30th Annual Conference

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 PM	Workshop: Student Selection, Preparation, Code of Conduct, and Returning Support (Standards 4 and 5) This 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 PM	Lunch on your own
4:30 - 5:00 PM	Welcome to AAPLAC 2019 Scott Giltner, AAPLAC President George Ann Huck, AAPLAC Executive Director
5:00 - 5:30 PM	Opening 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 PM	Welcome Reception Included in conference registration. Dress code is casual.
Thursday, February 21
8:30 - 9:45 AM	Session 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 AM	Coffee Break sponsored by Campbell University
10:15 - 11:30 AM	Session 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 AM	Short Break
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM	Session 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 PM	Lunch on your own AAPLAC Board Lunch Meeting Restaurante Chaya Maya
2:00 - 3:15 PM	Session 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 PM	Coffee Break sponsored by Lasell College
3:45 - 5:00 PM	Session 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)
evening	Free time to explore Merida. Dinner on your own.
Friday, February 22
9:00 - 10:15 AM	Session 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 AM	Coffee Break sponsored by Culver-Stockton College
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM	Session 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 PM	AAPLAC Business Meeting
12:45 - 2:00 PM	Lunch on your own
2:00 - 3:15 PM	Session 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 PM	Short Break
3:30 - 4:45 PM	Session 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)
evening	Free time to explore Merida. Dinner on your own.
Saturday, February 23
7:00 AM	Depart Centro Cultural Universitario for Chichen Itza
all day	Session 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 PM	Return to Mérida. Free evening.