Strategic planning can be more than setting goals for an education abroad office. When done intentionally, it can connect global experiences to the broader priorities of an institution, from student success and retention to career readiness, belonging, and long-term growth.

In this episode, host Zac Macinnes sits down with Rick Batchelor, Director of Learning Abroad at the University of Utah, to explore how his team has aligned its work with the university’s broader strategic vision. Rick shares lessons from Utah’s strategic planning process, including engaging stakeholders across campus, turning institutional priorities into actionable initiatives, building purposeful partnerships, and using strategy to expand programs and capacity. Together, they discuss how education abroad leaders can move beyond simply creating a plan and instead position global experiences as an integral part of their institution’s future.

When it comes to education abroad, is more choice always better? At the University of Arkansas, a portfolio of more than 900 program options presented an unexpected challenge: students were overwhelmed, staff resources were stretched, and it was increasingly difficult to intentionally guide students toward programs that reflected institutional priorities and student needs.

In this episode, Zac sits down with Aley Bedair, Director of Study Abroad and International Exchange at the University of Arkansas, to explore how her team reimagined its approach to portfolio management. Aley shares how student data, campus stakeholders, institutional values, and objective program evaluation helped Arkansas move toward a more focused portfolio of sponsored programs while preserving student choice. They discuss what makes a strong university-provider partnership, why portfolio refinement and curricular alignment shouldn't necessarily happen at the same time, and how education abroad offices of any size can begin by asking a deceptively simple question: What story does our portfolio tell?

Confronting the “dirty words” of study abroad: how does the language of enrollment management fit into the holistic experience of studying abroad?

For many international educators, words like “yield,” “conversion,” “retention,” and “melt” can feel too transactional. But understanding how students move from interested to abroad has never been more important, especially as institutions across the country continue to navigate increasing pressure to demonstrate program impact and expand student access to global experiences.

That’s why Zac Macinnes recently sat down with Amanda Roshan-Rawaan, the Director of Enrollment Management for Education Abroad at Indiana University Bloomington, on the latest episode of Changing Lives through Education Abroad. Tune in to hear Amanda discuss IU’s efforts to create a more cohesive student experience by identifying common barriers and improving team efficiency, what smaller offices can take from an enrollment management mindset, and why growing participation while simultaneously providing meaningful student support don’t have to be competing priorities.