■ FOCUS ON EDUCATION ABROAD: • Specialized focus on Education Abroad • Produces consistent, high quality products for those in education abroad (attracts members)
“I think one of the things that makes the Forum unique in the field of international ed and higher ed is that it focuses solely on education abroad. Whereas many of the other organizations are focused on other parts of international ed, the Forum exclusively focuses on ed abroad, which I think makes it unique amongst peer organizations.” - Tracey
■ ADAPTABLE:
“I think just the shift, not only pulling the conference off and the logistics but having such a quick shift shows that the Forum can be nimble, and the fact that it also coincided with this pandemic and challenges being faced by our members. So not only did we shift the conference and provide this platform for people to gather, but also being able to respond to needs with other resources and services to address the challenges going on at the same time. Shows that we could be nimble and quick on our feet.” - Lindsay “One of the things that we’ve really tried to strike here at the Forum is to try to adapt to how the field is shifting and kind of meet those needs...We kind of tried to step in and identify those needs at the moment when they’re happening, even if that means kind of throwing everything to the side to focus on this because that’s what the field needs at that moment...I think that’s something that we always try to be conscious about and try to provide as much support as we can in those critical moments.”
• Nimble/Adaptable/ Responsive to the changing needs of education abroad • Being flexible to make participation affordable and manageable for institutions of different sizes and strengths, and individuals • Ability to reinvent ourselves
■ REPRESENTATION IN THE FIELD: • Wide representation of voices
“That sense of very close ties that are literally a phone call away, I find Forum keeps growing and what it’s offering as a product, but it manages to my mind to still feel accessible, small, relatable, and that almost anybody can participate.” – Lorna
■ FOCUS ON D&I:
“I know that in this present moment, so where we are right now, the forum is doing a lot to make it affordable and manageable for institutions of different sizes and strengths, and individuals, like I’m grateful for the amount of opportunity they’re providing, even for people who don’t really have the resources right now to pay to go to the conference, or to be paying members.“ – Keshia
• Working towards diversity and inclusion
■ ACCESSIBLE:
• The organization (staff) is accessible, relatable and almost anyone can participate • All services do not have a fee attached (accessibility to other schools and institutions that can’t afford full membership.)
“I think that’s a strength that the forum does have a lot of resources that are not behind a paywall.” - Joy
THE FORUM ON EDUCATION ABROAD // SOAR WHITEPAPER
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