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First International NECHE Conference
AUF Takes Another Step Towards Accreditation
AUF was represented by esteemed staff members last week at the New England Commission of Higher Education's first International Conference. Established in 1885, NECHE is a prominent accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The voluntary association is not government-affiliated, and strives to provide and promote quality spaces for higher education.
Hosted in Lausanne, Switzerland, this year’s conference invited NECHE-affiliated international universities to participate in four days of enriching educational conversations and workshops. The 2024 conference kicked off Monday, July 15th, boasting a full itinerary of various sessions and panels discussing international education.
AUF President and CEO Gabriella Ganugi, and Provost Grace Joh, traveled to Switzerland on behalf of AUF to participate in the conference. Additionally, President Ganugi was asked to speak on behalf of AUF about international hiring and retention strategies.
“It is very important for the accreditor to provide a space where the voices of its international members can emerge,” Joh said. “I think that this event is important for us to attend because we can be amongst colleagues and peers. Even though we come from very diverse places, we have that common factor of not being physically in the United States.”
Currently, in the process of seeking American accreditation for their long-term degree-seeking students, AUF has become well acquainted with NECHE. Despite attending NECHE conferences before, the proximity of this year’s conference and its emphasis on international education offered an exciting new opportunity for AUF that took place in a local, European context.
The 2024 conference kicked off Monday, July 15th with a full four-day itinerary of various sessions and panels discussing international education. 26 out of 27 international NECHE institutions were able to attend and participate in this year's conference. This impressive attendance rate epitomizes NECHE’s commitment to improving international education.
“It was a pleasure to interact with other institutions in a location outside of the U.S.A.,” Joh said. “It truly felt like we had the opportunity to occupy and interact in a space conceived precisely for the purpose of examining and reflecting on issues in a productive and collegial manner in the company of colleagues who bring the many perspectives of diverse countries and cultures across the world."
Following breakfast on Wednesday morning, President Ganugi joined the American University of Bulgaria Provost, and the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh’s Vice President of Academic Affairs in a panel discussion about Hiring, Retaining, and Developing Faculty in International Settings.”
Since Florence is such an international city, AUF has a unique position when it comes to contextualizing higher education. As an English-speaking university, AUF remains highly dedicated to cultural immersion and integration in an attempt to broaden the perspectives of both students and staff.
“President Ganugi emphasized how at AUF, not only are we thinking about international faculty but also international classrooms with students from multiple countries. And so the concept of training and development to address an international classroom is incredibly important, and AUF provides free access for its staff and faculty to graduate-level courses on international higher education.”
Gaungi addressed the international aspects of Florentine hiring and retention within a city that offers a diverse candidate pool. When discussing staff inclusivity and retention, Gaungi shared how benefits such as meal vouchers and faculty inclusion at staff retreats, in addition to free staff graduate-level course access for development purposes aid this mission.
“It was truly exciting to see our colleagues from Europe, the African continent, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East take the stage as protagonists,” Joh Concluded.
NECHE’s first international conference allowed AUF to converse and collaborate with institutions and educators from all around the world.
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