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Collegial Conversations, September 2007
Through these conversations NAFSA hopes to target the best practices and experiences of some of international education's preeminent leaders. Upcoming Collegial Conversations will focus on the findings of the Delphi Study of College and University Senior International Officers. Over the coming year we hope to have many unique and thought-provoking conversations.
John Greisberger
John Greisberger has recently become director of the International Center (IC) at the University of Michigan. The IC provides services and programs for the University's 4,700 international students and 1,500 international scholars. It also provides information about internships, work, study, and travel abroad through its Overseas Opportunities Office. The IC also hosts the University's Peace Corps office and the Department of State's International Visitors Program. Prior to working at the University of Michigan, Greisberger served as director of the Office of International Education at Ohio State University for 21 years.
Dr. Greisberger has served as president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), and on the TOEFL Board at ETS. He was president and then executive director of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars. His career in international education began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan (1973-75). Prior to his work at Ohio State, he was an international student adviser and program coordinator in the Office of International Educational Services at Iowa State University (1976-84), and deputy director of Harvard University's International Office (1984-86). He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University; his M.S. in Secondary Education from Buffalo State University; and his B.S. in Biology from St. Michael's College, University of Toronto.
During the month of September, John answered questions and offered gems of wisdom. View the archived disuccions now!
The national change that was being discussed and experimented with was CIPRIS (now called SEVIS). Ten years ago there was still plenty of reason to question whether or not CIPRIS/SEVIS would ever really happen given the track record of what was then called the INS. However, I should have recognized that with the advent of electronic/digital communication it was just a matter of time before SEVIS and electronic reporting would arrive. The events of 9-11 put SEVIS into high gear and at that time many of us had to run hard to catch up, and then keep up, with what was necessary to do. In retrospect, I wish I had done more preparation of staff and office systems for what I should have seen as inevitable regarding student reporting in a high-speed communication world.
The local change was a new budget model for the university, called responsibility-based budgeting. This model encourages and rewards entrepreneurship. For academic support units, that translates into charging fees for what was previously provided without cost to the user. It becomes necessary to charge fees in order to grow and improve services and programs because there is no longer a central source of funds within a provost's or vice president's office. In a system such as this, financial planning, budgeting, and accounting skills spell success, or lack of them spells failure. Therefore, a business background or the early recognition that training workshops or short courses in the new budget model would have been helpful. As with SEVIS, you learn as you go along, but there is no substitution for foresight and advance preparation. These are the real everyday challenges for directors, leaders, managers--always have your antennae up and recognize early how the winds of change are shifting.
What are current concerns and trends that you see as critical from your view of the
My biggest concern regarding international education is the inability or the lack of will of our federal government to recognize the value and importance of international education and then to develop a national policy that supports and fosters international education. Such a policy would send the clear message that international students and scholars are welcome in this country, and that American students need an international component in their undergraduate studies to be truly educated and prepared for the world in which they will live and work. Without such a policy, I see the current trend continuing where the United States is losing ground to other countries, and our students are losing their competitive edge worldwide.
John Greisberger
John Greisberger
Dr. Greisberger has served as president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), and on the TOEFL Board at ETS. He was president and then executive director of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars. His career in international education began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan (1973-75). Prior to his work at Ohio State, he was an international student adviser and program coordinator in the Office of International Educational Services at Iowa State University (1976-84), and deputy director of Harvard University's International Office (1984-86). He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University; his M.S. in Secondary Education from Buffalo State University; and his B.S. in Biology from St. Michael's College, University of Toronto.
During the month of September, John answered questions and offered gems of wisdom. View the archived disuccions now!
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago that you know now?
As I look back on it, 10 years ago two major changes were about to occur (one national and one local) that have had a huge impact on my work over the past two to three years.The national change that was being discussed and experimented with was CIPRIS (now called SEVIS). Ten years ago there was still plenty of reason to question whether or not CIPRIS/SEVIS would ever really happen given the track record of what was then called the INS. However, I should have recognized that with the advent of electronic/digital communication it was just a matter of time before SEVIS and electronic reporting would arrive. The events of 9-11 put SEVIS into high gear and at that time many of us had to run hard to catch up, and then keep up, with what was necessary to do. In retrospect, I wish I had done more preparation of staff and office systems for what I should have seen as inevitable regarding student reporting in a high-speed communication world.
The local change was a new budget model for the university, called responsibility-based budgeting. This model encourages and rewards entrepreneurship. For academic support units, that translates into charging fees for what was previously provided without cost to the user. It becomes necessary to charge fees in order to grow and improve services and programs because there is no longer a central source of funds within a provost's or vice president's office. In a system such as this, financial planning, budgeting, and accounting skills spell success, or lack of them spells failure. Therefore, a business background or the early recognition that training workshops or short courses in the new budget model would have been helpful. As with SEVIS, you learn as you go along, but there is no substitution for foresight and advance preparation. These are the real everyday challenges for directors, leaders, managers--always have your antennae up and recognize early how the winds of change are shifting.