Higher Education Insights: Student Affairs Challenges and Perspectives

SMK University of Applied Sciences is pleased to invite you to our International Staff Week: Higher Education Insights: Student Affairs Challenges and Perspectives. The ISW will be held from the 19th to the 21st of March 2024 and it is dedicated to administrative staff (teaching and non-teaching) whose job functions are related to student affairs.

One of the most vital roles within a higher education institution is that of the student affairs manager. The work done by student affairs professionals helps students begin a lifetime journey of growth and self-exploration. The role of the student affairs managers weaves together the many aspects that impact student academic and personal success, creating initiatives and interactions that support improved retention, internship placement, academic and personal growth and other goals.

The spectrum of tasks of student affairs managers is wide and diverse, from student engagement in active learning, building a supportive environment, improving students’ performance, and developing partnerships advancing student learning to creating and setting up relevant strategies and programmes to support student learning and retention that meet students’ academic, personal development and emotional needs. Student support and services contribute to the quality of their learning experience and their academic success. The importance of support activities for the students is obvious but also presents the management of services with difficulties due to the increasing number of students and their needs.

The purpose of the International Staff Week (ISW) is to share the experience and challenges in Student Affairs and Services in Higher Education among the partners from different higher education institutions. Therefore, SMK would like to give the participants space for their presentations during the week, for better sharing of their knowledge and advice to each other in the following fields:

• Student enrolment/admissions
• Academic student support
• Counselling and career guidance for students
• Internship organization practises
• Student drop-out prevention
• Programs and services for students who have learning difficulties
• Alumni relations
• Effective collaboration with faculty, staff, and students’ models
• Other

Costs

The non-refundable participation fee is €150.

The participation fee includes coffee breaks, lunches, one farewell dinner, and other social activities foreseen in the programme.

We will send the details for the bank transfer for registered participants. The payment of the participation fee will be a definitive confirmation of your participation in International Staff Week.

Participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses through the Erasmus+ funds for staff mobility or otherwise using the grants provided by the home University of a participant. We invite participants to check the availability of such funding with their home institution. 

The application deadline is Friday, 1st March, 2024.

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Erasmus+ Institutional coordinator Donata Dulke at donata.dulke@smk.lt or Head of International Relations Office Reda Mikalauskaite reda.mikalauskaite@smk.lt.

We look forward to hosting you in Kaunas, Lithuania!

Registration is open HERE.