Building out a Terra Dotta site takes time. Fortunately once it’s live, it is not like the old telephone directories – out of date once they’re published. Updates and changes can be made to your site to reflect the changing needs and ideas of your institution. And Terra Dotta is here to help you.
A TD Administrator’s login puts a raft of resources at the end of your mouse click. The Terra Dotta Community Library and the Terra Dotta Study Abroad Directory are repositories for information that can extend the possibilities of your site, inform your travelers and save staff time.
The Terra Dotta Community Library (TDCL) is a shared resource of process elements supported by the collective wisdom of TD users and other leaders in international education. More than 100 questionnaires are available for use on topics such as buddy matching, travel registration, health & safety, language proficiency, evaluations and uploading of passport copies.
Within the Assessments folder are nine quizzes that can be deployed pre- or post-decision. Test your participants’ knowledge of regulations for F-1 student visa holders. Or use selected assessments to assist students with their understandings of cultural adjustment and communication.
The Learning Content TDCL contains almost 150 pages that you can install on your site. In this section, you can find articles, videos and checklists on topics ranging from cultural adaptation to finances to health & safety and more. Terra Dotta thanks our partners who have contributed material, including ASIRT, CIEE, HTH, Diversity Abroad, Sprintax and the Center for Global Education.
With the Terra Dotta Study Abroad Directory, you can easily keep your program offerings current. Pick the program providers to which you want to subscribe and determine what information will be downloaded into your program catalog. As program information is updated you will receive notifications to update your catalog, giving your students the most up-to-date information available. And if you want to open your own study abroad programs to students from other institutions, participating in the Study Abroad Directory is free.
Both the TDCL and Study Abroad Directory provide you with tools and resources to grow your use of Terra Dotta software, and ultimately provide greater programming for your students. But don’t be shy! Share in the TDCL those process elements that you have created. It could be just the one for which your colleagues have been looking.
Kerry Geffert
Product Evangelist, Terra Dotta
Last month over 100 NAFSAns descended on Capitol Hill in the annual NAFSA Advocacy Day event to promote international educational exchange. If you have not had the opportunity to participate on one of the Advocacy Days, I recommend trying to incorporate it into your 2017 budget and schedule. The two-day event is a fascinating exposure to a world of politics, lobbying, handshakes, pictures, and above all, talking about issues important to us as international educators. It can be exhilarating and empowering, but to be honest, it can also be intimidating. However, advocacy – in some form or another – needs to be a responsibility for each one of us. Washington may be perceived as the center for advocacy efforts, but each of us can be an advocate at our own institution and in our local community. Let’s consider the possibilities.
Here is a quick summary of what happens during an Advocacy Day, keeping in mind this does not capture the enormous amount of work that goes into putting this event together. The first day is spent being briefed and trained on both the process and the issues being promoted. The next day you are let loose on Capitol Hill with previously arranged appointments. These appointments are with members of your respective Congressional delegation, both representatives and senators whenever possible. Often the meetings are with a staff member of the official, but occasionally you will meet with your “real live” representative.
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Moravian College
