Louisiana State Meeting

April 8-9, 2019
8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m.

Northwestern State University
International Cultural Center
Friedman Student Union Building
350 Sam Sibley Dr
Natchitoches, LA 71457

Registration fee: $40 for members, $45 for non-members for State meeting. Lunch will be provided.  

Workshop fee: $250 for members, $260 for non-members.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided

Preliminary Meeting Content:

• NAFSA updates
• Information about the Regional Conference in Addison Texas, November 3-7, 2019
• Advocacy Day reports
• State Award recipient
• Concurrent sessions related to International Student and Scholar Services, Education Abroad, Advocacy

Call for Proposals:

We are accepting presentation proposals for the 2019 LA State Meeting. If you have a topic that you would like to share with your Louisiana colleagues, please let me know. This would be a great opportunity to share what you have presented at Regional or National Conferences or would like to present and get feedback. We are also accepting poster presentations. Please send your proposals to me, Telba Espinoza-Contreras, [email protected] 

Welcome Letter

Greetings colleagues,

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as the new NAFSA Louisiana State Liaison. My name is Telba Espinoza-Contreras and I work at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, as the Director of the International Student Resource Center & Study Abroad. I work with F-1 and J-1 students and scholars, and Education Abroad. I am also the coordinator of a Summer program in Mexico and the person in charge of F-1 and J-1 student enrollment for health insurance. Additionally, we would like to start ESL classes for our international students.  In 2018 I participated in the NAFSA Academy and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as the LA NAFSA State Liaison.

I hope that together we continue to make of the LA NAFSA Community a vibrant learning resource for all international educators in the State and continue to support each other and the international community. If you have any questions, ideas, suggestions or information that you would like to share with the LANAFSA network, please do not hesitate to use the LA NAFSA listserv to communicate with the State colleagues, and feel free to contact me directly, Telba Espinoza-Contreras, [email protected].

NAFSA and LANAFSA resources:

Louisiana State Meeting
The state meeting will be at Northwestern State University this year. The dates will be April 8-9 of 2019. On April 8 we will have the State Meeting, and on April 9 if at least six participants register we will offer the NAFSA workshop J-1 Advising: Intermediate. We hope to have great sessions in the various areas of International Students and Scholars, Study Abroad, Advocacy, as well as a variety of other ways to support our students and scholars. We hope that you will consider presenting a topic on any of the Knowledge Communities: Education Abroad, Enrollment Management, Intensive English Programs, and International Student and Scholar Services.

LANAFSA listserv
Please use the LANAFSA listserv as a place to share important information. If you believe you are not on this listserv, please reach out to me to have you added. Telba Espinoza-Contreras, [email protected]

NAFSA Advocacy Day
Get involved! Advocacy day offers an amazing training experience to learn how advocate and speak out about important issues for students, scholars, and the policies that affect them. NAFSA Region III is proud to support colleagues across the region who wish to advance their professional development through attendance at the Advocacy Day by offering travel scholarships to defray the costs of attendance. We hope you consider participating in 2020. Learn more about Advocacy Day and how to participate.

Volunteer at NAFSA
Consider becoming a NAFSA Volunteer! NAFSA offers many opportunities to volunteer in different capacities. Volunteering at NAFSA is a great opportunity for personal and professional growth. Learn more about how to become a volunteer.

NAFSA Academy

The NAFSA Academy is a unique and excellent professional development program that will help you jump start your career in the field of International Education. The Academy for International Education is an intensive yearlong training program with extensive networking opportunities. The Academy accelerates your learning process and prepares you for leadership. The NAFSA Academy is a personalized yearlong program and an excellent introduction to the profession of international education and its major practice areas. We hope that more professionals in the field of international education from Louisiana will consider applying for the year 2020. Learn more about the Academy.

I look forward to serving as the LA NAFSA State Liaison!

Best wishes,
Telba