Tennessee Tech has launched a new study abroad management software to modernize applications and improve how international programs are managed on campus.
Tennessee Tech Director of the Center for Global Experiences Dr. Amy Miller said the system was adopted to support ongoing study abroad operations. The software affects both student applications and internal program management.
“We desperately needed a study abroad management software so that students could go through the workflows on their own, and it would be more automated,” Miller said. “So we still have to do a little bit of tracking, but not near as much as what we had to do before.”
The launch comes as Tennessee Tech sends about 250 students abroad each year through a wide range of programs. Each student must complete multiple requirements tied to international travel and enrollment.
“Mainly because most of our work was being done manually,” Miller said. “We had a lot of apps and forms that were on very old systems, and so there was a lot of manual processing and manual tracking.”
The platform is provided through Campus Community and functions as both a website and mobile app. Students log in using their Tennessee Tech credentials and can browse programs, review costs, and submit applications through a single portal.
“It’s online and an app,” Miller said. “They can use any device on there, and the student can log in with their Tennessee Tech email and browse through all of our program options and just click apply.”
Miller said the system simplifies the first stage of a multi-step process students must complete before going abroad. Those steps often include host institution applications and visa paperwork for longer programs.
“If we can make ours at Tennessee Tech as simple as possible, that just makes the whole process easier,” Miller said. “That’s the one they will start with.”
The new software also reduces administrative workload for the Center for Global Experiences, which operates with limited staff. Miller said automation has replaced extensive spreadsheet tracking and manual updates.
“Before we had the new software, all the tracking was causing us to just constantly be tracking spreadsheets and doing everything manually,” Miller said. “This new system is taking some of that burden off of us.”
Miller said the time saved allows the office to focus more on outreach, classroom visits, and advisor education. She said those efforts help students better understand how international programs fit into degree plans.
The platform also includes discussion boards and mentoring tools that connect students preparing to go abroad with peers and exchange students already on campus. Miller said those features provide added support before students leave the country.
“Most students who come back from study abroad say that this was the absolute best experience they had the whole time they were in college,” Miller said. “They gain independence, soft skills, and connections from all over the world, and that experience says a lot to an employer.”
Miller said the center is also beginning to promote a virtual study abroad option included with the software at no additional cost. She said the feature allows students to explore international locations through interactive activities and could be introduced in classrooms by the fall semester.