Technology in Advising- Eurasia Virtual Consulting Office Viktar Khotsim Global E-consulting Team

PLAN General explanation of the idea Why we need the VCO? VCO innovations & structure Administrative Center The TOP EAC rating system Current results on activity VCO: looking towards the future

Virtual Consulting Office – EducationUSA MAIN GOAL: To provide information to people in all regions of Eurasia where there are no advising centers and to bolster service to students in cities where centers are already located.

Virtual Consulting Office – EducationUSA First region - wide virtual consulting service on education in the U.S. created and run by EducationUSA advisers.

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?

Summary on questionnaire Our network represents the best resource on US study in Eurasia 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.

GENERAL IDEA To involve the most experienced advisers in virtual consulting service for Eurasian academic audience and minimize their time investment in this project by distribution of responsibilities doing consulting services in narrow fields of study. To create ONE internet resource that specializing in virtual consulting service on US study and to adopt this resource to our regular activities for more effective distribution of information related to study in the USA.

WHY WE NEED TO DO THAT? Fast development of the Internet technologies. Disproportion between the number of EAC`s and population in Eurasian region. Increased efforts by the European Union in recruiting Eurasian students. International enrollment at American universities have leveled off after a period of expansion. Visa restrictions introduced after September 11th. Reduced funding of EAC activities.

VCO: MAIN INNOVATIONS Team based operation Dynamic content Simple and unified structure with easy navigation. Tested modules on virtual consulting services Administrative Center TOP EAC System High accessibility Constant technical support and development Thematic pyramid of mailing lists Web template method of programming Easy tracking system for REAC and Project Manager Future projects: VEF, Forum, Chat, Find me, Direct Advertising, Fundraising.

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 VCO: easy navigation and unified structure

SPECIFIC FILEDS OF STUDY (10) - International relations - Civil Education - Distance Learning - Library Science - Journalism - Law - Education - Economics - Medicine - Business VCO: easy navigation and unified structure

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 - member of the PTP A system of capturing new subscribers when asking question through the VCO. A system of accumulation of informational modules “question and answer”.

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.

THE TOP EAC RATING SYSTEM Allows REAC/Advisers to keep track of the web site rating in a separate region in accordance with objective info based on hits and visits to the EAC`s web sites.

CURRENT TOP EAC RATING SYSTEM PARTICIPANTS Educational Advising Center in Kvali, Georgia. Educational Advising Center “Osvita”, Lviv, Ukraine. American Center for Education and Research, Inc. Belarus. Uzbekistan Network of Educational Advising Centers. Kazakhstan Network of Educational Advising Centers. Moscow US EIC, Russia.

Results on activity: 6 months after Launched on January 22, 2003 Unique visitors – 8645 Subscribers – 145 Hits – 900,000. Questions answered – 80 News posted - 70 Useful information – 92 Links - 89

YOU ARE INVITED TO: Present articles on successful admissions stories from your region, preferably in Russian. Locate VCO advertising banner on your web site. Join the VCO team as a responsible person for consulting a selected topic. Distribute VCO advertising attributes in your office and through your local mailing lists. Deliver short presentation of the VCO during your lectures, presentations, educational fairs. Become a Manager of the Eurasian Virtual Education Fair. Send suggestions to REAC and VCO Project Manager on how to improve the VCO structure and it's content. Present any useful information in order to improve the VCO content. Join the TOP EAC rating system.

VCO: LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE Increase number of the VCO Partners Active use of the Eurasian VEF Forum Chat “Find me” Direct Advertising of the selected Universities Implementation of the fundraising. Use of a Professional Training Program for beginners n educational advising. Expanding of the VCO-NET/Eurasia experience to other world regions, for example - VCO-NET/South America or VCO-NET/Africa or e.t.c.

VCO – NET - is a virtual network of educational advising professionals specializing in study in the United States. VCO-NET provides e- consulting services on a Global level in several languages. VCO - NET - це віртуальна мережа професіоналів- консультантів із освіти, що спеціалізуються на навчанні в Сполучених Штатах. VCO-NET надає послуги з електронних консультацій на глобальному рівні кількома мовами. VCO – NET – это виртуальная сеть профессионалов- консультантов, специализирующихся на вопросах получения образования в США. VCO-NET выполняет электронные консультации на глобальном уровне и на нескольких языках.

VCO: VIEW INTO THE FUTURE 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.

WELCOME TO JOIN THE VCO TEAM!!! By joining the team you get a great chance to: Become a part of a community of top professionals in the field of educational advising for US study. Improve your professional qualification. Move your career forward… Put into practice your knowledge and skills and help more Eurasian students to find their destinations in the USA for study!

WELCOME TO JOIN THE VCO TEAM!!!