. Sharing the Impact of Internationalization • Most International Offices and Academic units have their own marketing and communication staff • These marketing and communication staff members will develop stories and reports to highlight the impact of international initiatives on campus that demonstrate how they support the institutional goals and strategies • This information will be shared with senior leadership and with the centralized marketing office for broad distribution • Use the media tools and methods that work best by community and by region (social media, news stories, press releases, videos, reports, etc) 31
- 33. Lunch: Discussion Topics • How do we increase the quality of international connections? • How can we modernize the management of international administration? • How many staff members are required to be effective? • What are the functional responsibilities of U.S. international administrators?