Jamie Shannon, CISabroad On-Site Program Coordinator
Jamie graduated in 2011 with a BA in Environmental Chemistry from Pomona College and most recently completed an MA in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, CA. She currently works at CISabroad in Northampton, MA as Senior Program Coordinator on the Customized Faculty-Led Programs Team. In addition to spending several months living in both Thailand and New Zealand, she has been fortunate enough to spend a summer researching humpback whales in the Cook Islands, travel every now and again to various parts of western Europe, and spend several weeks backpacking throughout Southeast Asia. When not studying or working, she enjoys all outdoor pursuits (especially hiking and attempting to surf), cooking (and eating), and adventuring with her fiancé, Nate.
What’s an OPC?
As part of your customized faculty-led program abroad, you will be led and supported by a CISabroad On-Site Program Coordinator (OPC). OPCs are experienced and well trained staff members, there to ensure the schedule goes according to plan. Each OPC attends an extensive training program that involves a range of modules – risk management, emergency response, safety, logistics’, cultural awareness, communication, culture shock, budgeting, social media, La Vida Local and customer service.
The primary role of the OPC is to facilitate the in-country implementation of the assigned customized program, by providing safety / emergency response and logistical support. During the program, the OPC is responsible for managing the day-to-day logistics of the assigned customized program and providing in-country support to both the faculty and students. Using personal travel experience, professional work experience (and where possible language knowledge), the OPC will help create a program environment that is safe and culturally engaging. The CISabroad OPC may or may not be an in country local. The majority of CISabroad OPCs are expats from the US, who have travelled, lived, volunteered, or worked abroad in the program destination.
The OPC is not a registered tour guide nor expected to provide tours of sites visited during the program. If the program is one that requires specific guided tours of various sites, these will be provided separately. The OPC provides a general neighborhood walking tour to help the group identify the nearest bank/ATM, pharmacy, laundry-mat, grocery store and other similar conveniences.
The OPC’s role allows Faculty to focus on the academic objectives and the students to make the most of their time overseas!