Student Experience | ISANA

ISANA QLD: Coming PD Events

ISANA May 29th, 2017 ISANA Updates, Latest News, Professional Development, QLD

QLD Branch
Industry discussions and networking

When:                                   Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Time:                                     8am – 11am
Location:                              CPA Australia office, Level 29, 10 Eagle Street, Brisbane CBD
Cost:                                      Members $20, non-members $40
RSVP:                                    Friday, 2 June 2017
Opening:
Rebecca Hall, Executive Director of International Education & Training Unit   Trade Investment Queensland
Target Audience:
Staff involved in the international education sector who regularly interact,
assist or support international students.

Join us for an opportunity for members in the international education sector to discuss and exchange information and approaches on sector issues. Questions and topics, provided by participants through the event registration form, will be tabled for grouped discussions to ensure topics are relevant to the interests and focus of those in attendance.

REGISTER HERE

National Code and ESOS Workshop, including 457 Visa Changes

When:                                  Thursday, 24 August 2017
Time:                                     9am – 1pm
Location:                              CPA Australia office, Level 29, 10 Eagle Street, Brisbane CBD
Cost:                                      Members $50, non-members $80 (includes morning tea, excludes lunch)
RSVP:                                    Friday, 11 August 2017
Target Audience:
Staff involved in the international education sector who regularly interact,
assist or support international students.
Presenters:
Mariana Lane: Project Manager (International Education), Independent
   Schools Queensland,
Ben Houston:      Director, Systems and Compliance Section, Australia                                        Government Department of Education and Training
Confirming:         Dept. Immigration and Border Protection

This session will focus on changes to government legislation and policies, especially in regards to the updates on the Commonwealth ESOS framework, 457 visa changes, PRISMS, the Tuition Protection Service, simplified student visa framework, student-related visa policies and streamlined visa processing. The presentation will be delivered by Mariana Lane. However, Ben Houston and a representative from immigration will attend via a conference link for question and answer sessions.

REGISTRATION OPENING SOON

Become an ISANA member!

ISANA May 15th, 2017 ISANA Updates, Latest News, News, NSW & ACT, Professional Development, QLD, SA & NT, VIC & TAS, WA

An ISANA membership underpins the work of those who work in the Australian and New Zealand international education industry. The organisation provides the information, training and networks that assist these international educators, administrators and student support staff to accomplish their daily work and advance their careers.

If you would like to become a member, please complete the ISANA Membership Form available here and email or fax it to the Secretariat at isana@isana.org.au or fax it to+61 3 6231 1522.

*Membership with ISANA is individual based not institutional.

ISANA Professional Development: Hobart, Tasmania

ISANA May 15th, 2017 ISANA Updates, Latest News, News, Professional Development, VIC & TAS

The Importance of Collaboration in Providing Information to International Students
Friday, 9 June 2017
University of Tasmania
International Education Providers often find it challenging to disseminate information to students. These include information on courses, academic enrolments, accommodation, health, social events, career and employment and other support services. Often the challenge of providing information is compounded by a misunderstanding of how students access information in the digital age.

This PD includes the following activities:
Opening Session: Encouraging stronger business and industry links for our international studentsKey Note speech from Associate Professor Shanton Chang: The importance of Collaboration in Providing Information to International Students

Panel Discussion: Connecting with international students: How and where do they get information? What are the challenges?

More Info

ISANA VIC/TAS State Conference

ISANA May 15th, 2017 ISANA Updates, Latest News, Professional Development, VIC & TAS

Working together: Solution-focused support for International Students in the 21^stCentury.
Friday, 1 September 2017

It is no secret that it has been a challenging year in international education. ISANA is focused on meeting the needs of those whose lives touch international students. The VIC/TAS 2017 state conference will break new ground by blending knowledge and practice skillfully to leave the delegates feeling invigorated and more able to face the challenges in their association with international students.

Themes to be explored:
Accommodation, visa class changes, use of social media, student support services, OSHC, MYKI, student safety, under 18 students, sexual health and equity, the important of networking and the latest research on international student social network behavior and changes.

Call for Presentations:

We are seeking presenters for the conference, which is shaping up to be an exciting event of presentations, workshops, panel sessions and keynote speakers. If you are passionate about a particular area or issue in relation to working with international students, or if you have experiences to relate which will inform and challenge, we would like to hear from you.

For further information about any aspect of presenting at the Conference please see Call for Abstracts below.

Call for Abstracts

ISANA Professional Development: Victoria

ISANA May 15th, 2017 ISANA Updates, Latest News, News, VIC & TAS

Professional Development: When the Government Knocks
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
This is the PD session that the whole industry looks forward to every year. Representatives from DIBP and DET ensure that this session is relevant across many sectors, and unprecedented access to the speakers makes this a PD that is not to be missed!

Register Now!

International Student Exploitation in the spotlight

ISANA May 8th, 2017 Employment - Journal Student Living, ISANA Updates, Latest News, News, NSW & ACT, QLD, SA & NT, VIC & TAS, WA

Work exploitation of international students
The recent story on SBS on the exploitation of international students in the Vietnamese hospitality sector is unfortunately not a new story. It is distressing to read that the exploitation of vulnerable international students is a continued practice. The article does note importantly that it takes two parties for this practice to occur. Students are sometimes willing to accept poor working conditions because they are either ignorant of their rights or preferring to accept under-payment to unemployment. ISANA reminds all members of the news in an earlier newsletter where we informed members of efforts by DIBP and the FWO to address work exploitation of international students. Here is the excerpt:

Temporary visa holder like international students with a work entitlement and who may have been exploited, need to be aware that DIBP will generally not cancel a visa, detain or remove individuals, provided they have reported their circumstance to the FWO. Please make this information known to your international students. For more information, please refer to the media release from Minister for Employment, Sen. M Cash and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Hon P Dutton of 15 February 2017.

ISANA National President

Mary Ann Seow

From the President….

ISANA May 8th, 2017 ISANA Updates, Latest News, News, NSW & ACT, QLD, SA & NT, VIC & TAS, WA

No doubt, most of you would have noted that international education has been in the news lately and unfortunately, the news has caused concerns. I encourage members to follow ISANA on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news on international education.

457 visa changes
The recently announced changes to the 457 visa sub-class has received quite a bit of coverage. While the changes do not extend to student visas, there have been concerns amongst students about to graduate of the impact these changes will have on them. This is particularly concerning for research students. A recent article in The Australian strengthens Universities Australia request for urgent clarification on the changes. Importantly, they have highlighted the continuing need for Australia to recruit world leading global researchers and academics. ISANA supports UA and the many start-up companies that will benefit from the talent that is currently being trained in our universities and research institutes.

ACEN Scholarships – Applications now open

ISANA April 10th, 2017 Articles, ISANA Updates, Latest News, News, NSW & ACT, QLD, SA & NT, VIC & TAS, WA

2017 Student Scholarships now open

Eight scholarships of $1,500

Applications are now open for scholarships to provide financial support for students undertaking a work integrated learning (WIL) placement in a regional or remote area of Australia as part of their 2017/2018 university studies.

Once again eight scholarships to the value of $1,500 each are being offered to eligible university students who may experience financial disadvantage from having to complete a WIL placement. The scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis and assessed against the criteria.

Applications close on April 21, 2017

The 2017 ACEN Scholarship applicants:

Must be from institutions that are financial members of ACEN. (See http://acen.edu.au/list-of-financial-institutions/ for a list of current financial institutions.)
Must be studying a postgraduate or undergraduate degree program which requires a WIL placement as a part of their studies
Both domestic and international students are eligible to apply.

ISANA Australia and New Zealand…From The PIE News

ISANA April 10th, 2017 Articles, Latest News, News

From The PIE News…

The PIE: What role do your organisations play in international education?

“We’re the voice of the students but also the voice of the staff who work with the students”

LM: I think we are the voice of the students. We know a lot of our practitioners are working at the grassroots level and they are interacting with students, so they get to know what students want, and we provide a forum to escalate that.

MAS: ISANA Australia and New Zealand memberships are basically staff who work at the coalface with students. Not only do they get to be the voice of the students, and that’s more so in New Zealand where they don’t have an organisation like the Council of International Students Australia, we deal with students day-in-day-out.

We are able to give feedback of critical information on the effect of any policy changes. With policy legislation changes, we can say ‘hang on a second, if you want to do this, these are the implications it will have’ because we are the ones who will actually be implementing it. So we’re the voice of the students but also the voice of the staff who work with the students.

“Our international student numbers have increased and once they are here we want to retain their skills and knowledge”

LM: Also, with a lot of international student support staff, there’s no formal training and so ISANA is there to provide professional development. Anyone can go into the role, but there’s all these transferable skills we’re looking for, and a lot of them are intuitive skills which are very warm and fuzzy, but that’s what you need in student support. A lot of those people do not have formal training so we provide professional development throughout the year.

ISANA / ANZSSA Conference 2017 – Call for Abstracts Open

ISANA February 7th, 2017 ISANA Conference, Latest News, NSW & ACT, QLD, SA & NT, VIC & TAS, WA

Following on from the success of the 2014 combined ISANA/ANZSSA conference, the 2017 Conference will be jointly organised by ANZSSA and ISANA on the beautiful Gold Coast, Queensland, famed for its stunning endless beaches, restaurants and natural beauty.

The theme for the conference is ‘Widening Perspectives of Student Success’.

The conference will give us the opportunity to explore and discuss the many factors that contribute to the overall student success, both within and outside the classroom. There will be an exciting program of speakers, workshops, social activities and lots of networking opportunities. Delegates will be able to share successful strategies, engage with key stakeholders and develop important partnerships.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Gold Coast in December 2017.

Abstract Submissions – NOW OPEN

On behalf of the Program Committee, we invite you to submit an abstract for presentation at combined ISANA/ANZSSA conference.

All submissions will undergo a peer review process by the Program Committee. The Program Committee will allocate accepted submissions to the program, taking into account the quality of each abstract, the balance of the program and the relevance to the overall conference theme: Widening Perspectives of Student Success.

This conference seeks to explore evidence based practice in international education services by looking at the following sub themes;

Connectivity
Enables
Communication and information

For More information please click here

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