Bridges Not Walls: Building Partnerships Between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and International Student and Scholar Services Offices

Friday, June 3, 2022

9:30 AM – 10:20 AM MDT

Location: Four Seasons Ballroom 2/3

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices are often siloed on university campuses, yet there are critical areas of cooperation between these units for students and institutions. Join us for a SWOT analysis panel discussion of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with partnering ISSS and DEI initiatives at various institution types. Presenters discuss opportunities to work together and help attendees understand why DEI work is critical to international student and scholar support. This session was selected as the Region VII conference highlight from the NAFSA 2021 All-Region Summit.

Learning Objectives:

Articulate the importance of partnering ISSS offices with DEI offices, from both the institutional and student perspectives.
Identify institutional strengths and opportunities that these offices can leverage to build partnerships and programming to support DEI initiatives.
Develop tangible strategies for successful programming and leave with action items to support DEI initiatives.
Build a network of colleagues at peer institutions to support the development of DEI initiatives and sharing of approaches and model practices.

Chair and Presenter(s)

Lindsay Pepper, MA

Director of International Student And Scholar Services And Outreach
Appalachian State University

Presenter(s)

Gaurav Harshe

Graduate Assistant
Florida State University Center For Global Engagement
Rebecca Seibert, M.A. (she/her)

Administrative Assistant
University of Portland
Emily Harper, MA, MTS

International Student Advisor
Portland State University Office of International Affairs