TD Connect, Terra Dotta’s partner ecosystem initiated in the spring is up and running! Helping higher education institutions further strengthen and optimize their internationalization initiatives, the program’s inaugural partners include spend management and travel solutions provider SAP Concur; travel booking platform StudentUniverse; U.S. mobile phone plan provider studentSIMs; English language proficiency assessment platform English3; and AFS, an international education organization and publisher of the Sentio Global Competence Certificate program.
Pairing Terra Dotta’s suite of market leading higher education solutions with complementary offerings, the TD Connect partnership program enables institutions to utilize enhanced offerings that are tightly integrated with their existing Terra Dotta functionality and business processes.
“Terra Dotta already generates significant cost and time savings and enables sophisticated data management, risk mitigation, and reporting capabilities for higher ed institutions’ international and study abroad programs,” said Brandon S. Lee, our CEO. “Adding these new integrations with our industry’s leaders further extends that value with expanded enterprise functionality to more efficiently onboard and track traveler data, offer augmented international student resources, and reduce overall risk.”
All current TD Connect partnerships deliver unique capabilities to Terra Dotta clients, with more partnerships planned. For the five current partnerships, key benefits include:
SAP Concur - Campuses can streamline the process of transferring location and contact information between Terra Dotta and SAP Concur systems to create a single system of record through which travelers can be monitored and assisted.
StudentUniverse - Within the Terra Dotta solution, students can make travel reservations directly with StudentUniverse to ensure proper program-specific itineraries and logistics are booked. Institutions can automatically track all StudentUniverse-booked itineraries within their Terra Dotta system. See this month’s Partner Spotlight below!
studentSIMS, a J1SIM Company - Terra Dotta customers can utilize studentSIMS to offer incoming U.S.-bound students and scholars direct SIM card order access as well as monitor which students and scholars have attained a U.S. phone number.
English3 - From the Terra Dotta system, English3 customers can provide international students and scholars quick and convenient access to affordable, online English language proficiency assessments for student admissions or J-1 exchange visitors. The assessment results are available in the Terra Dotta system for viewing.
AFS Intercultural Programs - Terra Dotta clients can offer their students direct access to the Global Competence Certificate (GCC), offered by the AFS subsidiary Sentio. The GCC helps both outbound and inbound students gain vital cultural awareness and emotional intelligence skills needed for today’s communities and workforce.
If you would like to learn how you can incorporate TD Connect partners into your Terra Dotta system, contact us at info@terradotta.com. Or if you would like to learn more about partnering with us through TD Connect, contact us through our Partners webpage.
Terra Dotta’s proven cloud-based solutions help higher education institutions automate and streamline all aspects of global collegiate travel and international student programs. We also help higher education teams optimize study abroad and international program enrollment and retention; deliver realtime, GPS-driven travel communication for students and faculty; and ensure compliance and risk mitigation for international travel/scholar programs worldwide. TD Connect continues Terra Dotta’s leadership in higher education travel, study abroad and international program management solutions.
In November 2017, Tyler Pearce joined Terra Dotta as a Client Support Specialist. His daily responsibilities include addressing client questions and resolving client issues in a timely manner through the case system. Tyler is also the voice of our telephone client support effort.
Before joining Terra Dotta, Tyler worked in the fitness industry and is currently also a Fitness Coach. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science with a minor in History from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Outside of work, Tyler enjoys working out; hiking the beautiful trails of North Carolina; reading history books, mainly on Early American History to 1864 and Maritime History up to 1815; and spending as much time as he can with his wife and baby boy on their farm. Tyler wants to travel Ireland with his wife and spend some time in the countryside to enjoy a Guinness in an old, well-used pub in a small town.
Tyler says his favorite part of working at Terra Dotta is “the wonderful people that work here. The dedication my colleagues have for the clients of Terra Dotta and international education is very special.”
StudentUniverse is the world's leading travel booking engine for students and young adults, offering special rates on flights, hotels and tours that allow students and groups to travel more and spend less. They negotiate student and youth prices specifically for 18-25 year-olds by working directly with dozens of world-class partners and more than 90 airlines. Membership is free, and millions of students use their service every year.
Now, Terra Dotta users can book flights using a StudentUniverse booking portal within the Terra Dotta software. Flight confirmations and itinerary will be stored inside Terra Dotta profiles so students and admins can view without having to leave the Terra Dotta platform.
“We are thrilled to partner with Terra Dotta by using our mutual technologies to streamline global education.”
—Victor DeLeo, SU Director of Travel Service
An explanatory video can be accessed here. For more information, contact Terra Dotta's Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Robert Davis. StudentUniverse will also be available at TDU Global 2019 and the NAFSA Annual Conference.
Previous TDU Global attendees know the level and quality of the sessions that are available to them at our users conference. The sessions are one of the major factors that bring our users back year after year.
But if you are newer to Terra Dotta, or you are still deciding about you or your staff attending, knowledge of sessions certainly aids in the deliberation. A list of example session topics can be reviewed on our conference webpage. Content descriptions of the Pre-Conference Workshops are also available.
Our planning committee is busy putting the final touches on the conference program and will have a full schedule of sessions available soon. However, let’s pull back the curtain a bit and share three of the terrific sessions that will be presented:
Operation: OPT Optimization
This session will focus on how Terra Dotta can optimize the OPT process for your office. Presenters will discuss how admins can use tools in ISSS to enable better coordination and management of information from the SEVP Portal, SEVIS, Student Information System, and student updates. Attendees will learn how TDS can help streamline the OPT process, SEVIS reporting and enhance student support.
Jazz Up Your Programs Using the Program Wizard
Do your program brochure pages need a fresh look but you’re concerned you don't have the time? If so, the program wizard is the tool for you! During this session we will demonstrate how to effectively and efficiently migrate your content using templates and migration capabilities to help streamline the look and feel of your programs.
Travel Registry and AT as Part of Your Emergency Preparedness Plan
The nature of international travel risk is constantly changing. Has your emergency preparedness planning kept up? This session will consider today’s risks and what planning needs to be in place to keep travelers safe, to mitigate risk, and to reduce institutional liability. Topics will include identifying the stakeholders, defining the plan, and identifying how Terra Dotta tools can be used to help enforce your policies while keeping travelers safe.
Keep an eye out for an announcement of the entire session program. Remember, Early Bird Registration runs through the end of January only! Reserve your spots now before the crush of departing study abroad students and/or arriving international students hits your office.
|
Between printed and online materials, it can be daunting to keep up with the professional literature. Let us help you. Each month we will list several online articles or reports that we hope you will find interesting.
Find an article that you believe others will want to read? Send the link to kerry.geffert@terradotta.com! Here are some to get you started:
Insuring Against Drop in Chinese Students
From Inside Higher Ed
Top 100 safest European student cities revealed
From The PIE News
The Real Reason International Students Are Fleeing U.S. Colleges
(It's Not Trump)
From Forbes
International student growth is the slowest since 9/11
From University World News
Here’s what’s driving the Gen Z to study abroad
From Study International
Would you like to have fresh content delivered to your inbox monthly?
|
