Resources for Data-Based Advocacy

Kerry Geffert
Product Evangelist, Terra Dotta

The month of March is a focal point for advocacy in the field of international education. Both NAFSA and the Alliance for International Exchange hold their annual Advocacy Days during this month, gathering our colleagues to descend upon Capitol Hill to meet with congressional staffers – and if they are lucky, their congressional representatives – to extol the value of international education in the United States. The annual events have long been important for our profession; however, at few times have our advocacy efforts been as important as they are now. As Erin Gustafson, Chair of NAFSA Region XI and a senior adviser in Yale University’s Office of International Students and Scholars, recently wrote the region saying, “Our joint advocacy efforts now will shape the next few years for international educators.”

Regardless of where one falls on the political spectrum, all forms of media provide ample stories, pictures, memes, cartoons, etc., to support one’s beliefs. Whether on social media, through news sources, or at the water cooler, there are plenty of facts, near facts and made up facts to confirm our opinions or send us into a rage. The challenge is to separate what is accurate from what isn’t.

At few times is that separation more important than when we, as international education professionals, go into advocacy mode. It is precisely then that we must arm ourselves with the best information about international education. Anecdotal stories of how study abroad changed our lives, or something similar, still have a place, but those stories no longer “seal the deal.” Establishing a connection through both having had overseas experiences may help, but today’s world requires more data. Outcomes assessments, economic data, statistics, research; these and other supporting data are necessary for today’s advocate. Our passion for international education motivates us, but facts are what we need if we hope to sway opinion.

Fortunately, today’s international educators have considerable data and research available to them. Last April, I wrote about basic advocacy tips, and identified advocacy resources from several professional organizations. Those organizations were AIEA, the Forum on Education Abroad, NAFSA, and the Alliance for International Exchange. They continue to offer some of the best, and up-to- date, general advocacy tools for international educators.

Along with the advocacy tools, however, international educators will position themselves better by having a broad range of data available with which to support their positions. To aid in developing a repository of resources that can be applicable to different settings, I offer the following compendium of web-based sites (in alpha order):

Asia Society – the organization’s Mapping the Nation initiative “is an interactive map that pulls together demographic, economic, and education indicators – nearly one million data points – to show that the United States is a truly global nation.” Geared perhaps more toward secondary education, many of the resources are very handy for grassroots advocacy efforts at the state and local levels. Through their website, you can:

Read an Analysis of the data points and how they “show that the United States is truly a global nation.”
Drill down to your county to view an Indicators Summary covering population demographics, post-secondary language enrollments, import & export data regarding companies and their economic value, and economic value of the international student population.
View handy Infographics visualizing international trade and exchanges, Sister City activity and language learning. Templated Infographics have been created for every state and Washington, DC.
Review Policy Questions which can be used for preparing your advocacy efforts or starting conversations, particularly at the state and local levels.
Utilize the Toolkit as a framework for actions.

Famous People Who Studied Abroad – Sarah McNitt has compiled a list of individuals – real-life and fictional (e.g., TV characters) – who have studied abroad. This list is extensive, dividing names by occupational groupings, such Art History, Economics, Law, Government & Diplomacy, and the Performing Arts. Some examples to support your data can be useful.

Harvard Library – for those seeking more worldwide data, this site provides links to data from the United Nations, UNESCO, World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

IDP Database of Research on International Education – a database “of more than 13,800 books, articles, conference papers and reports on various aspects of international education” from around the world. The database is managed by the Australian Council for Education Research and supported by IDP. You can search by country, organization or other keywords, as well as view weblinks to journals and newsletters contained in the database. IDP maintains an email list for those wishing to receive notification of monthly updates.

IIE Open Doors – the primary source for census data on international students and study abroad. For data geeks, IIE’s annual report is a treasure trove of numbers. However, everyone in the field needs to have a grasp of the basic data and findings.

State Departments/Boards of Education – do a web search on your state’s department/board of education and “International Education.” You may be surprised at the resources that pop up. As an example, Ohio’s Department of Education provides an entire page dedicated to International Education Resources throughout the state.

U.S. Department of State, Department of State by State – for each state, a pop-up window provides information on “some of the direct impacts State Department programs have in American communities.” Data include the number of jobs supported by trade, citing specific initiatives; numbers of Exchange Visitor Program (J-1) sponsors and visitors; Fulbright awards and visitors through DOS educational and cultural exchange funded programs; international partnerships; and even the number of passports issued in a fiscal year. “For about a 1% investment of the Federal budget, the State Department yields a large return for the American people by advancing U.S. national security, promoting our economic interests, providing services and reaffirming our country’s exceptional role in the world.”

World Education News & Reviews – published by World Education Services (WES), the WENR Newsletter is “an authoritative news and information source for professionals in international education.” Among their archived resources is the International Mobility Data Sources from April 2011. This article provides links to various sites containing data on global student mobility as well as mobility of students for several countries.

While March may receive the focus of international education advocacy efforts, our work as advocates is year-round. Assembling supportive data and findings pertinent to your setting will aid your ability to be an effective advocate on your campus and at multiple jurisdictional levels. The world in which we carry out our passion for international education is changing in new and different ways. It will be increasingly incumbent on us to communicate knowledgably and accurately about the one belief we share in common – international education is a bridge to the world outside our borders.

For information on NAFSA’s Advocacy Day, March 13-14, click here. For information on the Alliance’s Advocacy Day, March 8-9, click here.