Terra Dotta Supports Kirkwood Community College’s Robust International Student and Study Abroad Programs
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (PRWEB) June 26, 2018 -- Terra Dotta, the leader in higher education travel, study abroad and international program management solutions, today announced that Kirkwood Community College – located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- is using its ISSS and Study Abroad software solutions to offer comprehensive, digitally-driven international student support and study abroad services.
“At Kirkwood, we offer an open door to every individual – whether local or global – through a simple admission process, small class sizes and affordable tuition. This includes specialized international student programs, as well as short-term and semester-long study abroad programs for all students,” said Dawn Wood, Dean of International Programs, Kirkwood Community College. “Terra Dotta’s solutions enable us to bring more international students to our campus and ensure all visa and immigration compliance steps are met, as well as execute a wide-reaching study abroad program that offers students invaluable extended learning opportunities.”
Kirkwood Community College has established internationalization as a campus-wide priority for more than 40 years. This year Kirkwood welcomed approximately 400 international students from 60 countries and sent more than 160 students on faculty-led study abroad programs across every continent. The institution attracts many international students as a result of its hospitality management program, which hosts the state’s only AAA Four Diamond qualified hotel, as well as strong participation in its programs for agriculture, healthcare, business and engineering.
Before implementing Terra Dotta’s solutions Kirkwood had a time-consuming paper-based system for managing international student recruiting, onboarding and retention services. With the help of Terra Dotta’s solutions, Kirkwood automated the full international student admissions process and was able to expand the number of students participating. Kirkwood engages prospective students in a two-way communication process that guides them through the steps needed to comply with SEVIS immigration requirements and secure an F1 visa. Terra Dotta also helps Kirkwood deliver a streamlined pre-arrival preparation process, including arranging student housing, advising on an appropriate course load, and providing a smooth acclimation process.
For its study abroad programs, Kirkwood uses Terra Dotta to manage the full application and enrollment process for all students, ensuring all steps are completed to meet each individual program’s requirements. This approach helps the institution confirm all necessary information is entered into a centralized system and can be accessed by relevant staff to ensure proper duty of care, credits transfer, and other critical safety details.
About Terra Dotta
Terra Dotta is the leader in higher education travel, study abroad and international program management solutions. Nearly 600 universities and colleges use Terra Dotta’s proven cloud solutions and mobile apps to automate and streamline all aspects of global collegiate travel and international student programs. The company’s solutions help higher education teams optimize study abroad and international programs enrollment, deliver real-time, GPS-driven travel communication for students and faculty, and ensure compliance and risk mitigation for international travel/scholar programs worldwide. Terra Dotta is based in Chapel, N.C. and can be found at http://www.terrradotta.com.
# # #
Meggan Manson, Young & Associates, +1 3013716995, [email protected]
Share this article