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NUin Australia

International Student Advisor Fall 2012 Erin Cooney

Pre-Coop Although this job was my first coop, I found some of my prior experiences very helpful in this position. Some basic skills that will make candidates successful include: -Familiarity with the Service-Learning model -Flexibility and open-mindedness -Prior office experience and/or proficiency in MS Office -Excellent time management -Ability to be both self-directed and work cooperatively on a team with professional staff and fellow coop students -Prior mentoring/teaching experiences

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What is an International Student Advisor? Job Description & Daily Tasks

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NUin is a pre-matriculation program for students who will enroll as Northeastern freshman after spending their first semester abroad in one of five locations. International Student Advisors (ISAs) are members of the on-site staff who are responsible for the health, well-being, and success of these students while abroad. I was based in Melbourne, Australia working in the Swinburne Abroad Office, serving as a teaching assistant at Swinburne University of Technology, planning trips and events for the students, and much more!

I worked with 5 other coop students and 3 professional staff. We were on a three-week rotation so that our schedules and responsibilities were different from one day to the next.

While there was no such thing as a “typical day” because every day varied, some of the common tasks and responsibilities included:

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-Serving as a teaching assistant in the “Global Experience” course (grading assignments, reading student blogs, facilitating class discussions, responding to email, leading lectures, preparing materials for class, etc)

-Greeting and receiving students and professionals as part of the front-desk staff in the Swinburne Abroad Office.

-Being “On-Call” and “On-duty” for one week intervals which includes responding to all student emergencies and resident life issues that may arise

-Planning and organizing various trips and educational events while staying within budget and attempting to reach all students.

-Producing various reports, spreadsheets, reviews, proposals, and reflections

-Communicating to parents and liaising between host institution and Boston

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Going Deeper

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Company Culture

NUin is a unique program in the industry of international education. It is very different from traditional study abroad in that the students do not apply into the program or to the specific location. Additionally, first year students have to transition from high school to college while simultaneously adjusting to a new culture and country. The primary focus of NUin is to make this transition as smooth as possible while preparing students for Northeastern and ensuring that they make the most of the opportunities in the host country. This is why the cohort model with on-site Northeastern staff is so integral to the success of the program. Northeastern Affinity and overall personal growth is emphasized in the organization. My position was critical in supporting this mission because I was responsible for instituting the activities and upholding the code of conduct that make this program successful.

Training Received

Prior to beginning this international coop, all staff had to come together to train for two weeks in Boston. The training consisted of a wide variety of activities including: lectures, team-building activities, a detailed look at the code of conduct, introduction to NUin reporting techniques and procedures, and conflict-resolution techniques. This training was also instrumental in acclimatizing the new staff to the NUin culture. While this training was brief, it covered a lot of ground and was utilized and referred back to throughout the co-op.

Role of Innovation

The NUin program is an innovative way to deal with the problem of too many qualified applicants on a campus with a finite number of spaces available. While many universities throughout the country have “Jan start” programs, the NUin model is unique. Northeastern is an institution that is globally focused and innovative and so this program is merely an extension of that.

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Skill Development on Coop

This coop was instrumental for learning about my strengths and weaknesses as a professional. Because this position required so much flexibility and required me to perform such a wide variety of tasks, I was able to identify and reflect on my abilities and areas for improvement constantly. I gained confidence in public speaking, experience in event planning, expertise with new technologies and software, leadership development and much more. As a Global Health major, I was given the opportunity to use my previous training to provide information and resources for the students on all things health-related. This was an excellent experience because I was able to apply what I had learned in the classroom and see the effects take hold. I found this coop to be a tremendous mixture of activities directly related to my field as well as activities that allowed me to explore other fields while always fostering the development of many transferrable skills.

Personal Development on Coop

Since I have been in college, most of my work and volunteer experiences have been very similar to one another. I have worked as a college application mentor, peer tutor, and teaching assistant. This position allowed me to continue with the one-on-one relationship building that I love while also pushing me outside of my comfort zone to try new things. I drew a lot of critical conclusions regarding my workplace preferences, my abilities, my comfort levels, and the areas that I need to improve both in and out of the office. This position forced me to learn how to separate my work life from my home life, how to resolve conflicts regardless of how uncomfortable they may be, and most importantly why it is important to love my job.

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