effective utilization of institutional data for strategic education abroad ...

EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF 

INSTITUTIONAL DATA 

FOR STRATEGIC 

EDUCATION ABROAD 

PLANNING & CAMPUS 

ADVOCACY 

A. Ogden, K. Sideli & A. Wiseman 

April 4, 2013

SESSION OVERVIEW 

Welcome & introductions 

Session objectives & Needs assessment 

Common issues and applicable datasets & 

approaches 

Trading places: Group activity 

Discussion & resources 

What are your most common 

requests for data?

SESSION OBJECTIVES 

To provide an introduction to the importance of accurately 

gathering and effectively utilizing institutional and external 

data for strategic planning and campus-based advocacy. 

To introduce commonly used datasets readily available at 

most institutions and discuss best practices for accessing and 

reframing these datasets for strategic purposes. 

To provide suggestions for effectively partnering with 

strategic offices or units to compile new data and examples 

of when such partnerships have led to policy revision and 

development. 

To present key challenges commonly shared by education 

abroad professionals and the datasets that could further 

bolster positions or reframe these issues.

TOP SEVEN REQUESTS FOR DATA 

#1 Who are our underrepresented populations and how do we 

foster greater inclusion? 

#2 What are the college/dept.-specific priorities for education 

abroad and what info. is needed? 

#3 Is our education abroad portfolio responsive to our 

institutional demographic? 

#4 Does education abroad impact persistence/ retention? 

How so? 

#5 What role does education abroad have in student 

recruitment and admissions? 

#6 How do we monitor non-credit bearing international travel? 

Why should we? 

#7 How does financial need impact education abroad 

enrollment trends?

ISSUE 1:7 – WHO’S WHO? 

Who are our underrepresented populations and how do 

we foster greater inclusion? 

Race/Ethnicity 

% of 2010-11 

EA Enrol. 

% of 

UK Enrol. 

Nat. Avg. 

(IIE, 2011) 

African - American 6.6% 6.5% 4.7% 

Asian-American/ Pacific Islander 3.6% 2.7% 7.9% 

Caucasian/White Non-Hispanic 80.5% 79% 78.7% 

Hispanic - American 2.2% 1.8% 6.4% 

Multiracial 0.9% 0.6% 1.9% 

Native Amer./ Alaskan Native 0.2% 0.2% 0.5% 

Prefer Not to Answer/Other 5.9% 4.2% n/a 

Nonresident Alien n/a 5.0% n/a 

Other 0.2% n/a n/a

ISSUE 1:7 – WHO’S WHO? 

Who are our underrepresented populations and how do 

we foster greater inclusion? 

Race/Ethnicity 

% of 2010-11 

EA Enrol. 

% of 

UK Enrol. 

Nat. Avg. 

(IIE, 2011) 

Male 35.6% 50.8% 36.5% 

Female 64.4% 49.2% 63.5% 

First Generation 9.3% 23.2% n/a 

Not First Generation 47.3% 76.8% n/a 

Unreported 43.4% 0% n/a 

Undergraduate 92.0% 71.7% n/a 

Graduate 8.0% 28.3% n/a 

Honors 14.6% 4.0% n/a 

Not Honors 85.4% 96.0% n/a 

Transfer 11.3% 20.9% n/a 

Not Transfer 88.7% 79.1% n/a

ISSUE 2:7 – PLATINUM RULE 

What are the 

college/dept.-specific 

priorities for education 

abroad and what info. is 

needed?


What are the college/dept.-specific priorities for 

education abroad and what info. is needed?



education abroad and what info. is needed? 

School & college-specific education abroad enrollment 

data 

Coding participation rates



education abroad and what info. is needed? 

Regularly documenting department level participation 

Name Major(s) Program Provider Location 

Doe, John 

History BA, 

Anthropology BA, 

Germanic Studies 

BA 

Freiburg--IU 

Spring Semester 

Program 

Office of Overseas 

Study 

Germany

ISSUE 3:7 – DOES THE SHOE FIT? 

Is our education abroad portfolio responsive to our 


SAT Reasoning Test (pre-college plans) 

24% planned to study abroad in college 

[female, underrepresented groups, non-residents, higher 

SATs, college-educated parents, multicultural activities in 

high school] 

NSSE results (correlated w/SAT Reasoning Test) 1st Year 

Plans 

55% planned to study abroad 

[female, underrepresented, non-residents, no financial aid 

had pre-college plans to study abroad - higher SATs – in 

first year exposure to diverse others and had reflective 

learning 

Indiana University Institutional Study, 2009




IU Institutional Data: Study Abroad Participation 

23% planned to study abroad but only 1/3 of that group 

did 

14% had no pre-college plans to study abroad but did so 

female - non-residents – no financial aid – 

college-educated parents 

majors: business/communications – social sciences – A&H




Impact at IU of analyzing participants residency 

classification data 

expansion of exchanges 

development of discipline-specific programs 

need for institutional administered options 

advocacy for residency related gift aid 

Non residents comprise: 

2/3 participants on external programs 

1/2 participants on co-sponsored programs 

1/3 participants on administered programs




Wofford regularly engages in a multi-layered review of 

NSSE data 

Various cohorts are examined en action is taken based 

on the finding 

Compare and correlate NSSE and CIRP 

Discuss and evaluate unexpected findings 

Implement changes in programming and assess the 

impact of such a change




90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Level of 

Academic 

Challenge 

Active and 

Collaborative 

Learning 

Student Faculty 

Interction 

Enriching 

Educational 

Experiences 

Supportive 

Campus 

Environment 

Both 

Foreign Language 

Biology 

Neither

ISSUE 4:7 – ONWARD TO GRADUATION 

Does education abroad impact persistence/ retention? 

How so? 

In order to study persistence/retention Wofford 

reviews NSSE data (ie. Supportive Campus 

Environment) 

Various cohorts are examined (ie. Students who have 

studied abroad, short-term, long-term) 

Actual 4, 5, 6 year graduation rates 

Further study focuses on specialized programs, 

scholarship programs that encourage study abroad (ie. 

21 st Century Boarding Pass)



How so? 

100% 

90% 

80% 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

62.52% 

78.20% 

92.96% 

No Study Abroad All Wofford Students Interim and/or 

Semester Abroad 

94.44% 

Semester Abroad


Survey of 21st Does education abroad impact persistence/ retention? 

How so? 

C Boarding Pass recipients since 2008: 

89% couldn’t participate without this funding 

44% wouldn’t major in FL without this immersion 

81% went on to major in a language 

56% declared double majors 

6% triple majors 

100% said 21 st C greatly affected their goals 

88% said 21 st C affected postgraduate goals 

71% went on to study abroad for a semester



How so? 

Skills Gained 

Independence/personal 

growth: 96.6% 

Critical thinking: 48.3% 

Problem solving: 55.2% 

Cross-cultural skills: 

93.1% 

Improved language 

proficiency: 100%


“The opportunity to leave one's home, step out of one's 

comfort zone, and experience something completely new 

and different is one of the most important educational 

tools that a school can offer a student. 

As a 21st Century Boarding Pass recipient, I can't be more 

grateful for the chance I had to go abroad, and already in 

the short time of a little over one year is the change in my 

life path/plan very noticeable. 

I hope that all Wofford students will have the chance that I 

had to apply themselves and explore somewhere new.” 

Liebe Grüße aus Berlin, David



How so? 

Graduate Rates by Education Abroad - First-time, Full-time Freshmen 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

Cohort 

First Fall Enrollment 

N 

4 Year Degree 

Completion % 

5 Year Degree 

Completion % 

6 Year Degree 

Completion % 

Study Abroad=No 2913 29.4 52.1 57.9 

Study Abroad=Yes 58 48.3 82.8 89.7 

All 2971 29.8 52.7 58.6 



All 3129 30.4 53.3 60.7 



All 3704 28.2 50.8 57.0 



All 3683 31.5 54.1 58.6 



All 3935 32.4 52.9 57.3 



All 3824 33.8 54.3 58.8 

Study Abroad=No 3774 28.0 48.6 

Study Abroad=Yes 344 57.0 85.8 

All 4118 30.4 51.7 

Study Abroad=No 3474 29.9 

Study Abroad=Yes 361 64.0 

All 3835 33.1



How so? 

Year Graduated 

Average number of years to graduation: Students who started at UK as first-time full-time students 

Study Abroad Participants All Other Students 

N Mean N Mean 

Mean 

Difference 

Adjusted 

Mean 

Difference* 

t-test for 

comparing 

adjusted 

means p-value 

2011-2012 365 4.59 2155 4.92 -0.33 -0.06 -0.85 0.3967 

2010-2011 356 4.49 2130 4.90 -0.41 -0.14 -2.35 0.0190 

2009-2010 315 4.53 2039 4.78 -0.25 0.02 0.41 0.6804 

2008-2009 281 4.50 2150 4.81 -0.30 -0.02 -0.26 0.7916 

2007-2008 210 4.55 2230 4.77 -0.21 -0.03 -0.46 0.6443 

All 5 Yrs combined 1527 4.53 10704 4.83 -0.30 -0.04 1.55 0.1213 

Adjusted for gender, residency, college, race and first year GPA 

(General Linear Model procedure was used for adjustment)



How so? 

IU institutional data analysis of 20,030 students 

(controlling for SAT, first semester grades, 

socioeconomic and demographic background) 

18% participation rate in study abroad 

Higher GPA (3.21 vs 3.12) 

Higher graduation rate (91% vs. 84%) 

Retention of Underrepresented students --greater 

probability of graduating earlier (80%) but departed at 

same rate as other minorities (14%) 

Had greater impact on GPA of males, underrepresented 

students and resident students



How so? 

IU using retention data for cohort outreach 

●underrepresented students 

● state-based gift aid program

ISSUE 5:7 – BUILD IT & THEY WILL COME 

What role does education abroad have in student 


IU using data to attract specific cohort 

High School Study Abroad alumni 

●Language placement results 

● Data on Scholarships for previous cohorts 

● Participation rates in IU study abroad 

Overseas Study widely promoted by Admissions as recruitment 

highlight (Red Carpet Days)


What role does education 

abroad have in student 

recruitment and 

admissions? 

Let the numbers tell the 

story.




High Impact Activities X Job Placement 

No Job Offer Job Offer Total 

No high-impact practices 29 23 52 

Study Abroad HIP 15 16 31 

Source: College Senior Survey 

Chi-square analysis used to test for statistical significance (no difference found) 

Center for Professional Excellence HIP 3 5 8 

Study Abroad HIP & 

Center for Prof. Excellence HIP 

3 5 8 

Total 50 49 99




High Impact Activities X Graduate School Acceptance 

Not accepted Accepted Total 

No high-impact practices 14 29 43 

Study Abroad HIP 7 15 22 

Source: College Senior Survey 

Chi-square analysis used to test for statistical 4 significance 3 (no difference found) 7 

Center for Professional Excellence 

HIP 

Study Abroad HIP & 

Center for Prof. Excellence HIP 

0 3 3 

Total 25 50 75

ISSUE 6:7 – UNDER OUR TENT 

How do we monitor noncredit 

bearing international 

travel? Why should we? 

Encourage all to report 

international non-credit 

bearing activities and other 

student achievements.


How do we monitor non-credit bearing international 

travel? Why should we? 

All student international activity should be tracked: 

● supervision and oversight 

● health / safety/security / liability 

● educational outcomes 

● gauge program types for various data sets 

Tracking mechanisms 

● funding sources 

● risk assessment / insurance needs 

● require pre / post program information


How do we monitor 

non-credit bearing 

international travel? 

Why should we?


How do we monitor non-credit bearing international 

travel? Why should we?

ISSUE 7:7 – SHOW ME THE MONEY 

How does financial need impact education abroad 

enrollment trends? 

Need Index (n=8,415) Frequency Percentage 

No FAFSA 2,351 27.9% 

0 1,714 20.4% 

1-49 1,508 17.9% 

50-99 2,238 26.6% 

100 604 7.2% 

Family Income (n=1,509) Percentage 

Less than $50,000 28% 

Between $50,000-$100,000 26% 

Between $100,000-$150,000 12% 

Ogden, 2010 

American Council on Education, 2008




UK Bachelor's Degree Students: Academic Years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 

2010-11 2011-12 

N % with Pell 

N % with Pell 

Grants 

Grants 

Education Abroad* 567 17.11% 690 17.97% 

All Students 20613 24.42% 20894 24.61% 

*Bachelor's degree students who took at least one education abroad course in 2010-11 

or 2011-12




Logistic regression results predicting the likelihood of intent to study 

abroad across four racial groups (Odds Ratios) 

(White, n=5,321; African American, n=546; Asian American, n-426; 

Hispanic, n=333) 

Variables White African-American 

Asian- 

American 

Hispanic 

Federal Grant 0.782 0.520 0.837 2.940 

Institutional 

Grant 

0.936 1.124 2.172 1.242 

Loan 1.020 0.724 0.986 0.471 

Salisbury, Paulsen & Pascarella, 2011




To promote awareness of funding, establish current aid 

used abroad: 

● Track total 

● Break out types of aid (loans, gift aid, SA aid) 

● Calculate averages (i.e. 67% had aid, 28% had loans) 

● Show unit specific support 

● Highlight external grants and scholarships

PLANNING ACTIVITY 

In small groups, identify a pressing issue and develop a 

realistic plan for securing or compiling the needed data. 

TABLE ISSUE PLAN 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Extent to which students are taking 

courses in their disciplines. 

To what extent are we removing ALL 

barriers to EA. 

Data accuracy from institution-level 

and office-maintained data. 

How many students, staff and faculty 

do we have in China right now? 

Who is abroad for internships (credit 

Coding transfer data. 

100% participation rate of all who 

want to do so. Look at %rate across 

all “need” categories. 

Create database of all who are 

abroad. Non compliance = fine 

paying. (How do you enforce the 

fine?)

DISCUSSION 

What are some other major issues or key challenges in 

education abroad advocacy? 

KEY ISSUE RECOMMENDED DATASET

RESOURCES 

National Survey on Student Engagement 

http://www.nsse.iub.edu/ 

Collegiate Learning Assessment 

http://collegiatelearningassessment.org/ 

Cooperative Institutional Research Program 

http://heri.ucla.edu/cirpoverview.php 

Global Perspective Inventory 

https://gpi.central.edu/index.cfm 

Intercultural Development Inventory 

http://idiinventory.com/ 

Studio Abroad 

http://www.terradotta.com/ 

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages 

http://www.actfl.org/

EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF 

INSTITUTIONAL DATA FOR 

STRATEGIC EDUCATION 

ABROAD PLANNING & CAMPUS 

ADVOCACY 

Anthony Ogden, Ph.D. 

a.ogden@uky.edu 

Kathleen Sideli, Ph.D. 

sideli@iu.edu 

Ana Maria Wiseman, DML 

wisemana@wofford.edu

effective utilization of institutional data for strategic education abroad ...

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