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NAFSA's Statement of Professional Competencies for International Educators

NAFSA: Association of International Educators promotes the exchange of students and scholars to and from the United States. The Association sets standards of good practice and provides professional programs and services related to international educational exchange. NAFSA provides a forum for discussion of issues and a network for sharing information as it seeks to increase awareness of and support for international education in higher education, in government, and in the community. NAFSA's members share a belief that international educational exchange advances learning and scholarship, builds respect among different peoples, and encourages constructive leadership in a global community.

Our shared beliefs in the value of international education are important factors which motivate individuals to enter the profession of international educator and to seek advancement within the profession. Guided by the ideas in NAFSA's mission statement above, international educators promote and support the interests of international educational exchange in a variety of institutional and organizational settings and disciplines. International educators may serve in a full or part time paid professional role or in a voluntary position and share a commitment to an international community of learning.

A competent and effective international educator uses numerous professional and personal qualities in the performance of his or her responsibilities. There are various types of professional qualifications which should be demonstrated by all international educators, but the required level and combination of these are unique for the individual, the institution or organization being served, and the current needs of the position. International educators function in a rapidly changing world and are required to adapt to evolving educational needs.

This document can be used to define the profession "international educator." It establishes qualifications for the profession and also presents characteristics relevant to professional growth and advancement. The primary purpose of the statement is to define the baseline of knowledge and skills for international educators, upon which NAFSA will shape its professional development programming. Individual international educators will also use this to assess their own backgrounds and to determine an individual program for professional growth.

Individuals who wish to enter the profession will use this statement to determine knowledge and skills needed by an international educator. Other professional colleagues will find this a comprehensive and understandable definition of our profession. The statement provides governmental and funding agencies with an understanding of our profession and evidence for their support of our professional development.

The context of the profession

A profession may be defined as a group

whose work is based on a body of knowledge
that has some control of membership
whose work is of value to society
that organizes itself through a professional association,
that adheres to a code of ethics, and
that works within an institutional or hierarchical system.

Professional development is broadly conceived to refer to activities and programs

to improve the knowledge and skills needed by an individual to carry out a current job,
to expand an individual's skills and knowledge to move beyond current job demands on a career path,
to enhance an institution's ability to carry out international activities,
to improve the field of international education, and
to make NAFSA a more effective professional organization

A. Qualifications Common to All International Educators

As members of a profession, international educators share a set of professional objectives, common to all individuals regardless of their individual specializations. These are

to perform all professional responsibilities to the best of the individual's ability
to be an active member of the profession and to work toward its overall development
to advocate for the shared goals of international education
to continue one's professional development
to accept and practice the NAFSA Code of Ethics and NAFSA's Principles for International Educational Exchange
to recognize the limits of one's knowledge and expertise
to participate in significant on-going intercultural experiences, such as extended overseas living experiences and study of other languages
to network and share appropriate knowledge with other professionals
to encourage entry into the profession by persons from all backgrounds and to mentor those new to the profession

Certain shared attitudes also distinguish the international educator and drive the individual to seek additional professional development. These are:

an awareness of one's personal values and their relationship to professional and volunteer responsibilities
regard for creativity and innovation in the practice of professional responsibilities
respect for the diverse backgrounds and viewpoints of one's colleagues
a responsibility and willingness to share one's professional expertise

All international educators have an academic and/or experiential background which varies but which is appropriate to their professional or volunteer responsibilities. Certain knowledge and skills are also common to all members of this profession. International educators must demonstrate the following:

knowledge of the mission and goals of one's institution or organization
skills at functioning in an institutional or organizational setting
understanding of the role and structure of international education at one's institution or organization
skills of managing staff as well as fiscal and other resources
knowledge of relevant technologies
counseling and advising skills
leadership skills
knowledge of the resources available for professional development
comprehension of the history, philosophy and structure of U.S. education
knowledge of other educational systems
cultural, geographical, political, historical, and economic knowledge of other countries
knowledge of cultural values and assumptions and their effect on interactions with individuals and groups
intercultural communication skills
knowledge about learning another language
awareness of how culture and language influence learning styles
knowledge of the cultural adjustment process
knowledge of funding mechanisms, sources, and trends

B. Qualifications by Area of Specialization

Community Program Volunteers and Professionals

These international educators are paid and unpaid professionals who provide community services and enrichment programs for foreign students and scholars and their families. They are volunteers, local community group administrators, and paid staff of organizations or institutions which specialize in community programming.

Qualifications for professionals who provide community outreach activities, in addition to the general qualifications listed in Section A are:

knowledge of the goals of the organization and institutions served
skills in forming friendships across cultural and religious lines with affirmation and respect
knowledge of the demographics of the community in which the organization operates, and an awareness of how these affect the recruitment and retention of volunteers
understanding of how demographics impact the community's interaction with students and scholars served
knowledge of the countries of the students and scholars who are being served which emphasizes such characteristics as family relationships and religion
organizational and volunteer management skills that are appropriate for administering a community program
fundraising and fund management skills as required to operate programs and services

Education Abroad Professionals

These international educators serve the educational needs of students from U.S. campuses who study, work or travel abroad. They include campus-based education abroad advisors and administrators, campus or agency based program representatives, and overseas resident directors.

Qualifications for professionals who work with education abroad, in addition to the general qualifications listed in Section A are:

knowledge of admissions standards and transfer/outside credit policies at the student's home institution
skills in integrating education abroad programs into an institution's international and academic mission
knowledge of financial aid and funding issues relevant to education abroad
skills in working effectively with faculty and academic departments
budgetary and financial management skills
promotional and advocacy skills which relate education abroad programs to the development of international/intercultural competencies for U.S. students
knowledge of how to provide comprehensive student and academic services to students participating in education abroad programs, including pre- and post-departure orientation, crisis management, and re-entry services
knowledge of how to access information on travel documentation, travel conditions, and health information which may impact overseas travel and study
knowledge of how to interpret foreign credentials as U.S. educational equivalents and home institution curricular requirements
knowledge of how a program fits into the curriculum of the sending institution as well as the host institution abroad
knowledge of the language, values and culture of the country of assignment

ESL Program Administrators

These international educators have responsibilities in the teaching and/or management of programs which teach English to speakers of other languages.

The basic qualification for teaching ESL is a master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language or a closely related field. The requirements for program administrators, in addition to the general qualifications listed in Section A are:

knowledge of the current state of ESL instruction, including teaching methods as well as the assessment and evaluation of curriculum and materials
awareness of potential biases in testing instruments and procedures
teaching skills for cross-cultural competence
skills to fully integrate students, faculty and staff of the English language program into an academic community
skills in appropriately marketing an ESL program in a international setting
budgetary skills and knowledge
skills in working effectively with an academic faculty both within the ESL program and the broader institution

International Admissions and Placement Professionals

These international educators have responsibilities in the evaluation of foreign educational credentials as well as in the recruitment, admission and placement of students in the U.S. educational system. These individuals may work in a specific educational institution (i.e., admissions officers, credentials analysts, registrars) or may be based in a non-academic setting (i.e., professional credential evaluators, sponsoring agency and foreign government placement officers, other recruitment agencies.)

Qualifications for professionals with admissions responsibilities, in addition to the general qualifications listed in Section A are:

in depth knowledge of the structure of the U.S. and/or home educational system
knowledge of foreign educational systems and credentials
knowledge of general admissions and transfer credit policies of all types of U.S. educational institutions
knowledge of the comparability of foreign credentials in terms of U.S. and/or home country educational equivalents and institutional admissions requirements
knowledge of their institution's or organization's foreign market and enrollment trends
knowledge of data management and electronic technology
basic knowledge of immigration regulations relevant to the student population served
skills in accurately presenting an educational institution and its system of education in its foreign markets
skills in collecting and analyzing data on international student admissions and enrollment
skills in working effectively with faculty and academic departments

Go to Resources for International Admissions Professionals

International Student and Scholar Advisers and Administrators

These international educators have responsibility for program administration and advising students and scholars from overseas.

Qualifications for professionals with responsibilities in advising international students and scholars, in addition to the general qualifications listed in Section A are

knowledge of immigration and other regulations which impact international students and scholars at the institution
skills in providing regulatory and institutional information in a manner which is understandable to students and scholars
skills in incorporating international students and scholars in an institution's overall mission
knowledge of how to provide international students and scholars with orientation designed for their academic and personal success
knowledge of resources available to international students and scholars within the academic and surrounding communities, and the appropriate means of referral
skills in effectively working with faculty and academic departments
cross cultural training skills
skills in combating discrimination within the campus and community
knowledge of appropriate intervention strategies with individuals and groups and an ability to balance privacy issues with individual health and safety concerns
skills in balancing administrative and programming priorities

Go to Resources for International Student Advisers and International Scholar Advisers

Overseas Educational Advisers

These international educators have responsibility for providing clear, objective, and unbiased information on U.S. higher education to students residing outside of the United States. These individuals work in U.S.- government supported advising centers, private foundations and companies, and educational institutions abroad.

Qualifications for professionals with responsibilities in overseas educational advising, in addition to the general qualifications listed in Section A are:

knowledge of the home country educational system and credentials and their comparability with U.S. educational credentials
knowledge of general admissions policies and philosophies for all types of U.S. higher education institutions
knowledge of the requirements of financing an education in the United States
skills in representing and providing information on U.S. higher education
knowledge of ways to assess, collect and organize resource materials on U.S. higher education and methods for instructing and orienting students on how to use these resources
skills in helping students arrive at an appropriate decision regarding the suitability of study in the United States
knowledge of U.S. governmental regulations relevant to the student population served
skills in planning, executing, and evaluating educational programs
skills in providing students with predeparture orientation information that will facilitate their academic and personal success in the United States
skills in establishing good working relationships with key representatives of the host country educational community

Go to Resources for Overseas Educational Advisers

Sponsoring and Programming Agency Specialists

These international educators include program administrators involved in recruitment, selection, placement, monitoring, enrichment, and follow-up activities for both short-and long-term professional and academic training in the public and private sectors.

Qualifications for professionals who work in or with sponsoring and programming agencies, in addition to the general qualifications listed under Section A are:

knowledge of the U.S. educational system and training opportunities in the United States
knowledge of the educational system of sending countries as well as their social, political, economic, and cultural environments
understanding of the programmatic context within which educational and training programs operate
ability to initiate and match training needs to educational opportunities
knowledge of grant administration and budgeting
knowledge of immigration, tax, and health regulations
ability to network among diverse funders, governments, and training providers to expand resources, competencies, and effectiveness
understanding of the role played by the various partners in the education and training process, and the ability to communicate,negotiate, and mediate with all parties concerned

Go to Resources for Sponsoring and Programming Agencies

C. The Advanced International Educator

The advanced member of the profession is characterized by the mastery of qualifications of one or more sections of the profession. The individual often has administrative responsibilities for several areas of international education. Additionally, this professional possesses the following characteristics:

broad knowledge of the field of international education
advanced formal education and/or training in the field of international education
regional, national and/or international recognition in one or more specific areas of international education
knowledge and interaction with related professions and professional organizations
job responsibilities which reflect increasing expertise
consulting, research, and/or training which advances the profession
prominent formal and informal leadership roles in the profession
experience in analyzing complex and/or ambiguous information and making decisions based upon these data
influence in a variety of settings and with constituencies beyond one's own institution or organization
knowledge of enrollment management theories and techniques