Robert Obee Tower Email & Phone Number

Toronto, Canada Area

Toronto, Canada Area

I am developing a series of summer courses abroad building on a handful of existing courses. These will be York University courses taught in international locations that provide for a unique experiential dimension to the subject matter. They will be 3 - 8 weeks in length. Courses will be in all academic disciplines.

Began the work to create an umbrella office for coordination of international opportunities for Centennial College students, promotion of those opportunities, support of partner departments and institutions, and advising students on options and procedures.

Developing and running all work permit and support initiatives.

Balanced the educational needs of Technology Internship Program (TIP) students, the human resources needs of highly competitive employers, and the academic and financial concerns of multiple Faculties and departments resulting in an increasingly strong and respected work experience program.Redesigned the work term monitoring process to include a core learning contract co-written with each student and related learning objectives and strategies.Poised the TIP for expansion by building capacity, implementing best practices, and developing a repeatable model for expansion.Restructured and led the team responsible for all employer relationships and programs in support of recruitment of York University's 50,000 students.Collaborated on SWOT analyses, operational planning, and assessment and evaluation to guide Career Centre programs, align them with university goals, and achieve results.

Advised hundreds of potential, current, and past program participants on application, job search, workplace adaptation, and other topics.Approved all participants and monitored all work terms to ensure the success of student leaning opportunities and maintain the integrity of the program.Doubled participation in the TIP by addressing stakeholder concerns, streamlining processes and procedures, and enacting grass-roots outreach.Collaborated with two Faculties to improve student usage of the TIP by better integrating it with students' academic preparation and plans.Developed new and revised existing promotional materials including web content, informational presentations, brochures, and more.Drastically increased employer satisfaction by providing consistent and high quality service and improving work term monitoring.

Advised students on the development of intercultural competencies and the achievement of academic and personal goals through off-campus study options.Developed and executed exchange student orientation and social programs, facilitating student acclimation to the cultural and campus environment.Coordinated Plattsburgh's National Student Exchange involvement and assisted in the coordination of study abroad programs.Assisted in annual program costing, fee development, and budget forecasting ensuring cost recovery at the minimum expense to students.Designed and wrote all-new web site for International Programs resulting in a self-guided, process-oriented tool for student self-advising on 17 study abroad programs.Represented the Office of Study Abroad and Exchanges on the Committee on International Education, contributing to internationalization efforts beyond our office.

Advised students individually and in groups on researching and applying to off-campus study options and integrating them into their overall educational trajectory.Established a series of group advising sessions on study abroad opportunities, application procedures, and program options increasing throughput via a group approach. Designed and delivered a full-day pre-departure orientation program for study abroad and exchange participants.

Master Of Arts; Ph.D, International Education 2005; Advisor

Ba, International Affairs And Spanish

Activities and Societies: Smith Hall Phi Beta Kappa Mosaico