International Webinars

Use of Commissioned Agents for International Recruitment: A Discussion of the State Department's Policy Shift with NACAC, AIRC and EducationUSA (Two-Part Series)

February 19, 2019

Free webinar | February 19 | 2-3 PM ET

 In December 2018,  EducationUSA officials participated for the first time in the annual meeting of the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC), an association of universities that vets and certifies overseas recruitment agencies in a process modeled after accreditation. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs Caroline Casagrande made the following statement:

EducationUSA advisors around the world will continue to give top priority to working with prospective international students as well as working directly with accredited U.S. higher education institutions. At the same time, recognizing the important role of other stakeholders in this area, we have significantly expanded the information we make publicly available related to EducationUSA. We welcome agents and other professionals working with U.S. universities to access that information and use it in their work. We will include agents and other legitimate stakeholders working with U.S. universities in EducationUSA events and meetings.

This announcement signaled a significant policy shift in the ongoing debate on the ethics of using commissioned agents in international student recruitment.


Through a discussion with representatives from EducationUSA, AIRC and the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), we will discuss the history of international recruitment and the use of agents.

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The second webinar in this series will take place on March 12.  Information forthcoming.


 

Presenter: Alfred "Fred" Boll
EducationUSA Branch Chief, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Fred Boll

Alfred "Fred" Boll has been a Foreign Service Officer at the United States Department of State since 2003.  He currently serves as EducationUSA Branch Chief in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, where he leads the Department’s global network of educational advising centers that promotes U.S. higher education in 180 countries and territories. 

He has served previously in Lisbon, Amsterdam, Pristina, Rio de Janeiro, and as Deputy Director in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration’s Office of International Migration in Washington.  He is a lawyer by training, with a BA degree (Honors) from the University of Chicago, JD and MA degrees from ‎the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and a Doctorate (SJD) in International Law from the University of Sydney in Australia.  

Presenter: Lindsay Addington
Director of Global Engagement
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

Lindsay AddingtonLindsay Addington is director of global engagement at NACAC. She guides the association on strategies, practices, policies, and resource development to meet the needs of college counseling and admission professionals worldwide who advise, recruit, and enroll students in an increasingly global landscape.

Prior to NACAC, Lindsay worked at the American Council on Education’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement and at the George Washington University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication from University of Delaware, and master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education administration from the George Washington University. 


Presenter: Jennifer Wright
Director of Certification
American International Recruitment Council (AIRC)

jennifer wrightJennifer R. Wright (MA), is Director of Certification at the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC). AIRC Certification is the U.S. quality standard recognizing professionalism and ethical operations in international student recruitment by educational agencies around the world. She also coordinates professional development training for educational institutions, including colleges, universities and secondary school members, and content for the AIRC annual conference and other professional meetings.

She has held leadership positions in international education at universities and third party providers including The George Washington University, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Institute of Art, Arcadia University and University of Rochester Educational Programmes Abroad. Her master’s degree is from the University of Kentucky and her undergraduate degree is from Franklin and Marshall College.