30th Annual Conference

Culture as Collaboration/Culture as Commodity

February 20-23, 2019

Mérida, México

Conference Activities and Sessions

The 30th Annual Conference—Culture as Collaboration/Culture as Commodity—was held February 20-23, 2019, at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Mérida, México.

Wednesday, February 20
10:00 AM - 2:00 PMWorkshop: Student Selection, Preparation, Code of Conduct, and Returning Support (Standards 4 and 5)

The Forum on Education AbroadThis workshop, offered by The Forum on Education Abroad, focuses on Student Selection, Preparation, Code of Conduct and Returning Support (Standards 4 and 5) and will help you to identify resources and design programming to assist in this effort. Time will be devoted to the presentation and explanation of a comprehensive judicial screening process. Participants will critically examine different preparation and returning support models and will develop strategies to improve upon them so that they might be useful in their specific context. This qualifies as a Forum Certification Workshop and part of the Fundamentals of Student Preparation and Risk Management Competency Credential.

Facilitator: Dr Amelia Dietrich (The Forum on Education Abroad)

To participate in this workshop, register with The Forum on Education Abroad and pay a separate registration fee directly to The Forum. Registration Deadline: February 1, 2019.

The Forum on Education Abroad is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission as the Standards Development Organization for Education Abroad. The Forum’s institutional members include U.S. colleges and universities, overseas institutions, consortia, agencies, provider organizations and foundations. The Forum focuses on developing and implementing standards of good practice, encouraging and supporting research initiatives, and offering educational programs and resources to its members. Its mission is to help to improve education abroad programs to benefit the students that participate in them.
2:00 - 4:30 PMLunch on your own
4:30 - 5:00 PMWelcome to AAPLAC 2019
Scott Giltner, AAPLAC President
George Ann Huck, AAPLAC Executive Director
5:00 - 5:30 PMOpening Remarks
M.C. Jorge Carlos Guillermo Herrera, Dr. en Educ.
Coordinador
Sistema de Atención Integral al Estudiante
Dirección General de Desarrollo Académico
Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
5:30 - 7:00 PMWelcome Reception
Included in conference registration. Dress code is casual.
Thursday, February 21
8:30 - 9:45 AMSession 1: Creating Effective Collaboration for International Education
Moderator: Lauren Schellenberger (Culver-Stockton College)

Building Bridges Not Walls: How Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Can Collaborate to Support Latin American International Students in Turbulent Times
Jill Dunlap (St. Xavier University)

Community Based Partnerships and Developing Cross-Cultural Understanding through Experiential Learning and Study Abroad
Todd Fletcher (University of Arizona)

Developing Cross Cultural/Border Experiential Project Partnerships
Alex Espadas (Winona State University-Rochester)
9:45 - 10:15 AMCoffee Break sponsored by Campbell University
10:15 - 11:30 AMSession 2: Psychological Dimensions of Study Abroad for Students of Color
Moderator: Tiago Jones (Campbell University)

Latinx Students and Faculty Negotiating the In-Between
Ximena Mejia (University of Florida, Gainesville)

The Psychology of US Racial Experience and Students of Color Abroad
Charlotte Frazier (Lasell College)

Kreng Jai Energy: Asian-Americans on Campus and Abroad – Stereotypes and Mental Health Challenges
Emily Huynh (Lasell College)
11:30 - 11:45 AMShort Break
11:45 AM - 12:45 PMSession 3: International Partnerships in Troubled Times
Moderator: Carolina Bown (Salisbury University)

Learning from the Past: The Cuban Teachers Expedition to Harvard University in 1900
Erin Goodman (Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad (CASA) Historical Memory Project Coordinator CASA/Brown University)

Building Bridges in the Age of Trump: Developing Long-Term Collaborations between Small U.S. Colleges and Institutions in Cuba
Steven Gardner (Illinois College)
12:45 - 2:00 PMLunch on your own

AAPLAC Board Lunch Meeting
Restaurante Chaya Maya
2:00 - 3:15 PMSession 4: Teaching Migration and Immigration in the Trump Era
Moderator: Gerardo Canul (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology – Irvine Campus)

Teaching the Transnational: How Central America Disappears in the U.S. Discussion of Migration, and What to Do About It
Lean Sweeney (University of New Mexico)

Immigration and Immigrants in U.S. Politics and Media
Amy Bracken (Independent reporter and radio producer)

A Mexican in Europe (as in 'An American in Paris.'): Or How to Understand Our Students' Interactions in Mexico from an Alternative Perspective
Jorge Martinez and Tiago de Azevedo Jones (Campbell University)
3:15 - 3:45 PMCoffee Break sponsored by Lasell College
3:45 - 5:00 PMSession 5: Cultures, Identities, and Communities
Moderator: Annie Gibson (Tulane University)

From Emotional Chaos to Cultural Power
Anita Smart (Natik Esperanza)

Learning Together: Guiding a Positive Connection between Students and Local Communities, An Ecuador Case Study
Diana Balarezo (EcuaExplora)

Development of My Yucatec Mayan Identity through Experiences of Ancestral Lands
Gerardo Canul (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology – Irvine Campus)
eveningFree time to explore Merida. Dinner on your own.
Friday, February 22
9:00 - 10:15 AMSession 6: Cultural Barriers and Cultural Bridges in Study Abroad
Moderator: Stephanie Athey (Lasell College)

Confronting Cultural Road Blocks, Sometimes Called Deceptions
George Ann Huck (AAPLAC Executive Director)

Decolonizing Assessment in Education Abroad
Michael Valdez and Kathleen McInerney (St. Xavier University)
10:15 - 10:45 AMCoffee Break sponsored by Culver-Stockton College
10:45 AM - 12:00 PMSession 7: Deepening the Short-Term Immersion Experience
Moderator: George Ann Huck (AAPLAC Executive Director)

Odd Journey: Building Faculty-Led Immersion Experiences at Lasell
Stephanie Athey (Lasell College)

Selfish or Selfless? Volunteering Abroad
Nikki Glendye (Lasell College)

Outcomes of Experiential Learning and Study Abroad: A Personal Story from Lasell to IFSA-Butler to Kaya
Samantha Lafrance (Kaya Responsible Travel)
12:00 - 12:45 PMAAPLAC Business Meeting
12:45 - 2:00 PMLunch on your own
2:00 - 3:15 PMSession 8: Culture and Creative Pedagogy in International Education
Moderator: Anita Smart (Natik Esperanza)

"Flipped" Instructional Pedagogy for Critical Predeparture Sessions in Study Abroad
Annie Gibson (Tulane University)

A Mobile Museum: The Use of Indigenous Mexican and Vietnamese Clothing to Develop Cross-Cultural Understanding for Elementary School Learners
Jill Carey and Amy Maynard (Lasell College)

A Look into Cultural Identity through Study Abroad, Food and Nutrition
Lucia Canul (Registered Dietician)
3:15 - 3:30 PMShort Break
3:30 - 4:45 PMSession 9: Technology, Distance, and Study Abroad
Moderator: Brian Jennings (Albright College)

Utilizing Technology and Outreach to Engage the Next Generation through the Study Abroad Process
Kimberly Sarna (International Studies Abroad)

Institutional Positioning of the Study Abroad Experience: An Examination of Website Messaging
Margaret Rakus (Cabrini University)

What to Do When Study Abroad Is Not an Option? Explore Leadership and Responsibility in the Foreign Language Classroom When You Cannot Travel Abroad
Rene Ibarra (Campbell University)
eveningFree time to explore Merida. Dinner on your own.
Saturday, February 23
7:00 AMDepart Centro Cultural Universitario for Chichen Itza
all daySession 10: Culture as a Commodity - Chichen Itza: One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World
Presenters: Diana Arízaga and Valerie Grimsley

  • Tour of site

  • Farewell lunch at hacienda

  • Debriefing and discussion

All costs are included in conference registration fee.
7:00 PMReturn to Mérida. Free evening.