1. USBT-1999: Seven Years After MAKING THE VCO CONCEPT Viktar Khotsim, VCO Team Leader USBT/PAL Alumnus

2. Long way to success First EAC web page Option of interactivity Team-based user-friendly operation Local E-communities Web template idea VCO-Eurasia Project Multilingual Interactive Portal

4. Effective Tandem Only an EducationUSA specialists working effectively in tandem with professional technician can develop the web project successfully

7. ACTR

8. Virtual Office of the American Center in Belarus It is a web server of special structure with innovations in: Operation Accumulation Analysis Dissemination of the educational information

9. VEAC: Technical Innovations Virtual Consulting Service Team-based user-friendly operation E-community WAP SMS-service Administrative Center ASRS

10. Conclusions and Observations VEAC is an additional and important tool that increases effectiveness of advisers activity Creation of an effective multifunctional web site is a costly operation Optimal site functioning is achieved via team effort Concentration of important data in one location has the confidence of user

11. Questions for the audience How much time will you spend if decided to create the web site for your center with the same options? How much money will it cost? How much our competitors accomplish while we are spending our time and money in “re-inventing the wheel?”

12. PAL-2003: WEB TEMPLATE Export of an effective multifunctional web product based on the most current and successful innovations by copying the program to local servers Avoid spending resources organizing multiple web trainings for educational advisers Employ web template as the core unit for a global virtual structure (EducationUSA EAC network)

13. Types of the web templates One-person EAC (Vladivostok, Russia) Alumni Center (Omsk, Russia) American Corners Network (Belarus) Country wide (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) Region wide (VCO-Eurasia) World Wide (VCO-Global)

16. Questions for the audience Who is the network of DOS-affiliated centers that specialize in US study? Do we participate in professional trainings devoted to educational advising for US study? Do we perform consultations on US study in different regions of Eurasia and deliver lectures?

17. Summary on questionnaire Our network represents the best resource on US study with huge potential that can be realized more effectively via to Internet technologies. Some advisers are very knowledgeable in narrow fields of study in the USA. We already have a lot of useful information and experiences that can be displayed for the whole region.

18. The VCO Idea To involve the most experienced advisers in virtual consulting service based on team- based operation idea in one region as a pilot project To create ONE internet resource based on the web template method To focus other web sites in the network in order to advertise one team-based operated resource

19. Why we need to do that? Fast development of the Internet technologies. Disproportion between the number of EAC`s and served population. Increased efforts by the European Union in recruiting Eurasian students.

20. VCO PROJECT: EURASIA Fall 2003 ETS EXCELLENCE AWARD

21. GENERAL CONSULTING DIRECTIONS (6) - If you want to study in the USA: general questions - Filling out application forms - Financial aid - Student visa - Testing procedures - Pre departure orientation

22. SPECIFIC FILEDS OF STUDY (10) - International relations - Civil Education - Distance Learning - Library Science - Journalism - Law - Education - Economics - Medicine - Business

25. VCS MODULE Automatic e-announcement on all incoming questions. Multi way distribution of the informational modules “question and answer”: - sender - web site (VCO) - project manager A system of capturing new subscribers when asking question through the VCO. A system of accumulation of informational modules “question and answer”.

26. VCO: ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER AC - is separate web site for professional use only with password protected access. The AC is developed in order to provide constant update of the VCO content by the VCO team without help of webmaster.

28. VCO - EURASIA PROJECT: TWO YEARS OF ACTIVITY Launched on January 22, 2003 Unique visitors – 65,893 Subscribers – 675 Questions answered – 278 News posted - 121 Useful information – 127 Links - 129

30. VCO-EURASIA: LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE Expanding of the VCO-Eurasia experience to other world regions Use of a Professional Training Program for beginners n educational advising. The ultimate goal is to integrate the VCO into the EducationUSA web network and make the ECA mission more visible by proclaiming it in many languages.

31. Project follow up PLEASE PASS TO REACS EDUCATIONAL ADVISERS AND FULBRIGHT COMMISSIONS. SUBJECT: EDUCATIONUSA VIRTUAL CONSULTING OFFICE WORKSHOP ECA/A/S/A is pleased to announce that the EducationUSA advising center in Moscow, Russia, will host a Virtual Consulting Office (VCO) project workshop from November 28 to December 2, 2005.

32. Plan of training Pre-workshop stage. Workshop in Moscow, Russia. Post-workshop assistance.

33. Pre-workshop stage VCO structure. Translation into 4 languages. VCO web portal VCO teams Content

36. VCO Workshop Finalize the VCO structure and content To learn how to operate and update the VCO To create the VCO operational manual in 5 different languages To prepare a set of distance training lessons To develop the VCO strategy of development

39. EducationUSA Virtual Consulting Office Network of EducationUSA advisers that provides professional e-consulting services in different languages on study in the United States. Advising Without Borders!

40. VCO: New tool for advisers and prospective students Not a substitute for individual advising Cover regions without EACs Oriented for new audience Training model for beginning level advisers

41. VCO: How it works Team-based operation Dynamic multilingual content Simple and unified structure Web template method

42. VCO TEAM LEADERS Spanish CC, Rolando Ribera (Bolivia) Arabic CC, Lina ElLabban (Emirates) China CC, Frank Mok (China) English CC, vacant Russian CC, Viktar Khotsim (Belarus)

43. What we are looking to achieve? Long–lasting feedback from USBT and PAL alumni Expanding the sharing of professional skills and knowledge by educational advisers to a wider geographic audience Implementing cheap and effective mechanisms for training beginning level advisers

45. Frank Mok, China Lina Al-Labban, UAE

46. Rolando Ribera, Bolivia Aleh Stryk, Belarus (webmaster)

47. Allison Hawley, REAC Viktar Khotsim, VCO TL Allison Hawley, REAC Viktar Khotsim, VCO TL Ms. Allison Hawley, REAC-Eurasia VCO Workshop in Moscow, Russia Nov.28-Dec. 2, 2005

48. Working together Establish dialog Know your audience Identify needs & Find mutual interest Promote US higher education Assisting US institutions Facilitate student mobility Admissions & Recruiting Internationalization

49. VCO Statistics after launch on March 6, 2006 34223 IP`ss 1500 hits per one hour (max) 2011 questions 456 updates 1209 subscribers 30 consultants (21 country)

50. WashFile Articles on EducationUSA 24 May 2006 EducationUSA Advisers Launch Multilanguage Online Inquiry Service "Virtual consulting" now available in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Russian

52. VCO-Eurasia and VCO-Global: Comparison Analysis

53. Rating of the VCO Consulting Centers 1. Arabic (answered 1001 question) 2. Chinese 3. Spanish 4. Russian 5. English

54. VCO Structure Consulting Center (5) Consulting Section (45) Local Mailing Lists (5) DPDP (5) VCO Mailing List (1075)

55. English CC Russian CC Arabic CC Spanish CC Chinese CC

56. VCO-GLOBAL: Plans for the future Expand the number of VCO Team members from 30 to 45 Compile the VCO team: 100% from USBT/PAL Alumni Implement DPDP for all Consulting Centers and cover all beginning level advisers Open up to 3 new Consulting Centers

57. VCO: Long lasting feedback and training model More active involvement of the USBT/PAL Alumni in VCO activities Synchronization of professional trainings in the USA with VCO activities

58. VCO Advertising: need your help Location of the VCO banner on your web site with direct link to the project Include brief presentation of the VCO project to you lectures, presentations and individual consultations As a USBT Alumni we expect you to share information about the project among EducationUSA advisers in your networks

59. EducationUSA-Virtual Consulting Office ADVISING WITHOUT BORDERS! WE WELCOME YOU TO JOIN THE VCO TEAM!