"Excuse me, Mr. President..."

With the upcoming presidential election just over a month away, the candidates' policies are being presented, dissected, and critiqued like never before. Of course, education is no exception, and this week's Chronicle of Higher Education featured "An Education on Higher Education for the Next President."

Of particular interest were the insights of Marlene Johnson, executive director and chief executive of NAFSA. Johnson's recommendations are consistent with a large theme of this year's NAFSA conference- international education advocacy and public policy. Her goals reflected the ongoing need for more internationalized students through study abroad, as well as for American universities to attract prominent international students:

"America must graduate far more students from college with basic international knowledge and proficiency in a foreign language. To make that happen, the next president should put his administration squarely behind the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act, which would quadruple study-abroad participation and diversify study-abroad opportunities in terms of participants, fields of study, and destinations.

The next president should also announce a comprehensive strategy for enhancing the attractiveness of our nation to international students and scholars...Such a broad, national effort would immediately send a strong signal to the world that the United States is committed to strengthening international understanding."

What do you feel to be the greatest priorities in America's higher education? How can we encourage study abroad among students, particularly those who cannot afford travel expenses, even while the Paul Simon Act is pending?

Let the voting begin...

kcohS erutluC (aka Reverse Culture Shock)

"So, how was your trip abroad?" your friends ask. "Was life very different in Melbourne? Was Vegemite any good? Did the toilet actually flush the opposite way down unda?"

While the first couple of questions are probably a conversation starter, the third likely a conversation ender, and the fourth purely a myth, perhaps the real question that your friends should ask upon return from abroad is "How has life been readjusting back to home?"

Before departing for abroad, students are bombarded with tips on how to prepare for the distinctions in culture, foreign etiquette and various other social norms that ultimately make travel so challenging yet rewarding. Students are often shown a "W-curve "chart similar to the one below, which highlights the study abroad experience like so:

Student arrives in foreign destination and immediately experiences a romanticized "honeymoon period," followed by culture shock. Culture shock leads to gradual recovery and eventually full adjustment is achieved...at the baggage check on the departing flight back home. The student giddily experiences yet another "honeymoon period" back home, but after experiencing a previously held routine, the crisis of reverse culture shock attacks. Recovery and adjustment and a safe distance from Vegemite alleviates such crises, and successful re-integration is accomplished.

Obviously such an experience is not universal, and hopefully true integration in the foreign culture occurs before packing time, but the concept of reverse culture shock is quite relevant and severely underrated. As Scott Fabricant describes in this recent article, "Most people who had a good time abroad will be a little blue coming back...Your time abroad can be an amazing, liberating experience. If you’re lucky, you can make fantastic friends, fulfill lifelong dreams, even recreate yourself from scratch, but coming home [can be] a real crash."

Similar to culture shock, an awareness of the causes and implications of reverse culture shock can result in a much smoother transition. Many campuses also offer a multitude of resources, from counseling services to re-entry social events and cultural clubs. Students frequently return to campus with a new affinity toward a recently discovered passion while abroad.

Whether it be salsa dancing or research on AIDS policy, there are many opportunities to collaborate socially and academically with fellow students and professors to incorporate such interests into your life back home. Better yet, find ways to engage in the international community after your return. Teach English to immigrants from your abroad country. Organize an international film festival featuring films that showcase socially relevant issues, followed by a panel including natives of your foreign destination.

When faced with culture shock, don't let a challenged comfort zone control your abroad experience. The solution, rather, is just the reverse. Embrace the challenge, explore the unfamiliar, and allow your experience abroad to re-define your comfort zone. Who knows, maybe there is even room for Vegemite.

From Hovering Mentors to Intrusive Rescue Squads: A Spectrum of Helicopter Parents

Study abroad is all about independence. When issues arise, from sorting out transfer of credit to dealing with a problematic host family, a phone call needs to be made to a student’s home university or program provider to discuss and address the problem. However, today’s “Millenial” students abroad are not always the ones making these calls. Instead, it is often their increasingly involved, protective parents who are taking the initiative.

The concept of the “hovering” helicopter parent continues to saturate the study abroad industry. A recent study, conducted by lead author Patricia Somers, an associate professor at the University of Texas, Austin, further analyzes helicopter parents by designating various categories, from the pseudo-stalker “toxic parent” to the value-seeking “consumer advocate.”

The study includes insights from 75 officials, professors and staff at 15 universities, and the findings assert that, “40% to 60% of college parents qualify as helicopter parents, and they come from all socioeconomic groups.”

Here are the categories presented by the study:

The Blackhawk Parent

Jim Settle, Vice President of Student Affairs at Shawnee State University and a co-author, says that "they start at the president's office, regardless of the issue." Blackhawk parents exercise poor problem-solving strategies, ultimately restricting their child's independence.

The Toxic Parent

These parents meddle in intrusive ways that imply the student is untrustworthy or ill-equipped. Parents at several schools, Dr. Somers says, obtained their children's log-on information, researched prospective roommates on Facebook, then masqueraded as their children online to request roommate assignments. One couple cited separately in the study installed a nanny-cam in their son's dorm room; the student was aware of the nanny-cam but didn't know Mom and Dad also planted an electronic transmitter in his car. When he strayed to a nearby city in his car, they withdrew him from college.

The Consumer Advocate

These parents regard higher education as a consumer transaction and negotiate tirelessly for discounts. They feel that, as "co-purchasers," they are entitled to all the same information and staff access as their children, researchers say. Many err in expecting a "warranty," the study says- a post-graduation job guarantee.

The Safety Expert

Parents undoubtedly will ask about emergency plans, but some cross the line by demanding copies of fire inspection records and confidential emergency operations manuals. While such parents can be overprotective, they also, with some restraint, can teach valuable safety lessons.

The Traffic and Rescue Helicopters

This category highlights the more subdued parent that cares for their child without crossing too many boundaries. The Traffic Helicopter gives advice and guidance but leaves decision-making up to the student. The Rescue Helicopter rushes in to help with supplies and support in a crisis.

Do any of these look familiar to you or your parent? Where do you feel parental involvement is acceptable and at what point does it cross the line?