Marketing

It isn’t enough to arrange a study abroad.  Students have to know something’s happening or they do not sign up. I’m fine with addressing classes, but publicity also involves the posting of flyers and yard signs; the construction Facebook pages and online websites. An academic is trained for none of this.  Fortunately, my graduate assistant, John Mooneyham (pictured below), is over thirty years younger than I, and very computer literate. He also worked extensively as an English teacher and program administrator in Asia before returning to ETSU for a graduate degree.

I could not get the posters and websites to look so professional without him:
http://www.etsu.edu/honors/international/documents/china_document_cuai5199_4220.pdf

http://www.etsu.edu/coe/china/default.aspx

  

    

Busy, busy...

Arranging an overseas teaching trip of the kind I usually do is extremely complex.  But when you’re preparing to take half a dozen students from East Tennessee to teach English with you, the number of hurdles goes up geometrically.

A project like this involves an agreement between ETSU and an international partner in China.  Faculty members can explore such exchanges, but we do not sign documents committing our institutions to a formal relationship.  So for the summer program to happen, I must return to China over spring break along with Dr. Lewis our Dean, and Dr. Hogan, Chair of Curriculum and Instruction (pictures below) and meet with the Chinese partners.  We’re busy with mapping itineraries and obtaining visas for the spring trip, which will occur in March.

   

                                                         Dr. Angela Lewis, Dean Clemmer College of Education

                                                            Dr. Norma Hogan, Chair Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction

Applying for China visas isn't an easy process, but I've been through it before and can help Drs. Hogan and Lewis.  Today as I worked on the multiple forms, I realized my visa will not expire 'til April 2015, so I  won't need a new one 'til summer.