NAFSA Kick-Off Breakfast with NTC Office of Study Abroad - You are invited to a pre-NAFSA breakfast on Tulane's campus uptown in New Orleans. This will be an excellent opportunity to see our campus and meet with study abroad staff. Contact Emma  BY INVITATION ONLY - Register HERE 

Time: 9:00 - 11:00 am
Location: Cudd Hall Lobby on Tulane's Uptown Campus
Tulane Campus MAP: https://admission.tulane.edu/map

 A.B. Freeman School of Business Reception - The School of Business is pleased to invite its partners in the NAFSA 2024 conference to tour the main Tulane campus and enjoy a brief happy hour at the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex (GWBC) Marshall Commons. Tulane's International Admissions Team will conduct the campus tour. Shuttle service from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (exact pickup location TBD) to Tulane's Gibson Hall on St. Charles Avenue will be provided. The tour will end at the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex, where the Happy Hour will be held. Shuttle service from the Happy Hour back to the Convention Center will also be provided following the event. This event is by INVITATION ONLY. For inquiries, please get in touch with Mary Hicks at mhicks4@tulane.edu.

Time: 3:00 - 6:00 PM
Location: Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex (GWBC) Marshall Commons
Tulane Campus MAP: https://admission.tulane.edu/map

Campus Tour & Masterclass at Tulane - The "Where" & "Why There" of New Orleans (By: Prof. Richard Campanella, Ph.D.). Explore topics of New Orleans culture, architecture, history, geography, and urbanism and discover how the city has addressed the challenges of urbanizing a fluvial delta, with acclaimed geographer and award-winning author Prof. Richard Campanella, associate dean for research with the Tulane University School of Architecture. Join this learning excursion at Tulane University which will begin with a campus tour followed by a two-hour masterclass. Shuttle will be provided leaving from the convention center at 12:30 pm. This is a closed event, register directly via NAFSA. 

Opening Celebration Sponsored by Tulane - Filled with energy, excitement and the unique cultural flair that defines Mardi Gras in New Orleans, guests to Mardi Gras World will be greeted by the vibrant atmosphere, local cuisine, music, dancing, and the overall celebratory vibe that characterizes Mardi Gras. Come join in the celebration at this exclusive one-of-a-kind venue! This event is free for Tulane Affiliates; please complete this FORM if you want to attend. RSVP is required. Remember to bring your Tulane Splash ID Card to the event. 

TIME: 7:00 PM / WHERE: Mardi Gras World

Tulane Affiliates RSVP HERE

Start your day with a mindfulness session and guided meditation! This activity will help you gently observe your thoughts, sensations, and emotions and help you calm and center yourself for the conference day ahead. No yoga movement or special attire is required for this activity (conference attire is acceptable). Toscana Navas, a Staff Therapist at the Tulane University Counseling Center, leads this recurring morning activity.

DATE: WED, MAY 29 / TH, MAY 30 / FRI, MAY 31 
TIME: 8:00 - 8:30 AM
LOCATION: Wellness Room 

SESSION: Hurricane Katrina Chronicles: Almost 19 Years of Learning and Building Resilience - Crisis-derived best practices have turned to everyday policies in international education. Analyze insights from post-Hurricane Katrina experiences and their adaptation to challenges like Hurricanes Maria and Ida and the COVID-19 pandemic. Gain strategies for enhancing resilience and providing enhanced support for students, scholars, and staff during adversity.  Presenters: Beth Nazar, MA (OISS, Tulane), Adria L. Baker, EdD (Rice University), Alea Cot, MA (Cot Consulting LLC), Jeff Schiffman, BSM, MLAR (EAB Enrollment Services Office). 

POSTER: Optimizing Student and Scholar Programming on a Limited Budget - Providing engaging and enriching student and scholar programming is a vital component of fostering a vibrant campus community. In times of budget constraints, achieving this goal is challenging. Attendees discuss strategies for planning and enhancing programming on an affordable budget, with a focus on collaborative efforts with on-campus partners. Tulane presenter(s): Nancy Lauland (OISS). 

POSTER: Global Gateway: Leveraging an Online Learning Management System for International Orientation - Explore strategies such as instructional design theory for boosting prearrival engagement through online orientation and leverage the university learning management system to improve the student experience and content accessibility rates. School officials learn about U.S. systems and how to improve prearrival support and connect students with campus partners. Tulane presenters: Alice Popescu (OISS) & Justin Reid (OISS). 

SESSION: Resilience and Inclusion in Emergencies for International Students, Scholars, and Dependents - International students, scholars, and dependents are uniquely vulnerable to disasters for a variety of reasons. Learn about U.S. government services, resources, and the increasing range and complexity of emergencies faced by these populations. Gain best practices and create an institutional action plan to build resilient communities, reduce risks, and speed recovery. Presenters: Beth Nazar, MA (OISS, Tulane), Katie Curiel, MS (FEMA), Aaron Levy, Masters Degree (FEMA), Daniel Hoyle, MA (Arizona State University International Students and Scholar Center), Julie A. Rabaey (SEVP). 

SESSION: International Education Leaders and Advocacy on Campus and in the United States Congress - Senior international officers (SIOs) and international education leaders have an important role to play in advancing the needs of international education offices on their campus and in advocating for the field with elected officials. Learn best practices from peers and NAFSA policy experts best practices, as well as the latest on advocacy-related timely topics. Presenters: Sharon Courtney, Vice President for Government Affairs (Tulane University), Dale LaFleur, PhD (NAFSA), Cheryl Matherly, EdD (Lehigh University), Shannon Bedo (Houston Christian University).

SESSION: Striking Harmony: Nurturing Work-Life Balance on International Office Teams - In a globalized world, work-life balance is crucial for employee well-being and productivity. This session explores challenges and best practices in cultivating work-life equilibrium in international offices. Learn effective strategies, policies, and cultural adaptations that promote a healthy work-life balance across diverse contexts. Presenters: Frank Calabrese, Esq. (OISS, Tulane), Lily Zhang (University of Pennsylvania Office of Penn Global), Robin V. Catmur-Smith, MA (University Of Georgia).

Yellow Fever and the Molding of New Orleans Society - The forces that came together to make New Orleans New Orleans are many, but how disease shaped the urban and social landscape is often overlooked. Yellow fever was chief among the maladies that swept through the city on a regular basis. It shaped the religious geography, it shaped who came to the city and who stayed. It shaped jobs, commerce and how New Orleanians thought about life, death, war and each other. Then again what they thought about each other shaped what they thought about yellow fever. Although the disease is strangely absent from the literature, it nevertheless had an important impact on education in New Orleans. Yellow fever is still a persistent threat in the Amazon basin of South America and parts of Africa, and the potential exists that we may see it one day again in the Cresent City. Presenter: Ronald Blanton, M.D., M.S. (Chair | Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease at Tulane University).

TIME: 10:30 - 11:30 AM / WHERE: Big Easy Studio

SESSION: Design Thinking for Transformative Student Recruitment and Career Planning - Join this session to learn about the profound influence of design thinking on career planning through real cases from Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Witness this methodology’s role in enhancing international student recruitment, nurturing adaptability, and fostering creativity. Take away practical strategies for integrating design thinking into student advising and university recruitment. Presenters: Julia Lang (Taylor Center for Social Innovation & Design Thinking, Tulane University), Karen Marie Bauer (EducationUSA/IIE/Dept. of State), Christina (CJ) Davison (College of Interdisciplinary Studies Zayed University), Kimberly Moothart (Iowa State University). 

SESSION: Hot Topics in Advanced Employment-Based Immigration - This session provides key updates regarding employment-based immigration, including the latest issues in H-1B visas, the permanent labor certification system (PERM), and compliance. The presenters highlight hot topics and share practical guidance on the new PERM form, request for evidence (RFE) and adjudication trends, prevailing wage issues, Form I-9, regulatory developments, best practices, and compliance. Presenters: Frank Calabrese, Esq. (OISS, Tulane), David Muusz, drs, MA (University of Michigan), Elise A. Fialkowski, JD (Klasko Immigration Law Partners, LLP).

SESSION: Recovery and Resiliency of International Student Mobility: Sustainable International Enrollment Management Solutions - Change is hard. How can global higher education enrollment leaders transform and adapt to a new world of international student mobility without wearing down and burning out? In this session, a panel of seasoned experts representing a wide range of institutions explores key themes and challenges impacting the global higher education community. Presenters: Shawn Abbott, Ed.D. (Vice President for Enrollment Management & Dean of Admission, Tulane University), Vern Granger, B.A., M.A. (University Of Connecticut), Clay Turner Hensley, MFA (Cialfo/ NACAC/ Cambridge).