Responsibilities of the Position
Reporting to the associate vice provost for international academic programs and partnerships, the director of international student and scholar services leads the immigration, compliance, and support services for the undergraduate and graduate international student and J-1 Exchange Visitor populations at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech or GT). This position also supports the Georgia Tech community by understanding and responding to the specific needs of international students and by serving as a liaison with academic and administrative units.
The international student and scholar services (ISSS) team currently includes 15 professional full-time staff members, seasonal temporary staff, and student workers. The director is responsible for setting employee and group goals, deciding on organizational structure to meet the goals, assessing employee and group performance, providing feedback, and making pay recommendations.
Responsibilities of the position, as presented in the job description, include:
- Lead the continuous development and assessment of ISSS operating procedures in light of professional best practices as well as federal, state, and Institute requirements, to ensure that the needs of students, faculty, staff, and the Institute are met in a professional, timely, and appropriate manner.
- Supervise, develop, and mentor professional staff and oversee immigration compliance and advising services to F and J visaholders and support faculty, staff, and academic units in hosting international students and scholars.
- Serve as the university’s lead expert on immigration regulations for students and scholars. This includes liaising with federal agencies, ensuring university compliance with all legal and reporting obligations, and serving as a trusted advisor to the associate vice provost of international initiatives (VPII), senior Institute leadership, academic units, and partner offices on issues impacting international students and scholars.
- Lead the ISSS team in providing support that helps international students and scholars thrive academically, personally, and professionally—including initiating and supervising the implementation of social and cultural programming for students and scholars. Collaborate across campus—from academic units to student services—to ensure a holistic, well-supported international student and scholar experience and to elevate their voices and contributions.
- Develop and manage the ISSS budget, aligning spending with strategic and operational priorities and supporting the team’s professional development.
- Serve as the primary liaison with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of State, and other state and federal government entities pertaining to F and J immigration matters.
- Serve as a member of and/or lead standing and ad-hoc committees and groups at the Institute, for the University System of Georgia, and with professional organizations as is relevant and supportive of serving stakeholders, living the Institute’s values, and delivering on the Institute’s strategic plan.
Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate
Requirements include a master’s degree and at least seven years of job-related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A person in this position should have deep knowledge of F and J immigration regulations and be eligible to serve as the Primary Designated School Official (DSO) for the Department of Homeland Security’s F visa program and the Responsible Officer (RO) for the Department of State’s BridgeUSA Exchange Visitor Program.
Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities of competitive candidates include:
- Ability to develop policies and procedures to support non-immigrant students and scholars (support for visa-related matters and compliance, as well as community-building, adjustment, and student support programs);
- Experience leading teams that advise on immigration regulations that apply to F and J visa holders using knowledge of national cultures, customer service skills, and intercultural communication skills;
- Proficiency with standard office computer applications;
- Proficiency with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS);
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a leadership team;
- Ability to lead a team, develop and mentor others, build collaborative relationships across campus with faculty and staff;
- Advanced skills in decision-making, oral and written communication with multiple audiences; strategic thinking, flexibility, and problem-solving.
In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the following capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate:
- Advocate for students and the office
- Emotional intelligence
- Content expertise
- Leadership
- Diplomacy
- Broad supervision experience
- Collaborative team player
- Exceptional communicator
- Creative problem solver
History of the Position
Tina Rousselot de Saint Ceran served in this role from October 2018 through June 2025. The associate vice provost for international academic programs and partnerships has supervised this area during the interim, and the three associate directors have all undertaken additional duties during the interim.
Opportunities and Challenges of the Role
In transitioning to Georgia Tech, the director of international student and scholar services will encounter the following opportunities, priorities, and challenges, as shared by key campus stakeholders:
- The director of ISSS is a vital part of the leadership team of the office of international education (OIE) and of Georgia Tech. The associate vice provost of international initiatives and the entire Georgia Tech community rely on the director to provide cogent and timely updates and analysis of matters related to F and J visaholders, and to lead the team that supports these visaholders and ensures compliance with federal regulations.
- As the director transitions into the position, developing a strong sense of “team” among staff and building working relationships that emphasize a collaborative work environment will be essential. The successful director will need experience in training, managing, and motivating staff.
- The new director will forge significant partnerships with peers in academic affairs, student affairs, and all areas that serve international students. They must be comfortable in a decentralized environment supporting students and working as a bridge and connector among the various offices that promote success for international students.
- Exceptional communication strategies to students, faculty, and staff will be essential to success in this role. Compliance knowledge and training expertise will aid the director in educating the community about essential information and practices.
Measures of Success
The items listed below will define the director of international student and scholar services’ success throughout the first year of employment:
- The director demonstrates exceptional advocacy. Students, administration, and faculty seek their knowledge and support for initiatives that positively affect student success.
- The director is visible, has developed quality relationships with students, faculty, and staff, and has created a culture and practice of positive collaboration.
- The ISSS staff team has been strengthened through the director’s support and advocacy.
- The director has established collaborative partnerships at Georgia Tech and globally to enhance academic goals, support personal transition, and foster successful engagement among international students.
Overview of the Department and Division
Office of International Education and International Student Scholar Services
The International Student and Scholar Services team offers educational resources to support globally mobile learners with understanding U.S. government non-immigrant regulations, benefit eligibility, and access to wellness and academic resources. They serve as Designated School Officials and Responsible Officers (RO and/or Assistant Responsible Officer—ARO) supporting compliance with U.S. federal regulations.
The ISSS serves as a resource and advocate for the large and diverse population of international students and scholars at Georgia Tech. They provide a variety of support for international students holding an F visa, as well as for J Exchange Visitors who are enrolled at Georgia Tech as non-degree-seeking exchange studenst, degree-seeking students, student interns, short-term scholars, research scholars, or professors.
Mission
OIE provides leadership and advocacy for pursuing and supporting Georgia Tech’s international education and engagement goals through student and scholar mobility, on-campus internationalization, and intercultural experience. OIE collaborates to expand the Institute’s global learning and innovation network and to develop cross-culturally competent, globally-minded leaders.
Vision
OIE will set the standard for international education among the leading technological universities. OIE will champion meaningful intercultural experiences that prepare the Georgia Tech community for global leadership.
Objectives and Strategies
OIE has five objectives that align with the vice provost of international initiative goals, and that cover the same timespan (five years beginning in 2022).
- Increase awareness of and provide intercultural and international learning opportunities, on- and off-campus, to connect and expand Georgia Tech’s global network, and to act on the UN sustainable development goals.
- Expand access and holistic success initiatives to support international learners.
- Develop processes, programs, training, and resources to support the removal of barriers that learners face.
- Intentionally identify and leverage opportunities to support the holistic needs of OIE staff to support well-being and a culture of care in OIE.
- Continually strengthen existing partnerships, develop new partnerships, and foster connections, internally and externally, to support global opportunities for learners.
ISSS Selected Contributions to 2025 OIE Objectives
The Office of the Vice Provost for International Initiatives is a unit of the Provost’s Office, and is made up of the following units:
- Office of International Education
- Office of International Operations
- Georgia Tech-Europe
- Georgia Tech Panama
International Initiatives Organizational Chart
VPII Goals from VPII 5-Year Strategic Plan (written in 2022):
- Expand our Global Learning Network in strategic locations through creative intercultural partnerships in education, research, and innovation with other institutions, industry, and alums, while supporting the SDGs.
- Strengthen connections, collaboration, and communication across campuses and with other Georgia Tech partnering units.
- Foster a culture of caring and well-being that invests in experiences and rewards to support the Georgia Tech mission and the success of students, faculty, and staff.
- All learners have access to participate in global experiences, without financial or other barriers.
Divisional Leadership
Bernard Kippelen
Bernard Kippelen is the vice provost for international initiatives and the Steven A. Denning chair for Global Engagement. He is a Joseph M. Pettit professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Kippelen joined Georgia Tech in 2003 as a member of the faculty. From 2011-2019, he served as director of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta. He is a co-founder and co-president of the Institut Lafayette, an innovation platform located on Georgia Tech’s European site, Georgia Tech-Europe, formerly known as Georgia Tech-Lorraine (Metz, France).
He was raised in Soultz, Alsace, France, and is a U.S. and French citizen. He studied at the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France (PhD 1990) and was a member of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). Before joining Georgia Tech, he was on the faculty of the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona.
Amy Henry
Amy Henry serves as the executive director of the office of international education, which leads student-centered internationalization through education abroad, international student services, and on-campus internationalization. OIE also leads the BridgeUSA Scholar Program and supports the comprehensive internationalization of the Institute. Henry works closely with faculty and administrators to advance priorities of the Provost’s Office, including co-chairing the Institute Strategic Plan’s Global Student Experience area, and co-creating the Provost Office’s Employee Engagement Council. Henry has served in multiple leadership roles for NAFSA: Association of International Educators and for the Institute of International Education’s Global Engineering Exchange Consortium. Currently, Henry serves on the Executive Committee of the Global Leadership League and as a committee member for the International Engineering Education Colloquium. Henry is an alumna of the College of William and Mary (BA sociology) and Georgia Tech (MS international affairs).
Institutional Overview
Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 50,000 students through top- ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech’s faculty attracted $1.37 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation’s top 20 universities for research and development spending and number one among institutions without a medical school.
Mission and Values
“Georgia Tech’s mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:
- Students are our top priority.
- We strive for excellence.
- We thrive on diversity.
- We celebrate collaboration.
- We champion innovation.
- We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
- We nurture the well-being of our community.
- We act ethically.
- We are responsible stewards.
Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.
This year, Georgia Tech had record-breaking progress in graduation, retention, and enrollment – including record applications and yield – reaffirming its commitment to student success and impact. As Georgia Tech enrollment grows, its return on investment for students remains strong. The Department of Education’s College Scorecard puts Tech at number one among public universities when measuring return on investment 15, 20, and 30 years after graduation.”
University System of Georgia Core Values Statement
“The University System of Georgia (USG) is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values is Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and
The Student Body
Total Enrollment: 56,620 (includes Atlanta main campus, Georgia Tech Europe, and online students)
Undergraduate: 19,702
Graduate: 36,918
Male: 68%
Female: 32%
African American/Black: 6.9%
Asian: 47.5%
Hispanic/Latino: 8.9%
White: 30.2%
Two or More Races: 3.9%
Unknown: 2.6%
International: 23.8%
Institutional Leadership
Ángel Cabrera
Ángel Cabrera is the 12th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Under Cabrera’s leadership, more than 5,700 members of the Georgia Tech community contributed to a new ten-year strategic plan that launched in November 2020. The plan is grounded on a new mission statement that reaffirms Georgia Tech’s commitment to “developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.”
As president during the Covid-19 pandemic, Cabrera led the Institute through one of the most critical times in its history to break records in student applications and enrollment, graduation rates, and research awards. Today, Georgia Tech is one of the fastest-growing and most research-intensive universities in the nation.
Cabrera came to Georgia Tech on Sept. 1, 2019, after serving for seven years as president of George Mason University (GMU) in Virginia. During his presidency, GMU was ranked among the top tier of research universities in the Carnegie Classification and was the fastest-growing institution in the state. Before leading GMU, Cabrera was president of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, now part of Arizona State University, and dean of IE Business School in Madrid.
Cabrera earned his MS and PhD in psychology and cognitive science from Georgia Tech, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He also holds a BS and an MS in computer and electrical engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
Benefits Overview
Georgia Tech offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of all employees. In addition to health and welfare resources, Georgia Tech offers tuition assistance, flexible work arrangements, seasonal classes, summer camps, and more, all of which can be found here.
Application
Review of applications will begin June 17, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. To apply for this position, please click on the Apply button, complete the brief application process, and upload your resume and position-specific cover letter. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email info@spelmanjohnson.com.
Visit the Georgia Tech website at https://gatech.edu
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and Institute policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.
Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of the University System of Georgia (“USG”) and Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of an individual’s race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.
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