Dear *|FNAME|*,

I look forward to a brighter 2021, where ISANA can continue to work together to support our members.

Stay in touch and keep safe.

Bronwyn Gilson
ISANA National President

The NCT has been developed to be utilised as an ongoing resource to all registered participants.

Some recent feedback:

“The amount of work that must have gone into the course is a testament to the creators as it was very comprehensive…” (Michelle M, 21 October 2020)

“…I recently completed the National Code tutorial and would like to recommend other staff members do this training…” (Michelle P, 12 October 2020)

“…It all worked very well and I was able to complete the training.  I think this is a great resource and can see myself going back into it at times during the year. ‘Kelvin’s’ journey was 100% accurate for a few students I know! What a great way to help make the learning more relevant.  Thanks for your assistance and thanks again for a great training package…” (Amanda, October 2020)

“…Very impressive. I made a couple of stupid mistakes but otherwise I did ok! I eventually got there!” (Ray, September 2020)

“…Doing it now, it’s very comprehensive. Well done…” (Linda, September 2020)

The ISANA team has been busily working on an exclusive ‘Member’s Area’.

This area is for ISANA Members only and includes access to all prior professional development session slides as well many other useful resources.

If you are an ISANA member and have not been given access to this area, please contact the secretariat for log-in assistance.

It has been a difficult year for all and with many of our colleagues finding themselves unemployed we have created a page to collate information on job availability, useful resources and tools designed to assist you with the job application process. 

We aim to keep this as up to date as possible and value any feedback and information you may have on these topics.

Please send through any jobs or career resources for our members to the ISANA Secretariat

The Guide identifies opportunities for Australian institutions to enhance the employability of international students. It explicitly focuses on 10 best practice principles.

To learn more about epigeum and their courses visit epigeum.com.

ISANA Membership

Benefits of membership include:
ISANA membership is renewed annually on the 1st of July.  

• Discounted registration for the annual National Conference
• Discounted registration for the National Code Tutorial
• Access to the ‘Members Only’ area
• Free and discounted attendance at local branch events and professional development
• Regular national and branch email updates
• The opportunity to provide feedback to policy developers and government agencies

Earlier this year, South Australia’s Immanuel College’s long-serving Director of International Programs, Wendy Buxton, sadly passed away. Wendy was a highly valued member of staff who dedicated her life to high quality international education and was greatly respected in the international education community nationally and internationally. Wendy’s passion for international education was the driving force behind the establishment of our international program which has flourished for over twenty years.

Also, do not forget to register for our AGM, even if you can’t attend the conference or, alternatively, complete your proxy form. I am looking forward to seeing and hearing from you all during our conference.

Stay in touch and keep safe.

Bronwyn Gilson
ISANA National President

It has been a difficult year for all and with many of our colleagues finding themselves unemployed we have created a page to collate information on job availability, useful resources and tools designed to assist you with the job application process. 

We aim to keep this as up to date as possible and value any feedback and information you may have on these topics.

Please send through any jobs or career resources for our members to the ISANA Secretariat

ISANA Membership

Benefits of membership include:
ISANA membership is renewed annually on the 1st of July.  

• Discounted registration for the annual National Conference
• Discounted registration for the National Code Tutorial
• Access to the ‘Members Only’ area
• Free and discounted attendance at local branch events and professional development
• Regular national and branch email updates
• The opportunity to provide feedback to policy developers and government agencies

The NCT has been developed to be utilised as an ongoing resource to all registered participants.

Some recent feedback:

“The amount of work that must have gone into the course is a testament to the creators as it was very comprehensive…” (Michelle M, 21 October 2020)

“…I recently completed the National Code tutorial and would like to recommend other staff members do this training…” (Michelle P, 12 October 2020)

“…It all worked very well and I was able to complete the training.  I think this is a great resource and can see myself going back into it at times during the year. ‘Kelvin’s’ journey was 100% accurate for a few students I know! What a great way to help make the learning more relevant.  Thanks for your assistance and thanks again for a great training package…” (Amanda, October 2020)

“…Very impressive. I made a couple of stupid mistakes but otherwise I did ok! I eventually got there!” (Ray, September 2020)

“…Doing it now, it’s very comprehensive. Well done…” (Linda, September 2020)

The ISANA team has been busily working on an exclusive ‘Member’s Area’.

This area is for ISANA Members only and includes access to all prior professional development session slides as well many other useful resources.

If you are an ISANA member and have not been given access to this area, please contact the secretariat for log-in assistance.

The Guide identifies opportunities for Australian institutions to enhance the employability of international students. It explicitly focuses on 10 best practice principles.

To learn more about epigeum and their courses visit epigeum.com.

Dear *|FNAME|*,

I hope you saw our recent announcement that the call for abstracts for our 31^st Conference is now open! With the theme of Turning Challenges into Opportunities, we want to share how we have been dealing with changes and challenges.  As this will be a virtual Conference held 3-4 & 8-9 December 2020, both the presentation formats and the cost will reflect this. Visit the ISANA Conference webpage here to see more details on abstracts and registration.

Also keep an eye on our upcoming Profession Development sessions here including Assumptions; Realities; Reset to be presented by Melanie Duncan and an Under 18 Masterclass being hosted by Sam Hilbig.

And I’ll wrap up by offering my congratulations to Ms Belle Lim who has been elected as CISA’s National President. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Belle I suggest you read some of her accomplishments at VIEA and Future Female Conference.

Stay in touch and keep safe.

Bronwyn Gilson
ISANA National President

Have you renewed your ISANA membership?

Benefits of membership include:
ISANA membership is renewed annually on the 1st of July.  

• Discounted registration for the annual National Conference
• Discounted registration for the National Code Tutorial
• Access to the ‘Members Only’ area
• Free and discounted attendance at local branch events and professional development
• Regular national and branch email updates
• The opportunity to provide feedback to policy developers and government agencies

National Code Tutorial

The NCT is an online training course designed for professionals working in the international education sector to gain knowledge and understanding of the ESOS Act and the National Code 2018.

The feedback has been great! With those who have completed the National Code Tutorial finding it an invaluable training tool.

Assumptions; Realities; Reset 
Presented by Melanie Duncan 
When: Wednesday 23rd September 2020 at 3:30pm-4:30pm (AEST)
Join a facilitated conversation to share six months of learnings on what assumptions had we made about our international student cohorts across sectors pre-COVID; what have we learned about our students during COVID; and what will best practice look like post-COVID.  

Under 18 Masterclass Series 

In response to the significant interest in all issues related to under international 18 students, ISANA and IEAA are organising the inaugural Under 18 Masterclass.

A series of webinars will take place during October 2020 to address key issues associated with welfare, support and risk management of under 18 international students.

Experienced professionals will share good practice on each of the key topics. Participants will be encouraged to discuss challenges and explore solutions.

Cost:
$30 ISANA and IEAA Members (includes one or all sessions)
$50 Non-members (includes one or all sessions)

The ISANA team has been busily working on an exclusive ‘Members Area’, that launched late last month.

This area includes access to all prior PD session slides as well many other useful resources. 

If you still do not have access to this site, please check your inbox/ junk folder! This is where your log-in details have been sent to.

Please contact the secretariat if you require any assistance. 

Branch News 

Resilience Against Racism launch event featuring a panel Racism: What can we do about it. The project was initiated as a result of increased racism towards people of Asian appearance due to COVID-19 and is supported by Study Melbourne and Scanlon Foundation.

Date: 17 September 2020
Time: 12:30 – 14:00

About the project

Everyone deserves to belong. Whether you are a recently arrived international student who is living and studying in Australia temporarily or an Australian of different cultural backgrounds, every person regardless of race and religion deserves to feel belong in Australia. However, according to the Scanlon Foundation Mapping Social Cohesion report, 1 in 5 people experience racism in the community. In these few months since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen more racist sentiments towards people of Asian appearance.

Resilience Against Racism aims to help people build personal and community resilience to cope with adversaries such as racism. We run an evidence-based series of online workshops aiming to help people build personal and community resilience to cope with adversaries such as racism. The bespoke workshops are designed for people who may have experienced racism themselves, or have been a direct or indirect witness to racism. Driven by an evidence-based approach, the workshops are facilitated by trained culturally diverse workplace psychologists and co-designed by people with lived experience and culturally diverse social innovators.

ISANA eNews
#We are all in this together

Dear *|FNAME|*,

This latest Newsletter comes to you during a very unsettling time. Many of our members in Victoria have now moved into Stage 4 lockdown and most members are feeling the effects of budget impact within their institution or business.

Remember to reach out to your Union on issues related to your work and contact your Counselling service if you are experiencing health or mental related concerns due to the impact of COVIC-19. Also please let us know if you feel ISANA can organise a PD session on a topic that would allow you to hear more information, share experiences and learn how others are coping at this time.

Know that we are all truly #inthistogether and stay safe. 

Bronwyn Gilson
ISANA National President

Have you renewed your ISANA membership?

ISANA membership is renewed annually on the 1st of July.  

Benefits of membership include:

• Discounted registration for the annual National Conference
• Discounted registration for the National Code Tutorial
• Free and discounted attendance at local branch events and professional development
• Regular national and branch email updates
• The opportunity to provide feedback to policy developers and government agencies

Professional Development

National Code Tutorial

 Have you enrolled yet?  The early bird rate is still available!

CISA AGM & Elections

ISANA ACTiveNSW Branch President Annette Kalczynska was nominated for the position of the Returning Officer for the CISA 2020-21 executive committee elections at their AGM. As a returning officer, Annette will be responsible for the conduct of the election process and formally announcing the result.

COVID-19 Resources 

ISANA understands the devastation COVID-19 has had on our industry and the overwhelming amount of information that is available.  We have created a page on the ISANA website that consolidates this information by displaying all the available links into one resource. 

CLICK HERE to visit the page. 

COVID-19 and Beyond for International Students

ISANA has recently collaborated with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in supporting the development of the following Infographics:

1. COVID-19 and Beyond for International Students
2. Supporting the welfare of International Students

This information can also be found on the Student Welfare pages on the Study in Australia website here.

Latest News

ISANA Branches

ISANA Members

Dear *|FNAME|*,

Planning for what the future of the international education industry recovery will look like has begun with discussions on how soon a return to ‘post-lockdown’ is possible and what it will look like. However, ISANA members are still coping with immediate issues including coping with increased workloads, working from home, saying goodbye from a distance to colleagues due to lay-offs or non-renewal of contracts and in some cases, the loss of loved ones.

The one thing I keep reminding myself of is that I have experienced many previous upheavals in our industry (although not to this extent), but it was the support, resilience and commitment of my colleagues both at work, those in the industry and my ISANA peers who helped steer us through very difficult times whilst supporting our international students through their own difficulties.

As a member of the Federal Government’s Global Reputation Taskforce (GRT) I am able, on behalf of ISANA members, to raise the issues we are facing with the people who are in a position to assist. The GRT is currently meeting every Friday so I encourage you to forward your concerns to me at president@isana.org.au so I can take them to these meetings.

All States and Territories (NSW is expected to have an announcement shortly) have released student welfare package information and you can find this together with other useful links and data, on the ‘Austrade – Study in Australia’ website. I encourage you to share on ISANA’s social media sites good news stories and helpful information using the hashtag #inthistogether.

And to sign off on a happier note, I hope to bring you good news very soon about our National Code Tutorial.

Stay well and look after yourself,

Bronwyn Gilson
ISANA National President

ISANA’s current COVID-19 survey is requesting top issues affecting members at this time and how we can assist you in addressing these.
To complete the survey, CLICK HERE. 

ISANA are busily organising virtual PD for our members.  ISANA SANiTy branch have organised an industry check-in, for later this month, with others soon to release their dates.  CLICK HERE for the ISANA PD calendar.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the association has decided to postpone the New Zealand ISANA National Conference to November 2021. The meeting location and venue will remain the same.  

Please click here to sign up to the conference mailing list for further updates. 

We are currently brainstorming formats for a 2020 National Meeting(s), for our members and colleagues. WATCH THIS SPACE!

We are just some final tweaks away from a launch date.  Group booking forms are available now, please CLICK HERE.

Position Title: Communications Coordinator  
Branch: ACTiveNSW 

The Communication Coordinator is responsible for the facilitation of information to our members. In doing so they work towards ISANA’s objective of providing a means to for exchange of information and networking. 

Specific duties include but not limited to 
1. Coordinate design of flyers and promotional materials
2. Edit, prepare layout and send quarterly email newsletters to members
3. Send ad-hoc emails to members for promotion and information sharing
4. Requests member list from the Branch Secretary
5. Maintaining and facilitating social media accounts
To find out more email activensw@isana.org.au

Queensland Branch

 
President: Sam Hilbig
E: qld@isana.org.au

Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales 

President: Annette Kalczynska
E: activensw@isana.org.au

Study NSW launches International Student Welfare Services Hub
This month Study NSW launched their new International Student Welfare Services Hub on the Study NSW website to connect international students with existing support services – both locally and nationally. As of 12 April, there were 193,580 international students in NSW. Study NSW is leveraging digital platforms and relationships with federal, state and local governments, education providers and international education stakeholders to amplify trusted information on accommodation and housing, emergency food assistance, legal advice and mental health and wellbeing.

Applications open for Study NSW Partner Project grants
Applications for Study NSW Partner Project grants are open. Through these government grants, we can work together to support international students in NSW during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2014, Study NSW has co-funded international education projects that are delivered in partnership with industry to enhance the experience of international students across the state. Study NSW encourages partnership applications from a consortium of providers and organisations to ensure the benefits reach a broad range of international students. Funds of up to $110,000 (incl. GST) per project are available for 2020-21. All funds must be matched by industry contribution, including through in-kind contributions. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the Study NSW Partner Project Guidelines and Application Form available on our the Study NSW website. Applications close 7 June 2020.

Stay connected with Study NSW
Members of the international education community in NSW are invited to stay connected with Study NSW to receive updates and news, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subscribe to the Study NSW mailing list, follow Study NSW on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or visit the Study NSW website.

 

Date: Tuesday 26 May 2020 
Time: 1.00 – 2.30 pm 

Please register early allowing enough time for us to post out a pack that you will interact with during the webinar. Click here to flick through or download The Kit online. Click HERE to register.

We invite you to unpack the Sexual Health & Relationship Kit which has been designed for the Culturally & Linguistically Diverse community but can be used for many different groups. Learn how to use The Kit as a teaching tool to run health education sessions and focus groups by giving participants the opportunity to unpack and discuss the information around sexual health and healthy relationships in an open and respectful manner(even online).

This event is free & you can cancel up to 24 hours prior to the event.

Please call 0421 098 342 or email Jennifer.Farinella@health.nsw.gov.au if you need to cancel.

ISANA Members