Take 5: Windfall

In our monthly Take 5 column, International Educator poses a thought-provoking prompt to five members of the NAFSA community. These international educators, who represent a diverse range of voices and perspectives, respond with their insights, recommendations, and personal reflections on the myriad themes and questions that are facing the field.

You receive an extra $50,000 for your office's budget, no strings attached. What are you spending it on?

Seth Hall, University of Virginia: I’d take the funds and invest them in our team and the international community we support. First, I’d take the entire team to the NAFSA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego to build out our professional competencies, learn new strategies to engage our community, and energize ourselves to tackle the year ahead.

Next, I’d create student programming grants to support events that enrich our globally connected campus. Finally, I’d use the remaining funds to support our international students with need-based grants to help these students persist and graduate.

Kate Hellmann, Washington State University: International education is under attack from many angles. Ironically, this is happening at a time when intercultural skills, peace, and diplomacy are more essential than ever. International education cultivates a globally competitive workforce that can solve the complex, interdependent problems facing us all.

If I had an additional $50k in my budget, I would deploy human and financial resources to evaluate participation in the curricular and cocurricular opportunities at my institution related to global learning. The data gleaned from this assessment could be used to inform a public relations campaign to demonstrate the far-reaching impact of international education. If we want our work to be understood, we need to communicate better. International educators can drive that communication. Our future depends on telling these stories so our work is valued and receives the necessary resources.

Csendi Hopp, Portland State University: If $50,000 were added to our budget, I would suggest short- and long-term strategies. The first short-term strategy would be to support team resilience. I would allocate $10,000 for an office manager role that could focus on a yearlong plan to make our team more resilient. The plan would outline fun but intentional ways to strengthen our team. I would also allocate $10,000 for professional development opportunities.

The first long-term investment would be putting $20,000 in our student emergency fund. Finally, I’d use $10,000 to create an alumni mentorship program. We have a lot of students who have relatives who are alumni. The school needs to tap into this resource.

Matthew Loehrer, University of California-San Francisco: I suppose my response would depend on the nature of the funds—whether this is a one-time infusion or a continuing line item—but my first instinct would be to establish some type of emergency fund or needs-based grant that could be used to support international students and scholars on campus who encounter a consequential one-off or unforeseen expense. Even though $50,000 doesn’t seem like much, relative to the amounts of money we know our students and scholars must provide for their visas and tuition, I’ve found that access to even small amounts of money in tough times can still have a big impact for someone who is often far away from friends and family.

Sara Robinson, University of Wyoming: At the University of Wyoming, one of our primary goals is to enhance access to study abroad opportunities for all students, starting with the vital step of obtaining a passport. To address this initial financial barrier, I would allocate a substantial portion of the funds toward providing first-time passport grants. Additionally, I would focus on expanding our faculty-led study abroad programs and increasing the availability of grants for veterans, first-generation students, and other underserved populations.

Ashton Troxel, CEA CAPA Education Abroad: I’d use $50,000 to invest in international site visits for staff, which would have great benefits for students. By experiencing aspects of living abroad such as the transportation system, local museums, and cultural nuances, our advisers would gain invaluable insights to share with students during the predeparture phase. Advisers could use the lessons they gained while abroad to enhance student support and expectation setting. This investment would foster a deeper understanding, benefiting both our staff and the students they serve. •