O S E A S * E U R O P E

ELECTIONS - 1999

Dear OSEAS-Europe advisers, I hope you are all enjoying a great summer - it is even hot in London! This message starts the election period for our new OSEAS-Europe Chair Elect and NIS Member-at-Large. Thank you in advance for passing this message on to advisers who are not on e-mail.

The nomination period for the positions of Chair Elect and NIS Member-at-Large on the OSEAS-Europe Board has now finished, and I am very pleased to announce that we have two talented and professional advisers who have been nominated for each of the positions.

As a result we will now hold an election among OSEAS-Europe advisers for the two positions. I would like to encourage you all to vote. By voting you can make sure that those who are elected really represent the choice of OSEAS-Europe advisers. You also show your support for the nominees in standing for the positions, and their commitment to advising in our region.

Below you will find more information on the voting procedure and the nominees. Each candidate has been asked to prepare a short biography and statement of goals for the position to help you make an informed choice. Please take a few minutes to read through these before casting your vote.

Thanks to OSEAS-Europe web master Ildiko Ficzko, all of the information in this message can also be found on the OSEAS-Europe Web site at: www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/oseas/europe.html The site also has the nomination message and lots of other information on OSEAS-Europe.

It may be difficult to decide who to vote for, but the voting procedure is very easy - just fill in the form below and return it by 30th September! We look forward to receiving your votes soon.

Best wishes,
Louise Cook
OSEAS-Europe Immediate Past Chair, 1999-2000

Contents:

1) VOTING FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS

VOTING FORM:

A. Chair Elect Nominees

_______ Mihaela Arsene, Fulbright Commission, Bucharest, Romania

_______ Olga Kniazeva, ACTR/ACCELS EIC, Novosibirsk, Russia

B. NIS Member-at-Large Nominees

_______ Lena Lugovaya, OSI EAC, Samara, Russia

_______ Hasmik Sargsyan, IREX EIC, Erevan, Armenia

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Indicate with an 'x' the candidates you wish to vote for. Mark one candidate only for each position.

2. Cut and paste the voting form into an e-mail message (or print out and fax) and please send it to ALL of the people below by 30TH SEPTEMBER 1999.

(We ask you to send it to all three people in case of any problems with e-mail and so that we have an outside observer Craig Rice to verify the votes and that procedures have been followed. Thank you for your cooperation.)

2) ELECTION GUIDELINES

a. Any advisor from the regions of Western (including Israel), Eastern and Central Europe and the NIS, who is actively engaged in educational advising on study in the United States, is eligible to vote.

b. Election shall be by simple majority of the votes cast.

c. Results will be posted on OSEAS-Europe and EAC-L list within 10 days after the voting deadline has passed and the votes have been counted.

3) SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE POSITIONS

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAIR ELECT

Responsibilities of the Chair Elect include:

1. shadowing the Chair
2. if applicable, appointing the Conference Planning Committee 18 months prior to each OSEAS-Europe Conference
3. if applicable, serving on the OSEAS-Europe Conference Planning Committee
4. any tasks related to OSEAS-Europe delegated by the Chair or by the Board.

After a year the Chair Elect becomes the Chair. The responsibilities of the OSEAS-Europe Chair are as follows:

1. to serve as the OSEAS-Europe Regional Representative within the OSEAS leadership in NAFSA
2. presenting the OSEAS-Europe annual report to NAFSA
3. overall management and development of OSEAS-Europe affairs during the period of the chairship and coordinating the delegation of tasks within the board and with ex-officio board members
4. to keep in touch with the European and NIS REACs
5. to present regular updates to the OSEAS-Europe membership, usually via the OSEAS-Europe newsletter
6. to organize the annual OSEAS-Europe elections for the position of chair-elect and any other board vacancies
7. serving on the planning committees of any OSEAS-Europe workshops or conferences organised during their term in office
8. on-going training of the Chair Elect.

After a year the Chair becomes the Immediate Past Chair.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NIS MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Duties for the At-Large Members include:

1. Promotion of professional development of the advisers within their respective regions
2. Promotion of networking amongst educational advisers from their regions
3. Support of communications and technologies within the region
4. Encouraging advisers from their regions to be involved in the leadership, both within the OSEAS-Europe region and NAFSA
5. Coordinating their work with advisers in their regions who are serving on OSEAS-NAFSA liaison projects, e.g. OSEAS-ADSEC Liaison Project, OSEAS-CAFSS Liaison Project
6. Fulfillment of any tasks vested upon them by the OSEAS-Europe Board
7. Posting of regular quarterly updates for the membership on work completed
8. Collecting annual reports for their respective regions for inclusion in the annual OSEAS-Europe report to NAFSA
9. Serving on the planning committees of any OSEAS-Europe workshops or conferences organised during their term in office

4) NOMINEES' BIOGRAPHIES AND STATEMENTS OF GOALS

Each candidate has been asked to provide a short biography and a statement of their goals for the position. Please take the time to read these before casting your vote.

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MIHAELA ARSENE - nominee for the Chair Elect position

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Career history:

  • 1990 - 1997: English lecturer with the Academy of Economics in Bucharest, Romania, the foremost business school in the country; responsible for Business English and US culture courses.
  • Summer 1995: Technical trainer with Peace Corps Romania. As I was going to do graduate study in the US within the Fulbright program, I took up a summer position with Peace Corps in order to have an opportunity to interact with American people and be exposed to the US culture.
  • In order to be admitted to a US graduate program I took the GRE general and the TOEFL. The GRE was quite an experience!
  • Aug. 1996 - June 1997 Fulbright grant: graduate study in applied linguistics; MA in International and Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco.
  • Oct. 1996 - Oct 2001: graduate study, British Council grant: Distance Master of Education with Manchester University, Dissertation on adult learning: in progress.
  • Oct. 1997 - to the present: Educational adviser with the Fulbright Commission in Bucharest and coordinator of the advising centers in Romania.

    I think my major assets that won me the position were my first-hand experience of the American education system and familiarity with the American culture, as well as my insider's knowledge of the Romanian education system acquired through my teaching activity with undergraduate and graduate programs.

    Training opportunities:

    March 1998: I organized a two-day training workshop for Romanian educational advisers; some sessions were delivered by Lydia Shevchik, the Europe REAC at the time, and Mark Lazar, Director of the Institute of International Education in Budapest.

    August 1998: OSEAS-Europe Conference in Budapest. Joint presentation: "What we want them to know: pre-departure orientation programs"; responsible for the culture factor section.

    May 1999: NAFSA 51 Conference in Denver. Joint presentation on "The Americanization of Education". Responsible for the section on the "Ethical and academic standards as a result of the Americanization of education."

    Outreach activities

    · April 1999: presentations on US study opportunities in some of the foremost university centers in Romania with Chris Medalis from the Institute of International Education in Budapest.
    · The European Newsletter: Fall 98 (OSEAS-Europe 765). The spotlight section included a presentation of the advising center in Bucharest.

    Media coverage

    · Oct 98: the activity of the advising center, together with information on the standardised tests, was featured in the foremost business weekly in Romania "Capital".
    · Febr. 99: US study opportunities, the application procedure and the required standardised tests were surveyed in an extensive article in the students' major central journal "Examene" (Exams)
    · Apr. 99: The foremost private TV channel in Romania (PRO Tv) presented the educational advising center and the services it provides to the local academic community. Other TV programs which I facilitated featured the Fulbright Commission's activity and the Fulbright Junior Program.

    STATEMENT OF GOALS

    Networking, better use of technology, advocacy and increased effectiveness of our advising endeavours: these are actually the goals that Isabella outlined last year, but I feel they are as crucial as ever to the success of our mission as educational advisers. They will be with us in the years to come, therefore I think we need to build on them and further re-empasize them.

    Apart from these landmarks, I expect OSEAS-Europe to derive new energy from special interest groups. The SIGs could be an informal forum for exchanging opinions and working out solutions to common problems. Take for example the management of one-person advising centers or the thorny issue of financial assistance for students from the new democracies in Central Europe. There are so many inspiring success stories that one finds about during coffee breaks at conferences or when chatting late into the early hours of the morning to one's charming room-mate, at conference time again. Why tap into this invaluable source of expertise only occasionally, as conferences and financial constraints permit, and not on a regular basis?

    Another goal would be to project on the American culture the positive light it truly deserves. Too often its momentous contribution to the intellectual progress of mankind is hardly perceived through the deluge of artifacts with which the US culture inundates us all, be they burgers or action films. We need to promote US culture as the culture of entrepreneurship and volunteering, as the culture of initiative and community spirit. The new democracies in Europe need people who are aware of their rights and their options, who assume responsibility for their own success, thereby developing a pro-active attitude to social and personal development, who are competently creative and also accountable to the community. What better place to learn this than the US? What better way to learn it than through US education? Apart from the professional growth that study in the US grants, people from the newly liberated European states will also have the chance to experience the joy of being valued for their contribution and further motivated, so as to achieve their full potential. That is to say that exposure to the US culture does wonders in terms of confidence-building and self-esteem, precisely what half of Europe was denied for half a century. It is through our networking, better use of technology, advocacy, and overall effectiveness - maybe through the SIGs as well - that we can help ever more people share in this unique experience, which will ultimately enrich our home countries and cultures. What better reward can one hope for?

    With European integration only a long-term objective, regional cooperation within OSEAS-Europe appears to be another area of great potential and interest. If we agree on the basic premise that there is a lot of advising expertise in every region, as well as keen awareness of local needs and problems and sensitivity to the local cultures, then we need to establish a framework for more active cooperation in the regions of Europe. Can we do it?

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    OLGA KNIAZEVA - nominee for the Chair Elect position

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    PERSONAL INFORMATION:

    EDUCATION: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: OTHER RELATED EXPERIENCE: MEMBERSHIP: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES: STATEMENT OF GOALS

    I believe that OSEAS-Europe is a unique professional group of talented, dedicated advisers, with great commitment and potential. I am honored to be a member of the group and I am even more honored to have a possibility of using my experience and energy to help the community. I am sure that through communication, advocacy and visibility the association can achieve even more in the next few years, promote US education in the greater European region and the NIS. I hope that my experience with OSEAS and OSEAS-Europe, though limited to my previous position responsibilities, will help me to successfuly start up as a Chair Elect.

    Here is what I would like to propose for the list of OSEAS-Europe goals and how I see my role in the OSEAS-Europe as a Chair Elect:

    - Continue working on to reinforce US education in the European region, promote US educational system, establish contacts and partnership programs between European and US colleagues.
    - Continue the efforts of the team to advocate for the OSEAS-Europe, promote OSEAS-Europe among potential membership, partners and supporters. Make sure that OSEAS-Europe is well publicized and recognized by partner associations, supporters and US universities.
    - Work to make more training and professional development events possible, including professional meetings and virtual professional development activities, basing on funding available and fundraising efforts. Through professional development activities help advisers to share knowledge and experience, and also involve state-side colleagues to bring in the US prospective. Initiate and support cooperation between OSEAS and OSEAS-Europe centers and state-side colleagues, including buddy projects, liaison projects and other similar activities.
    - Use the creative energy of the community, develop OSEAS-Europe leadership team, involve membership and ex-oficio members in OSEAS-Europe projects, and combine the team efforts to achieve the best results.
    - Work closely with OSEAS and NAFSA leadership team, develop effective networking and professional cooperation. I believe that we can reach these goals through active participation of OSEAS-Europe advisers in conferences and professional development events. Make better use of technology to straighten the professional ties and contacts across the ocean.
    - Support participation of OSEAS-Europe members in NAFSA activities and encourage NAFSA membership for OSEAS-Europe advisers. Work to continue OSEAS-Europe active participation in NAFSA National and Regional conferences.
    - Continue on fundraising activities to support OSEAS-Europe events and projects. Encourage creative ideas for fundraising efforts and develop fundraising strategies, following NAFSA rules and the code of ethics.
    - Though introduce more practical and entrepreneur prospective in advising, maintain highest ethical standards and develop the appropriate policies.
    - Systematize and summarize organizational and institutional memory, develop materials and policies for the association to make sure the next Board have something to base their work on.

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    LENA LUGOVAYA - nominee for the NIS Member-at-Large Position

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    Lena P. Lugovaya
    August 26, 1971
    14 A Prospect Lenina, Samara
    443110 Russia
    tel/fax (7 8462)34-36-79
    e-mail: eac@lib.smr.ru

    Education

    Professional Experience

    1995- till present

    1994-1995 1990-1994 Professional Development Professional Activities STATEMENT OF GOALS

    I very much appreciate the offer to be nominated for OSEAS-Europe NIS Member-at-Large position.

    I started working in the field of international education in 1995 as a Coordinator Assistant for Central European University Program of Open Society Institute. That time OSI office was the only organization in the city dealing with education abroad, and people asked all their questions to the OSI staff. We always tried to answer the questions using her experience and every available source of information, but unfortunately we felt the resources were not enough for effective advising.

    In 1996 we learned of NAFSA and OSEAS, and work of Educational Information Centers, and in October 1997 we started Educational Advising Center of Open Society Institute.

    In August 1998 I participated in OSEAS international conference in Budapest. Participation in the event made me feel the power of the organization and its importance. It was a good push in my work, as I met so many interesting people, my colleagues, many of whom were good examples of what Adviser should be.

    I enjoy working as an adviser, I have strong intentions to continue working in the field, and I think my working for OSEAS could be of benefit for NIS region, and I will try to do my best to make benefits to OSEAS.

    During some professional events I meet many advisers from NIS, and I feel they are real professionals working hard on developing ideas of international education. We are holding the same views, and I would be happy to promote networking and professional development of my colleagues.

    I am ready to collect the reports of Advising Centers for including them into annual reports, working on planning committees of workshops and meetings, participating in discussions on professional issues.

    I would be happy to put my effort to develop and to disseminate OSEAS ideas.

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    HASMIK SARGSYAN - nominee for the NIS Member-at-Large Position

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    EDUCATION:

    PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

    - International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), Yerevan, Armenia, Educational Advising Assistant, May 1997

    - International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), Yerevan, Armenia, Volunteer, November 1996- May 1997 PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND CONFERENCES

    - The 6th OSEAS-Europe, August 5-10, 1998 Regional Conference in Budapest, Hungary
    - Internship Training Program (ITP), March 24-27, 1999 for advisors at the Moscow Fair
    - Presentation at the Moscow Fair, March 27, 1999 "If You Want to Study in the US"
    - NAFSA-51st Annual Conference, May 23-28, 1999 Denver, Colorado
    - Presentation at NAFSA 51st Conference May 27, 1999 "Americanization of European Countries: Fact, Trend and Style".

    PUBLICATIONS

    STATEMENT OF GOALS

    From the very first days of my work in Yerevan IREX/EIC as a volunteer, I was responsible for giving information about study opportunities in the US, exchange programs, conducting CD-searches, and doing Internet searches for the individuals interested in the study opportunities in the US.

    In 7 months I was offered to work in Yerevan IREX/EIC as an educational advising assistant when there was a job opportunity. This was the recognition of my professional maturity for being able to take new responsibilities and still to combine them with the delivery of the information to the IREX customers.

    My first acquaintance with OSEAS and the acquiring of the sense that I as an advisor am not alone but am a member of a professional association came with my participation in OSEAS -Europe 6th Conference in Budapest where I had a great opportunity to meet with my colleagues from the greater Europe in general and with NIS colleagues in particular . The sense of belonging to a whole family of OSEAS adviser was deepened when after successful participation in Internship Training Program in Moscow, I took par in NAFSA-51st Annual Conference, the first NAFSA conference for me and also the first conference where I had my presentation with peer advisers from all over the world at the (Americanization of European countries). All these helped me not only to strengthen my own knowledge and awareness needed for an advisor but also it helped me to come up with goals which I would like to fulfil if I am elected as NIS representative on the OSEAS-Europe Board.

    1. Training of volunteers
    Emphasize the role of volunteers in advising operations, as they are the persons who can come with immediate help when EIC staff is heavily overloaded with work. It'll be very effective to organize virtual workshops for volunteers throughout NIS countries in order to have well trained as well as observant volunteers in each advising center. The more knowledgeable the volunteer is, the more job satisfaction is gained. Based on my personal experience the experienced volunteers can be offered in future the position of educational advisor.

    2. Production of CD-s with necessary tools for educational advisers for their daily work
    CDs will give an opportunity to advisors to get information on various advising issues: keeping statistics, operating an advising center, advising techniques and resources, advising networks, the adviser as manager and trainer. As many advisors in NIS do not have access to Internet having a CD for adviser can be the first urgent source for getting all this information.

    3. Linkage project of the annual fairs
    The idea is to connect the annual fairs throughout the NIS countries: to organize fairs approximately at the same time. Representatives from different US schools who are interested to participate in the fairs will manage to be present in educational fairs in different countries of NIS. By spending money and time for coming to NIS countries several times in order to participate in a few fairs they can come once and travel to different regions if this project is realized .

    4. Encouragement of fundraising by the EIC-s
    In order to support services at a high level more NIS EICs will be encouraged to implement different fundraising tactics for not only covering their costs of functioning but also for organization different training activities for educational advisors in the NIS sub-regions.

    5. Make advising network more productive
    Increase sharing of information about application process, financial aid, ETS exams and innovations, and other advising issues. This will foster understanding and advancement of knowledge and skills needed to advisors.

    My 3 years of experience in advising expresses my strong desire to play a part in the strengthen of the NIS Educational Advising Centers. Considering my interpersonal skills, ability to challenging to new responsibilities, I am confident that I am well suitable for the NIS Representative and have much to offer to OSEAS-Europe.

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