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Terra Dotta software has undoubtedly made collecting data on student participation in study abroad and risk management much easier and accurate. However, it can be used for much more… including conducting research on Education Abroad.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I work as a study abroad advisor, implemented Terra Dotta software (formerly StudioAbroad) in 2009. At the time, I had recently completed a study on factors that impact intent to study abroad using data obtained from our institution’s CIRP Freshman Survey of incoming first-year students (Stroud, 2010). I wanted to continue to research factors influencing student participation in study abroad for my doctoral dissertation and decided that Terra Dotta software would be an excellent tool to collect the required data. UMass students considering studying abroad create an account using the secure login system and before scheduling an advising appointment with one of the study abroad advisors or selecting a program, they are prompted to complete a brief questionnaire (survey) which we call the “Study Abroad Profile.” Based on findings in prior relevant studies, I inserted relevant questions into the questionnaire, and the data obtained from the Study Abroad Profile combined with the integrated data from the University’s information systems provided a wealth of information about the population of undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who actively expressed intent to study abroad.
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Gary Rhodes, Ph.D.,
Associate Dean, International Education & Senior International Officer
California State University at Dominguez Hills &
Director, Center for Global Education
Since I started working in the international higher education field, I have found that one of the most controversial issues has always been the question of whether to use agents to help recruit international students.
When I first got into the study abroad field, one of the most controversial issues was about whether study abroad that was not integrated into a foreign university campus was serious study abroad. Since that time, as the study abroad field has worked to increase participation numbers, there has been a greater flexibility about what constitutes “real study abroad.”
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Chelsea Weaver is a client support specialist that joined Terra Dotta in February of 2015. She addresses client needs in the Terra Dotta support case system and completes administrative tasks for clients on their Terra Dotta sites.
Prior to joining Terra Dotta, Chelsea worked as a CNA at the DePaul Cambridge House in Hildebran, NC. She graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University with a B.A. in English.
Chelsea enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including swimming and running. She says her favorite part of working at Terra Dotta is that “I learn something new everyday.”
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Appalachian State University
