Nashville


CIEE Annual ConferenceThe 2008 CIEE Annual Conference took place in Nashville, Tennessee from November 12–15. As a field, we spend a good deal of time considering academic issues: pedagogical approaches, academic rigor, course development, curriculum integration. Equally important—and much less frequently addressed—are the management techniques that are absolutely critical to the effectiveness of our carefully-designed programs. These issues and concerns were the focus of the CIEE Annual Conference, “Setting the Stage: Managing Growth in Study Abroad.” This was an opportunity to launch a dialogue that grapples with issues such as:

  • Increasing Enrollments

  • Professional Management Development

  • Reviewing Curricular Integration

  • Sustainability and Ethics in Education Abroad

  • Millennials: Perception and Reality

The conference venue, the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, was the site for the Opening Plenary Session and the reception that followed on Wednesday evening. The Opening Plenary speaker was Jeffrey Selingo. Mr. Selingo was named editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education in August 2007, and he directs a staff of more than 70 editors and reporters, online and in print. Previously Mr. Selingo was an assistant managing editor and senior editor overseeing The Chronicle's coverage of higher education policy, campus leadership, and fundraising, as well as its surveys of presidents and trustees. Two pre-conference workshops and over 30 sessions were presented during the conference, some of which included:

  • Managing for Success in Study Abroad

  • Using Technology to Manage Growth in Study Abroad

  • Beyond Study Abroad: How Study Abroad Provider Organizations Contribute to Home Campus and Curriculum Internationalization

  • The Million: Strategic Planning and Building Capacity for Growth in Study Abroad

Read the conference program (pdf format) which describes the sessions and workshops.

The Meet CIEE: Coffee and Conversation took place in the ballroom of the Renaissance Nashville Hotel and provided attendees with a great way to learn more about each CIEE program and the cultures of the host countries. Also in attendance were members of the Academic Consortium Board and CIEE staff members.

The Annual Conference Reception was held on November 13 at the Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman first opened its doors in 1892. With the coming of the Grand Ole Opry show in 1943, the Ryman found its identity as the Mother Church of Country Music. Musicians ranging from Roy Acuff to James Brown and Patsy Cline to Sheryl Crow have performed on the Ryman stage, making it a historical as well as a current-day icon for people everywhere.

The Annual Luncheon took place on November 14 and featured speaker Dr. George Kuh, Chancellor’s Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University-Bloomington, home to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Dr. Kuh’s research focuses on assessing undergraduate student learning and personal development, campus cultures, and the institutional conditions that foster student learning. View Dr. Kuh's PowerPoint presentation (Microsoft ppt format).

The Breakfast Plenary was held on November 15 with Robert T. Coonrod delivering the Plenary Address. Robert T. Coonrod is Chief Operating Officer of Meridian International Center in Washington, DC. He is also President of the Board of the Public Diplomacy Council, and a member of the Defense Science Board Taskforce on Strategic Communication. He formerly served as the President & CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and as its Executive VP & COO.