Who We Are

Academic Support

ISA’s Academic Affairs & Records department supports student learning in the classroom and beyond while valuing direct engagement with local host communities. Once enrolled in an ISA program, our students have access to academic and student support services at their host institution, as well as the guidance and personalized support of ISA staff, in the US and abroad. Our Academic Affairs & Records team works across departments and time zones to provide students with unparalleled, customized assistance through all stages of the process, including program selection, course registration, pre-departure guidance, comprehensive on-site orientation, on-site academic support, co-curricular learning opportunities, and post-program transcript processing.

Course Information

Courses, along with program location, are a top consideration in the program selection process. And selecting a program that supports a student’s academic goals is a key element of a successful education abroad experience. ISA’s Academic Affairs department works to provide resources and support to help students identify program options based on their course needs. We also work with study abroad staff and academic advisors to facilitate academic alignment initiatives to integrate an education abroad experience into a student’s on-campus degree plan.

Co-Curricular Learning

At ISA, we believe that learning happens both in and beyond the classroom, and we work to ensure that students have the tools needed to engage with their host communities in a way that fosters learning and growth. The Discovery Model is our educational framework that organizes student learning into six areas of discovery: Intercultural, Sociopolitical, Historical, Environmental, Professional, and Sustainability. On-site cultural activities and excursions are associated with one or more areas of discovery and students are encouraged to dig deeper with the learning objectives posted on Schoology, the LMS used across all ISA programs. All students participating in ISA programs also have the option to earn Micro-credentials by WorldStrides in order to demonstrate the specific skills and knowledge acquired on their global learning program.

Transcripts

Upon completion of an ISA program, students’ official host university transcripts will be sent to our Office of Academic Records. Our team will then forward the host university transcript accompanied by the ISA Cover Letter. The Cover Letter is intended to assist the transcript evaluator at the home university and facilitate the credit transfer process. It contains important academic information specific to students’ ISA program, including translated course titles, credits/contact hours for each course, language level, language of instruction, recommended U.S. letter grade equivalencies, whether the courses were taken with locals or international students, and recommended semester credit/quarter unit conversion formula. Transcripts cannot be released for students with an outstanding balance. To learn more about transcripts, please visit the Academic Transcripts section of our Advisors & Faculty page.