LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTIONS: SMALL AND RESIDENTIAL
NAFSA INSITUTIONAL INTEREST GROUP
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis Greenway Ballroom J
May 31, 2007
Janet Alexander, Coordinator of LAI:S&R IIG presiding.
Meeting began at 3:15 p.m. There were approximately 35 in attendance. 6 of those in
attendance are currently members of the listserv*
Agenda items:
 What is LAI:S&R IIG?
 Who are we?
 Goals and objectives
 Related to NAFSA Strategic Plan
 How to become a member?
 Topics for discussion
 Leadership stream
 Dinner
Introductions:
We introduced ourselves, our institutions and reason for interest in LAI:S&R IIG.
LAI:S&R history:
Karen Edwards spoke about the history of LAI:S&R IIG—how it began:
Marilyn Andrew (Denison), Ellen Sayles (Oberlin), and Karen Edwards (Wooster)
planned a Roundtable for International Student Advisors, funded by the Global Partners
Project. In February of 2006, thirty-two advisors from GLCA, ACM, and ACS
institutions across the country met in Ohio, to share common problems and unique
solutions regarding how we support international students on our respective campuses.
The schedule included peer-facilitated discussions entitled: Who are we?
What do we do?; Supporting Academic Success; Collaborating with Colleagues;
Professional Development and Leadership; Legal Issues for Advisers at Private
Institutions; and Ethical Dilemmas. The event also included a 'Best Practices Swap'
through which each participant was asked to submit printed materials that would show a
best practice of their respective office or institution, and these materials were combined
in a binder for all Roundtable participants. June Noronha, Past-President of NAFSA:
Association of International Educators, also gave a public lecture titled “International
Education and the Liberal Arts: An Inextricable Alliance”. Our final morning together
was focused on the topic: How Can We Collaborate?. Darryl Albon, Ohio Weslyan
University submitted the name Liberal Arts Institutions: Small and Residential
(LAI:S&R) which was subsequently selected for the new interest group formed from this
roundtable.
Goals and objectives:
There followed a discussion of goals and objectives as listed in the original petition:
 To facilitate communication among members via a listserv, including general
networking and coordination of gatherings of our members at the annual
NAFSA conference and/or other venues.
 To assure that topics of interest to small, residential liberal arts colleges are
included and to promote the liberal arts perspective on higher education at
NAFSA conferences.
 To educate Education/USA constituents about our unique mission and
services
 To share data from our members that would help us advocate for the liberal
arts and to inform our decision-making.
NAFSA’s Strategic Plan:
An explanation followed of how our goals and objectives related to NAFSA’s strategic
plan. We discussed the importance of having our activities planned to follow at least
some of the goals of the strategic plan. The annual report should be formatted to align
with the goals of the strategic plan.
Membership:
We discussed how to use the website to become part of LAI:S&R discussions and agreed
to get back to those present who are not members of NAFSA about how to use the
website.
Topics of discussion:
1. Developing a photo/data networking site by institution: those interested should
submit name, institution and link to the college or departmental website. A profile
would be created on the NAFSA website.
2. Brainstorm topics for future conference sessions (starred topics were selected as
topics to focus on in the short term; names behind topics indicate those members are
willing to organize a session on that topic for the next annual conference):
 The one-person office
 Degree-seeking vs. exchange students (Krittika Onsanit)
 Faculty training/relations/cooperation
 Poster session with one topic or theme
 Study abroad liability issues for small, private institutions
 The history of Liberal Arts/What is Liberal Arts/Marketing the Liberal
Arts
 Undergraduate Financial Aid (Luyen Phan)
 Sharing Resources Across Campus
 Tax Advising
 Effective Recruiting on a Shoestring Budget
 Residential Life and Break Support
 Integration of International Students/
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3.
Collaboration Between International Students and Students Returning
from Studying Abroad
Student Programming
Prevent Clustering (when there are many students from one
country)/Single Nationality vs. Large Nationality Groups
Study Abroad and International Education Consortia
International Education Week Collaboration or UN Day
Working with Alumni/Trustees: Encouraging their Involvement, (and
Financial Aid?)
Internationalizing the Liberal Arts
International Education Week on your campus
Leadership
Three people volunteered to lead the LAI:S&R IIG for the
coming year.
Chair: Krittika Onsanit, University of Richmond konsanit@richmond.edu
Chair-Elect: Sally Sprengel, University of Puget Sound ssprenger@ups.edu
Chair Elect-Elect: Obio Ntia, Mt. Holyoke College ontia@mtholyoke.edu
The leadership group discussed responsibilities and adopted the following:
The leadership stream will consist of three leaders, reflecting, as much as
possible, the Knowledge Communities (KC) of International Student and
Scholar Services, Education Abroad and Recruitment, Admission and
Preparation. Each year the previous Chair will rotate off and the group
will elect as the third member of the leadership committee someone
representing the KC of the Chair that is rotating off (if possible).
Chair: Responsible for communicating with NAFSA, monitoring the
discussion list, keeping documents updated on the website, recruiting
members for leadership positions, running the elections on-line,
organizing and facilitating the IIG meeting and other gatherings at the
annual NAFSA conference, and submitting the Annual Report to NAFSA
each fall.
Chair-Elect: Responsible for soliciting and organizing session proposals
for the annual NAFSA conference. The Chair-Elect will also send out
information to the regions about the LAI:S&R IIG and encourage sessions
and gatherings at the regional level.
Chair-Elect-Elect: Responsible for membership: keeping lists up to date,
answering questions for people who need help getting on the discussion
list, and recruiting new members
Election process: The Chair will send an email out to the membership
through the discussion list, asking for nominations or self-nominations.
Those nominations, when returned, will include a statement of interest,
experience and vision for the IIG. Elections will be held on-line as all
members may not be able to attend the annual NAFSA conference. The
Chair will contact NAFSA about ways to run such an election through the
website.
Several members went to dinner together. The Chair is asked to choose a restaurant (or
restaurants if there is a large group of interested members) and email members before the
conference next year.
Minutes submitted by Janet Alexander, Coordinator
*Those present:
Karen Edwards, College of Wooster*
Krittika Onsanit, University of Richmond*
Sally Sprenger, University of Puget Sound
Obio Ntia, Mount Holyoke
Marilyn Andrew, Denison University*
Janet Alexander, Grinnell College*
Brenda Strong, Grinnell College*
Eric Weinhold, St. Lawrence University
Kris Barry, Whitman College*
Nicole McCormack, Drew University
Luyen Phan, St. Olaf College
Stefi Brazzeal, Union University
Aleksandra Kasztalska, Centenary College of Louisiana
Kim Tunniclift, Augustana College
Eric Kulke, Carthage College
Glen Taul, Georgetown College
Elizabeth Brewer, Beloit College
Mayumi Nakamura, Randolph-Macon College
Chad Compton, Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Melissa Hardin, Ursinus College
Abigail Karels, Teachers College, Columbia University
Thy Yang, Dickenson State
Desiree Johnson, Dickenson State
David McCauley, St. Lawrence University
Nancy Pierce, St. Lawrence University
Timothy Schmidt, St. Lawrence University
Jessica Haas, Bard College
Naomi Ziegler, Carlton College
Joseph Brockington, Kalamazoo College
Bryant Priester, Beloit College
Rebecca Konowicz, DePauw University
Lois Larson Johnson, Grove City College
kkloppedwards@gmail.com
konsanit@richmond.edu
ssprenger@ups.edu
ontia@mtholyoke.edu
andrew@denison.edu
alexandj@grinnell.edu
strong@grinnell.edu
eweinhold@stlaw.edu
barrykl@whitman.edu
nmccorma@drew.edu
phan@stolaf.edu
sbrazzea@uu.edu
akasztal@centenary.edu
kimtunniclift@augustana.edu
ekulke@carthage.edu
glen_taul@georgetowncollege.edu
brewere@beloit.edu
mayuminakamura@rmc.edu
Comptonc@BYUH.edu
mhardin@ursinus.edu
alkarels@hotmail.com
thy.yang@dickensonstate.edu
Desiree.M.Johnson@dsu.nodak.edu
mccauley@gowebway.com
npierce@stlaw.edu
timothy.l.schmidt@lawrence.edu
haas@bard.edu
nziegler@acs.carleton.edu
brocking@kzoo.edu
priester@beloit.edu
rkonowicz@depauw.edu
lljohnson@gcc.edu
Larry Laffrey, Edgewood College
Elizabeth Tromans, Bellarmine University
Elga Gruner, Johnson State College
Heidi Spence, Adrian College
llaffrey@edgewood.edu
etromans@bellarmine.edu
Elga.gruner@jsc.vsc.edu
hspence@adrian.edu